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Important information about entering for exams

08 Sep 2008

As the global body for professional accountants, ACCA continues to enjoy sustained growth, to be in-demand by employers and a popular choice for trainee accountants. At the June 2008 exam session, a record number of entrants sat ACCA exams, with 164,646 candidates taking a total of 335,566 papers. In the past five years alone, the number exam entries processed has increased by 60%.

We are absolutely delighted with the continued relevance and popularity of our exams and, therefore, it is essential that we ensure that our services and support remain as high as ever and that our exam service can be administered to its usual high standards of delivery.

To do this, we rely on the cooperation of all our stakeholders and therefore encourage you and your students to take the time to read the following reminders about the exam procedures and processes which must be followed to ensure your students can sit their exams.

• Students should be encouraged to submit exam entry forms as early as possible and before the exam entry form deadline - 15 October for December exams and 15 April for June exams.
• Students must only submit one exam entry form per exam session. If a student submits an online exam entry form then they should not also submit a postal exam entry form. Similarly, if they have submitted a paper form, then there is no need to also submit an online exam entry.
• Students submitting an online exam entry form should carefully check the details on the acknowledgement page before completing the online application and ensure they print and retain a copy for their own reference.
• Students submitting an exam entry form by post should remember the following:
   - to use an original ACCA exam entry form - no photocopies, hand written or computer screen prints will be accepted
   - carefully check the details before posting the form
   - students will be sent an exam entry acknowledgement by e-mail if we have their e-mail address, otherwise it will be posted. Students should carefully check the details on receipt of the acknowledgement.
• If students wish to withdraw an application, they must do so before the exam entry deadline, otherwise they will be marked as absent and their fee will not be refunded. After the deadline, ACCA can only consider exceptional circumstances - for example, if a student is unable to attend for medical or other unforeseeable issues. In such cases withdrawal requests must be submitted with documentary evidence.
• Any students who miss the regular exam entry deadline have up to three weeks to submit their exam entry through the online late exam entry process. There is a charge of £110 per paper plus the exam entry fee for this service and please note that this is only an online service - we cannot process late paper exam entry forms during this time.
• Students who submit an online exam entry form can make changes to their preferred exam centre and variant papers using myACCA up to the exam entry deadline. Students who submit a paper exam entry form can make a request in writing to ACCA Connect to change their exam entry - marked 'change to exam entry' - but we cannot guarantee that this will be processed in time for the exams. Students should not submit another exam entry form.
• Students who wish to submit a paper exam entry form but cannot find their original will need to make a request to ACCA Connect, marked 'request for duplicate exam entry form'. Students should allow enough time to receive the duplicate exam entry form and return it to ACCA before the exam entry deadline.
• Students who wish to sit exams at a location that is not listed on the special exam centre list or on the exam centre list will need to submit a request in writing along with their completed exam entry form to the Exams department in Glasgow by 15 September for December exams and the 15 March for June exams. ACCA will only set up special centres if a suitable, independent administrator can be found, so students should not assume that submitting a request will guarantee that a special centre will be set up. If it is not possible for us to arrange a special exam centre, students will be offered the opportunity to sit their exams at the nearest regular exam centre.
• Students who require special facilities at the exam centre and have already notified ACCA will already have this information recorded on the exam entry form that we send to them and will need to submit their exam entry form by 30 September for December exams and 30 March for June exams. If a student has not previously notified us of any special facilities they require at the exam centre, they should submit documentary evidence to support their request in writing to the Exams department by 30 September for December exams or 30 March for June exams and we will aim to make the necessary arrangements. Requests submitted after this time will not be considered.

Your cooperation and support by following these exam entry procedures will ensure ACCA can process and deliver exams as effectively and efficiently as possible.