associate certificate course in environmental management ... · the formal assessment comprises of...

Associate Certificate course in Environmental Management Assessment Details

GDN/0002 Rev02 of 15

Please Note: This information relates to delegates starting the course after the 1st January 2013.

The course is assessed through both informal continuous assessment and formal assessment. Informal Continuous Assessment All delegates are subject to informal continuous assessment. This is achieved through the mandatory completion of:

1. End of Unit Quizzes 2. Exercises

1. End of Unit Quizzes At the end of each Unit you will find an “End of Section Test”. These are multiple choice questions completed online within the website. The tests are not part of the formal assessment; however they do provide your tutor with a useful guide as to how you are progressing with the course. The e-learning software records that you have attempted all questions and provides both you and Envirotrain with the results. You also receive the correct answers. You may re-attempt the questions if you wish. Quiz type / revision questions are provided at the end of each module of the course based upon the course content. The quizzes are not part of the formal assessment, but must be completed as part of the course. 2. Exercises Mandatory exercises are provided on:

� Environmental Aspects & Impacts � Environmental Objectives & Targets � Environmental Audit

Each exercise must be completed and forwarded to the tutor for review. Although these exercises are not part of the formal assessment, they must be completed. It was a requirement made by the IEMA (the Approving Body for this course) that the three exercises are mandatory.



Formal Course Assessment The formal assessment comprises of the IEMA online exam. The Exam Format

• Assessment for the Associate Certificate is via a 2½ hour online examination.

• Each examination question paper contains ten questions.

• There is one question on each of the ten learning outcomes.

• Each question tests one or more of the assessment criteria associated with a learning outcome. The Basis for the Exam

• The examination tests the learning outcomes and assessment criteria. This is included at the end of this document.

• The examination questions test the English legislative position six months prior to the examination.

o New legislation will not be directly tested until at least six months after it has come into force, although delegates may choose to refer to new or proposed legislation in their answers, and may gain credit for knowledge of forthcoming changes.

o Delegates from Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales may refer to the legislative position in their own countries.

Pass Mark

• To achieve a pass a candidate must score 72 out of 120 (60%).

• A candidate who has achieved a pass has demonstrated satisfactory knowledge, understanding and application of environmental and sustainability issues at Associate Membership level.

Location of the Exam

• As the exam in taken online, you may sit the exam at any location you wish. Delegate Requirements

• Delegates must have access to a PC with an internet connection in order to sit the exam.



Language of Assessment

• The qualification is assessed in English only. Examinations will be presented in English and candidates must respond in English.

• Candidates for whom English is a second language are advised that their reading and writing skills should be equivalent to at least Level 6 of the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) Test for Non-Native Speakers of English. Candidates may obtain information on this language testing service from the IELTS website (www.ielts.org).

Arranging an Exam

• Envirotrain will forward your payment for the exam to the IEMA at the time you enrol on the course.

• The Associate Entrance Exam must take place within 28 days of a learner completing the Associate Certificate Course.

o As a delegate, you must inform Envirotrain of when you plan to take the exam. o Envirotrain are required to notify the IEMA when a delegate’s 28 day window for the

Associate Entrance Exam needs to start once we are confident in the delegate's course completion date.

• All communication regarding exams must go through Envirotrain. The IEMA will not deal with any enquiries direct from a delegate in relation to any of the above.

• You will be emailed log-in details to sit your exam, which will be valid for 28 days. [However, from the moment you log in you will only have 2.5 hours to sit the exam]

Marking

• Envirotrain are not involved in the marking of assessments.

• Examinations for the Associate Entry Examination are externally marked by examiners appointed and trained by IEMA.

• Rigorous standardisation procedures, including meetings of all examiners, ensure that the marking schemes are applied in exactly the same way and that all examination scripts are marked to the same standard.

Results and Certificate

• The IEMA will send results to delegates within six weeks of the exam completion date. o A copy will be forwarded by the IEMA to Envirotrain.

• Results are reported as Pass or Fail. The delegate’s total score is also reported, along with their mark per question.

• The IEMA will distribute certificates to delegates. Resits

• You may contact Envirotrain to arrange for you to re-sit the exam.

