Why a new way of exam?
All center-based ACCA exams have been canceled many students have been affected by the temporary closure of local exam centers. Hence, remote exams have been made available and to prevent you from missing an exam. ACCA has introduced remote exam sessions for the students.
ACCA Remote Exam Details:
Before opting for the remote exam, consider the below requirements,
The minimum technical requirements you must have to successfully run the exams
Exam booking information including entry deadlines
Exam preparation guidance and
What to expect on exam day.
Centre exams (offline exams):
The health and safety of our staff and students remain our top priority.
There are precautionary measures in place at all centers running exams during the pandemic so that you can continue to take your exam in a safe environment.
Remote exams: what you need to know
Step 1 : Before booking an online exam session
To run a remote session exam successfully you’ll need to meet certain requirements. Please make sure you understand these requirements, and can meet them before you book.
Check availability If it is not possible to run exams at an exam centre, students in impacted locations will be offered the opportunity to take their exams remotely. Remote session exams are only available to students in selected locations.
Check your equipment and internet connection: You need to ensure you meet the minimum technical requirements to run the exams successfully. Technical requirements
If you can confirm your device and connectivity can meet these requirements you must then complete a system check.
This check is carried out via our testing partner and will confirm your internet speed, webcam, and microphone performance. It’s important to complete these tests on the same network and computer you will use on exam day, in the same location.
If your computer or internet access has any upgrades after you run the system test, and before your exam, it’s important that you re-run this test before exam day.
Please note that passing the system test does not necessarily mean that you fulfil the minimum technical specification. It is therefore important to complete both checks and confirm you successfully meet both criteria.
If you cannot meet these pre-booking entry requirements, you should not enter for the exam as the exam won’t run successfully.
Make sure you understand the exam rules, including room and desk setup For remote exams to be taken as securely and rigorously as our centre-based exams, there are some room and desk setup requirements that students need to adhere to. These include:
Taking your ACCA exam in a private and quiet room for the full duration of the exam.
No scrap paper for notes or secondary monitors is permitted to be used.
Additionally, before entering for your exam you’re advised that:
You are only permitted a 5-minute break from when you start the check-in process until the conclusion of the exam.
You will be filmed throughout the exam and these and other data will be shared with 3rd parties for the sole purposes of running the exam and for other related post-exam activities.
Step 2: How to book ACCA Exams?
Remote exams are booked through Exam Planner. Exam entry for the June session will be made available on 19 April for eligible students. How to book the exams?
June 2021 remote session CBE timetable
Some exam variants will not be available to take remotely – if a variant does not appear on the timetable it means the exam is not available.
| Mon 7 Jun | Tue 8 Jun | Wed 9 Jun | Thu 10 Jun | Fri 11 Jun |
| AA AAA (INT, IRL, UK, SGP) FTX (LSO, MYS, SGP, UK) | TX (BWA, CHN, CYP, CZE, HKG, HUN, IRL, LSO, MLA, MWI, MYS, POL, ROM, RUS, SGP, UK, VNM, ZAF, ZWE) ATX (UK, ZAF) SBL FFM | PM APM ATX (CYP, IRL, MLA, MYS, SGP) FAU | FR SBR (INT, IRL, UK) | LW (BWA, CYP, HKG, IRL, LSO, MLA, MYS, RUS, SGP, VNM, ZAF, ZWE) FM AFM IFR-INT |
Selecting your exam start time You will be able to select a preferred timeslot for your exam within a specific timeslot window based on your location. Timeslots are subject to availability, and depending on your location you may be presented with one or more time zone windows. Timeslot window are represented by F1, F2, F3 & F4 options during the booking process.
Remote exam booking deadlines and regulations
- The remote exam booking deadline for the June session will be 3rd June.
- Remote exam bookings can be amended up until the center standard entry closing date (26th April).
- All remote exam bookings will be charged at the standard entry rate – except for students who entered for a June center exam during the early entry booking window. These students will be able to enter at the early entry rate for any exam previously entered during this window.
