I had the same problem at the beginning of this year, the application was turned down at “pre-screening” because the course completion certificate (section 8) had not been completed as there had been no course, I had marked it as N/A as Fl1ingfrog suggests.
The answer is as given above, fill it in. If you hold a professional licence or any form of IR or have done in the last ten years there are a whole bunch of credits listed in CAP 804. I ended up sending them the following email listing those that applied :
” I have received an email from a lady named xxxxx regarding my application to renew my IR(R) which is currently recorded as a previously held rating on the back of my U.K. issued ATPL.
The email states that you cannot process my application as section 8 of the form 1125 has not been completed. Section 8 is the course certificate to be completed by the training organisation or instructor.
This section has not been completed as I was not required to complete a course of training. I noted this point in the covering email, but for clarification I will quote from CAP 804 part 1, section 3.3.2, “Credits”. (From section 5 part E page 3)
3.3.2 Credits
“An applicant who has held an ICAO IR(A) or military green aeroplane Instrument Rating or a U.K. professional pilots licence aeroplanes within the 10 years before the date of application for the IMC Rating is not required to undergo a course of flight or ground training but must pass the Theoretical Knowledge examination and initial IMC Rating/ IR (Restricted) Skill Test.“
It further continues in Section 5 Part E Page 4 to state that :
“ An applicant who has held an ICAO IR(A) or military green aeroplane instrument rating or a U.K. professional pilot licence aeroplanes or a valid Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) Ground Instructors Certificate within the 5 years before the date of application for the IMC rating / IR (restricted) will be credited with a pass in the Theoretical Knowledge Examination.”
Attached to my application is a certified copy of my current U.K. Airline Transport Pilots Licence, to which I wish the IR(R) to be attached. As my licence is current I have, by default, held a U.K. professional pilot licence within 10 years proceeding the application, so am not required to complete a course of flight training. Therefore there is nothing to be completed in section 8 of the application form, so I have marked it as “not applicable”. By virtue of the same qualification of holding a current U.K. ATPL I meet the requirement to have held a U.K. professional pilots licence within 5 years proceeding the application so I am also exempt the Theoretical Knowledge Examination, or ground school training for it, so I have also marked section 7 of the form SRG 1125 as ”Exempt”.
Hopefully this will be satisfactory to you,
Best regards”
Alternatively, if none of the credits apply to you and you had to complete ground school / exams / training then list it on the form, get the head of training to sign it and send it to them with a covering email. I found them (the CAA) very helpful through the whole process, just slightly lacking in knowledge of the requirements for the renewal.