• An additional examination fee is required for each re-sit taken.



Mock Exam

• The IEMA have not yet provided Mock Examination Papers.

• Envirotrain do have an example examination paper, which delegate’s may use as a mock exam. Please contact you tutor to obtain a copy.

• Your tutor will review your completed answers and provided feedback. o However, as Envirotrain are not involved in the marking of formal assessments, any

feedback is provided in good faith but cannot be a guarantee of future performance in the formal assessment.

The following information is taken directly from the “IEMA Associate Entry Examination, Examination Handbook for IEMA Approved Training Providers for Examinations in 2012 & 2013” document, as indicated by blue text. 18 Reasonable Adjustments 18.1 When necessary, IEMA approves reasonable adjustments for learners with particular

requirements to enable them to have access to fair assessment and demonstrate attainment. 18.2 Learners may require reasonable adjustments for a number of reasons including:

• a permanent (long-term) disability or medical condition;

• a temporary (short-term) disability or medical condition. 18.3 IEMA ensures that its reasonable adjustments:

• do not invalidate the assessment requirements set out in the specification for the relevant qualification

• reflect the current needs of the individual learners as advised by the Training Provider and, as far as is reasonably possible, their usual methods of working

• do not give the learners an unfair advantage compared to learners for whom access arrangements are not being made

• maintain the relevance, validity, reliability, comparability and integrity of the assessment

• take account of all current legislation that has an impact on equality of access to assessment and qualifications.

18.4 The Reasonable Adjustments Policy is at Appendix D. Learners requiring reasonable

adjustments for their assessment must submit a Reasonable Adjustment Application Form (available from IEMA) at the earliest possible opportunity, ideally at the time of learner registration, except in exceptional circumstances, e.g. injury in the days leading up to the examination.



19 Special Consideration 19.1 Special consideration involves procedures that may result in an adjustment to the marks of

learners who have not been able to demonstrate attainment because of exceptional circumstances during the examination itself.

19.2 The Special Consideration Policy is at Appendix D. Learners requiring special consideration for

their examination must submit a Special Consideration Application Form (available from IEMA) within 7 days of the examination.

20 Result Enquiries and Appeals 20.1 IEMA endorses the right of individuals to enquire about results and to appeal against the

outcome of such an enquiry. Procedures are in place to ensure that result enquiries and appeals are dealt with thoroughly and fairly.

20.2 A result enquiry or an appeal can result in a grade being confirmed, raised or lowered. Where a

grade is changed, the new grade will replace the original grade, whether it is higher or lower. 20.3 The Result Enquiries and Appeals Policy is at Appendix E. To request a result enquiry the learner

must complete a Result Enquiry Application Form (available from IEMA) and submit it within 14 days of the result issue date.

Appendix D

IEMA - Reasonable Adjustments and Special Consideration Policy What are reasonable adjustments? Reasonable adjustments are made to ensure that learners receive recognition of their achievement without compromising the equity, validity and reliability of the examination. They are not concessions to make the examination easier for learners, nor advantages to give learners a head start. Learners may require reasonable adjustments for a number of reasons including:

• a permanent (long-term) disability or medical condition;

• a temporary (short-term) disability or medical condition. IEMA ensures that its reasonable adjustments:

• do not invalidate the assessment requirements set out in the specification;

• reflect the current needs of the individual learners and, as far as is reasonably possible, their usual methods of working;

• do not give the learners an unfair advantage compared to learners for whom access arrangements are not being made;

• maintain the relevance, validity, reliability, comparability and integrity of the examination;

• take account of all current legislation that has an impact on equality of access to examinations. Reasonable adjustments are approved or set in place before the examination takes place.



