The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) cancelled the centre based exams in India and has confirmed the remote session Computer Based Exams (CBEs) for September 2020.
As has been committed by the ACCA to ensure that all the students may sit in the exams as planned and support students who need an alternative to traditional test centres when centre exams are not possible due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it has come up with September 2020 Exams.
The September 2020 Exams in India consist of an exam of Applied Skills, which are currently Computer Based Exams (CBE) and will be remotely proctored/invigilated.
In order to support the Strategic Professional students, the ACCA has taken up a step to pull out Computer Based Exams (CBE). The earlier planned exams were Paper Based Exams (PBE) but keeping in mind the present situation the ACCA has moved from Paper-Based Exams (PBE) to Computer Based Exams (CBE) and will be remotely proctored.
The exam for Diploma IFRS is cancelled for September 2020.
The remotely proctored exams will happen in 2 weeks, so the first week would be week commencing September 7, 2020, and the second week would be week commencing September 14, 2020.
In the first week, there will be a few Applied Skills exams and all Strategic Professional Skills exams in the computer-based remotely invigilated exams. However, in the second week, there will be only applied skills exams.
A few callouts are also clarified pertaining to the minimum technical specifications and pass the system test including internet, power, RAM, etc, which is advisable to be done by July 27, 2020, so as to understand what is required and to take the informed decision.
If in case minimum technical specifications are not completed by July 27, 2020, then the students also have the option to withdraw the exam entry.
Though, even after July 27, 2020, when the mail will be received by the students for making the exam entry for remote invigilation, if a student feels that he will not be able to make the necessary arrangements then also he can not make the exam entry.
It is specifically mentioned that if the exam goes live on the exam day the student must have access to a quiet and private location on the exam day so that no person can be seen coming in or going out.
In both the Applied Skills and Strategic Professional CBEs the student may use the PCs or Apple Mac, Laptops or desktops and calculators.
Physical scrap papers will not be allowed in the remotely protected exams, as the online sketch pads are already available.
Further, it is also clarified that no comfort breaks will be given in the three and a half hour exam and four-hour exam. The students appearing will be filmed throughout the test.
The students are supposed to log in half an hour before the exams.
In case of a desktop setup, there can be the monitor, keyboard, mouse, external webcam, calculator, CPU and a clear glass/ bottle of water must be present on the desk.
No additional monitors, additional peripherals, additional food/drinks, headphones, earphones, earbuds and a scrap paper will be allowed.
In case of a laptop there can be the laptop, additional keyboard, additional mouse, calculator and a clear glass/ bottle of water must be present on the desk.
Further, in the case of a laptop setup, instead of a laptop screen, an external monitor can be used provided that the laptop flap must be down as dual screen on the desk is not allowed and the other things would be as it is.
It must also be noted that there are no changes in the exam fee.
The ACCA will soon release the guidelines pertaining to the place where the students may take their exams. However, it is already clarified that exams from glass cabins are not allowed.
The ACCA has also come up with the CBE Practise Platform so as to provide technical knowledge, make the students familiar with the exam, identify knowledge gaps, track progress and well equip the students with the exam techniques.
The CBE Practise Platform is available at MyACCA, which may be accessed by the students appearing for September 2020, Exams.
Students who have entered September exams by the standard entry deadline of 27th July will have an opportunity to book for remote exams.
Students who have made exams before 27th July will receive mail from ACCA around 31st July to switch their exam entry to remotely invigilated.
All the centre exam booking will be cancelled and MyACCA accounts of the individual will be credited with the exam fee.
Lastly, the students needs to Sign off and conditions, which includes confirmation that the device used and location of the students meet the minimum requirements.
Therefore, the remotely invigilated sessions were smoothly conducted in Africa and it is hoped that it will be a great success in India too.