Step 3: Exam preparation
As with any exam, practice is the key to success. But make sure you are familiar with the CBE environment and are practicing in the same conditions as you will be on exam day. Here we have a guide for exam preparation.
Getting started with remote exams: We know that it can be daunting to take a remotely invigilated exam for the first time. This may even be the first time you’ve taken any CBE.
The first thing to keep in mind is that the initial preparation for a remote exam is the same as it would be for any other center exam – you need to work towards a broad understanding of the full syllabus.
As you progress from a learning phase into a revision phase the two most important things are to:
Make sure you have completed the system checks fully.
Complete your question practice in the ACCA Practice Platform
It’s also a great habit to complete your question practice using the exact setup you would use for the real exam.
Using the Practice Platform:The CBE Practice Platform is a free on-demand resource where you can practice using the live exam format, layout, and functionality. The platform contains ACCA specimens and past exam content, and you also can self-mark your answers.
To get the biggest benefit from your question practice, make sure you mark and debrief your answers thoroughly using the model answers and marking schemes within the Practice Platform.
Scrap paper and completing your answers Remember that scrap paper is not allowed on exam day – that means you need to get into the habit of practicing using the on-screen scratchpad that’s available in the Practice Platform and the CBE environment.
The marker cannot see your scratchpad. If you want any of your workings to be marked (especially for any OT and case questions) these need to be included in the response area.
Studying and your desk set up: The closer you can get to practice in exam conditions, the better prepared you will be on exam day. This means completing your question practice with a clear desk area with only a calculator and clear glass or bottle of water.
Step 4: Exam day
We’d like your exam to go as smoothly as possible. To have a successful exam experience, check our guidance on what you should do in advance of your exam and what to expect on the day itself.
On exam day, you must use the same location, equipment, and connectivity that you used previously to successfully complete these checks. If your computer or internet access has had any upgrades since running these checks, you should complete these again to ensure the upgrades do not affect how the exam runs on the day.
Exam day and launching your exam: The link to launch your exam will appear in ‘Your Plan’ within Exam Planner at 00:00 (BST) on the day of the exam. To access ‘Your Plan’, log into my ACCA, select ‘book an exam’, and select ‘Your Plan’.
Once you click the ‘begin’ button, you will be prompted to download some invigilation software and enter your phone number. In the event of any technical issues arising during the exam which cannot be resolved through the online chat, the invigilator will attempt to contact you by phone.
For exam security purposes you will then be prompted to take some pictures of yourself, your ID, and your environment. You can then upload them, preferably using your mobile phone, by following the on-screen instructions. As soon as the check-in process is complete, make sure your phone is out of arms reach.
When you should launch your exam: You will only be able to launch your exam 30 minutes before your exam start time and please be aware it can take up to 15 minutes to complete this process. It’s important to be ready to start your exam on time, as you will not be able to start the launch process 15 minutes after your scheduled exam start time.
Make sure you close all other applications: Before launching your exam, you should fully close all applications using your task manager to avoid exam disruption (using Ctrl-Alt-Del for windows users or Command-Option-Esc for Mac users).
Comfort breaks during your remote exam: You can take a break of 5 minutes during the exam. If you require a comfort break you should.
- Request a chat with your invigilator by clicking the speech bubble at the top of your screen.
- Once the invigilator has opened the chat box, you should tell them that you are leaving your desk to use the bathroom. You do not need to wait for their response before leaving your desk.
- Once you’ve returned use the chat function again to let the invigilator know you have returned. They may wish to verify your ID once you return.
The exam is not paused during a comfort break and the exam timer will continue to run.
After your exam: All students who attempt their exam will have their answers sent to ACCA within 72 hours of completion. For peace of mind, this confirmation is displayed as ‘Exam attempted’ within Your Plan once it has been received by ACCA.
If you experience a technical issue during the exam:
We recommend familiarizing yourself with our troubleshooting guidance in advance of your exam to minimize the risk of technical issues disrupting your exam day. The guidance includes information on how to contact us if technical issues have either impacted your performance or meant you have been unable to complete