Applying for reasonable adjustments Learners requiring a reasonable adjustment for their examination must submit a Reasonable Adjustment Application Form to the IEMA Professional Standards Manager at the earliest possible opportunity, except in the case of a sudden disability or medical condition. Typically this will be at the time a learner is registered. The application must be supported by appropriate documentary evidence (e.g. a doctor’s letter). On receipt of a request for reasonable adjustments, the Professional Standards Manager will decide whether or not to grant approval and, if appropriate, the provision required to meet the needs of the learner. Applications for reasonable adjustments may be dismissed by the Professional Standards Manager if there is insufficient time to permit adequate arrangements to be made. If the request for reasonable adjustments is approved, the learner will be informed, in writing, of the arrangements that can be made. If the request for reasonable adjustments is not approved, the learner will be provided with a reasoned response. What is special consideration? Special consideration involves procedures that may result in an adjustment to the marks of learners who have not been able to demonstrate attainment because of exceptional circumstances during the examination itself. IEMA ensures that its special considerations treat candidates fairly and in accordance with national guidelines available to other awarding bodies. Applying for special consideration Learners who believe they were disadvantaged in the examination through circumstances beyond their control – for example, illness during the examination, fire alarm during the examination – may make a request for special consideration. In the case of examination at an IEMA Approved Training Provider the learner should ensure that the invigilator records the circumstances. All learners must complete a Special Consideration Application Form and submit this to the IEMA Professional Standards Manager no later than 7 days after the examination. The application should be supported by appropriate evidence, for example, a doctor’s letter in the case of illness. Requests for special consideration will be considered at the awarding stage, and appropriate allowance may be made at the judgement of the awarding committee. The maximum allowance is 5% of the total raw marks available for the examination. No allowance will be made for circumstances which may have affected learning or preparation for an examination.



Appendix E

IEMA Associate Entry Examination Result Enquiries and Appeals Policy

IEMA endorses the right of individuals to enquire about their result and to appeal against the outcome of that enquiry. The appeals process is also available to learners who may wish to appeal against other decisions made by IEMA in respect of the Associate Entry Examination (e.g. appealing against a malpractice decision or a decision in respect of reasonable adjustments or special consideration). Procedures are in place to ensure that result enquiries and appeals are dealt with thoroughly and fairly. A result enquiry or an appeal can result in a grade being confirmed, raised or lowered. Where a grade is changed, the new grade will replace the original grade, whether it is higher or lower. Result Enquiries A result enquiry is the first step for a learner that wishes to enquire about or challenge a result. IEMA reserves the right not to consider result enquiries if the request is submitted more than 10 working days after the result issue date. There are three result enquiry services. Only one request for each service is permitted for each attempt at the examination. Result enquiry fees are published on the Result Enquiry Application Form and payment must be included with the application. Service 1 - Clerical Re-check A clerical re-check involves checking:

• that all parts of the script have been marked;

• the totalling of marks;

• the recording of marks;

• the application of grade boundaries;

• the application, where applicable, of any special consideration. Learners requesting Service 1 should indicate if special consideration was requested. A Result Enquiry Application Form must be received by IEMA within 10 working days of the result issue date. Any certificate which has been issued in relation to the examination must also be included. IEMA will acknowledge the request within 2 working days. The outcome of the clerical re-check will be reported to the candidate in writing within 10 working days. If it is found that an error has been made on the part of IEMA, the fee will be refunded.



Service 2 - Re-mark This service involves a re-mark of the learner’s script by an examiner. A Result Enquiry Application Form must be received by IEMA within 10 working days of the result issue date. Any certificate which has been issued in relation to the examination must also be included. IEMA will acknowledge the request within 2 working days. The outcome of the re-mark will be reported to the candidate in writing, with brief feedback from the examiner, within 25 working days. If the re-mark results in a change of grade, the fee will be refunded. Service 3 - Report on Performance This service involves the learner’s script being sent to an examiner and a brief report (typically two sides of A4) prepared on the learner’s individual performance in relation to each question. A Result Enquiry Application Form must be received by IEMA within 10 working days of the result issue date. The written report will be sent to the learner within 25 working days. Appeals The appeals process is available to learners who remain dissatisfied after the outcome of a result enquiry. It is also available to learners who may wish to appeal against other decisions made by IEMA in respect of the Associate Certificate Entry Examination (e.g. appealing against a malpractice decision or a decision in respect of reasonable adjustments or special consideration). Appeals relating to assessment decisions must be submitted within 25 working days of notification of the outcome of a result enquiry. IEMA reserves the right not to consider appeals if the request is submitted after the published deadline. IEMA’s appeals procedure provides additional details.



