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Certificate Level exams

You have the flexibility to choose when you want to sit your exams; they can be taken at any time and you can sit them at a test centre or via OnVUE remote invigilation.

Booking your exams with a tuition provider

If you are in a training agreement, before booking you should first speak to your employer as they may have made arrangements for your exams to be scheduled along with your tuition. As tuition providers generally only allow their own students to sit exams at their centres, they are not shown on the Pearson VUE website. For more information regarding tuition provider exam centre locations, please see the contact details below:

UK

International

We have tuition provider exam centres in the following countries:

  • China
  • Cyprus
  • Mauritius
  • Singapore
  • Vietnam

For more details please contact our international offices.

Booking your exams online

You can book your exams online via access.icaew.com/pearsonvue, you just need to log in using your ICAEW log in details.

If you are planning to sit your exam at a test centre, you just need to check that the centre you wish to sit at has availability on the day you wish to book. You can use our handy guide below for a walk-through of the booking process.

Remote Invigilation

If you are planning on taking your exam via remote invigilation please read more about Remote invigilation: Certificate Level and ICAEW CFAB exams.

Cancelling or rescheduling your exams

You can cancel or reschedule an exam online at access.icaew.com/pearsonvue up to 24 hours before you are due to sit to be eligible for a refund. We have created a guide to assist you through this process.

Please note, if your exam was scheduled on your behalf by your tuition provider or your employer, you must inform them so that they can reschedule or cancel the exam for you.

Failure to reschedule or cancel your exam with 24 hours' notice will mean you are ineligible for a refund. However, providing that you do not begin the exam, it will not count as one of your attempts and nothing will appear on your exam history.

Access arrangements

If you feel your exam performance may be hindered owing to a health condition, disability, or specific learning difficulty (SpLD), we may be able to put access arrangements in place to support you during your exam(s).

If you would like arrangements to be put in place for a specific exam, your access arrangements application must be submitted 21 days before your intended exam date, please do not book your exam until your arrangements have been confirmed. Before you submit your access arrangements application, please read our guidance.

If you have been awarded access arrangements for your Certificate Level exam(s), there is a dedicated Pearson VUE webpage to read additional guidance.

Exam guidance

Please ensure you read our exam guidance before sitting your exam. It will provide you with everything you need to know including the administrative processes you will need to complete on the day such as ID requirements and our calculator policy, the exam rules you will be subject to and all your frequently asked questions, answered.

Calculators

You will be able to use your own calculator in the exam. You are permitted to use models on the approved list only. For security reasons, calculator covers and lids are not permitted in the exam and must be stored away. You are responsible for making sure that your calculator works on the day of the exam. There is also an on-screen calculator available should you need it. You can practice using the on-screen calculator in advance of their exam by using this demonstration or by accessing the sample exams. You can view the sample exams on our website within the ICAEW CFAB and ACA Certificate Level exam and study resources.

Whiteboard and pen

You can use a whiteboard and wipeable pen for any of your workings. We recommend a whiteboard of A4 size (approx. 210x297mm) plus two dry erase markers. You are required to purchase these items, should you wish to use them. Please note that if you use paper and/or a non-wipeable pen, the exam will be ended and reported as a policy violation. You will be continuously monitored during your exam and must wipe your whiteboard clean at the end of the exam. Please note that you are prohibited from writing down or recording any exam content. If you prefer to write notes online, you will be able to use a scratch pad within the exam which offers the following features:

  • It is resizable;
  • it can be dragged anywhere on screen;
  • notes are saved throughout the exam to view within all questions;
  • if it is closed, all notes are saved for when it is re-opened;
  • you can use Ctrl C and Ctrl V to copy and paste text from the exam question; and
  • to zoom in and out of any screen and notes, hold Ctrl and click + or - .

You will also be able to use the online whiteboard feature

Exam advice for students

The ICAEW exams and learning materials are prepared ahead of each exam session. While we aim to reflect real life in the exams, the scenarios, characters and businesses presented are fictional and reflect the economic circumstances at the time of writing. Some exam question scenarios may relate to an industry, sector or business on which the coronavirus pandemic has had an impact. Where analysis of that scenario is required, it would be relevant to mention briefly in your answer the implications of the pandemic. Overall, however, you should continue to focus on answering the question appropriately, using the technical knowledge and skills as set out in the ICAEW learning materials.

Exam disruption appeal

Should you experience an issue during your exam, you must report this to Pearson VUE via the greeter or invigilator on the day of your exam. If you are unable to contact them, you should contact Pearson VUE to report the issue and ensure it has been logged. If you feel the issue you experienced has impacted your exam performance, you can apply for exam disruption appeal.

Students must read and understand the exam disruption appeal policy before they sit an exam. The exam disruption appeal applies to circumstances where you feel that your performance in an exam has been adversely affected by illness or other circumstances. You can apply to have these factors taken into consideration during the results determination process. Please refer to the policy.

The deadline to apply for exam disruption appeal is seven days from your exam. For example, if you sit an exam on a Monday you will have until 23:59 the following Monday to submit your exam disruption appeal application. You will also need to apply for exam disruption appeal individually per exam.

If you wish to apply for exam disruption appeal, you must complete the online exam disruption appeal application form with any supporting evidence within seven days of the exam. Once your application has been logged, you will receive a confirmation email to confirm we have received it.

Take a look at our EDA student guide for step-by-step instructions on completing an application and the exam disruption appeal frequently asked questions.

Full details of all the available provisions can be found in the ACA assessment regulations.