Frequently Asked Questions Regarding Assessments Informal Assessment End of Unit Tests Q - Do the End of Unit Tests count towards my final mark? A – No, the End of Unit Tests are not part of the formal assessment process. The End of Units Tests are included for both you and your tutor to assess your progress. They may highlight areas of the course that you need to revisit. Q - Do I have to take the End of Unit Tests? A – Yes. Although the End of Unit Tests are not part of the formal assessment process, it is a requirement of the IEMA (the Approving Body for this course) that all delegates are subject to informal continuous assessment. Q - I have sat an end-of-unit test and I didn’t do as well as I should have, can I take it again? A - Yes, you are free to retake the test as many times as you wish. Environmental Aspects & Impacts Exercise Q - Does the Environmental Aspects & Impacts Exercise count towards my final mark? A – No, the Environmental Aspects & Impacts Exercise is not part of the formal assessment process. Q - Do I have to complete Environmental Aspects & Impacts Exercise? A – Yes. Although the Environmental Aspects & Impacts Exercise is not part of the formal assessment process, it is a requirement of the IEMA (the Approving Body for this course) that all delegates are subject to informal continuous assessment. Q – I am ready to complete the Environmental Aspects & Impacts Exercise, where do I find it? A – The Environmental Aspects & Impacts Exercise is available on the Envirotrain website in Module C1. Environmental Objectives & Targets Exercise Q - Does the Environmental Objectives & Targets Exercise count towards my final mark? A – No, the Environmental Objectives & Targets Exercise is not part of the formal assessment process. Q - Do I have to complete Environmental Objectives & Targets Exercise? A – Yes. Although the Environmental Objectives & Targets Exercise is not part of the formal assessment process, it is a requirement of the IEMA (the Approving Body for this course) that all delegates are subject to informal continuous assessment.



Q – I am ready to complete the Environmental Objectives & Targets Exercise, where do I find it? A – The Objectives & Targets Exercise is available on the Envirotrain website in Module C2. Environmental Audit Exercise Q - Does the Environmental Audit Exercise count towards my final mark? A – No, the Environmental Audit Exercise is not part of the formal assessment process. Q - Do I have to complete Environmental Audit Exercise? A – Yes. Although the Environmental Audit Exercise is not part of the formal assessment process, it is a requirement of the IEMA (the Approving Body for this course) that all delegates are subject to informal continuous assessment. Q – I am ready to complete the Environmental Audit Exercise, where do I find it? A – The Environmental Audit Exercise is available on the Envirotrain website in Module C4. Formal Assessment IEMA Online Assessment Q - I am ready to sit the Online Assessment, how do I arrange this? A - Please contact your tutor, who will arrange your examination with the IEMA. Q – How do I receive my log-in details? A – These will be emailed to you. Q – How long do I have to sit the exam? A – 2.5 hours. This must be in one sitting. Q – How long are the log-in details valid for? A – 28 days. Q – How many questions are there in the exam? A – There are 10 questions. One on each of the “Learning Criteria”. Q – Where can I obtain a copy of the Learning Criteria? A – It is available at the end of this document. Q – Who marks the exam? A – An IEMA appointed examiner. Q – When do I get my results? A – The IEMA will inform you of your results within 6 weeks.



Mock Assessment Q - I am ready to sit a Mock Assessment, how do I get a copy? A – We do not currently have a mock exam, but we do have example questions that the IEMA issued. Please contact your tutor, who will provide you with a copy. General Q – I am not happy with my result, what can I do? A - If you are not happy with your grade you may raise a result enquiry or appeal directly with the IEMA, who have procedures in place to ensure that result enquiries and appeals are dealt with thoroughly and fairly. To request a result enquiry you must complete a Result Enquiry Application Form (available from IEMA) and submit it within 14 days of the result issue date.

Associate Certificate course in Environmental Management Assessment Details – Learning Outcomes and Assessment Criteria


Associate Certificate course in Environmental Management Assessment Details – Learning Outcomes and Assessment Criteria


The above table is taken directly from the IEMA document “IEMA Associate Membership Standard. Learning Outcomes, Assessment Criteria and Prescribed Content”.

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