Exam Applicaton

PDF iconExam Application Form
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Please download and print the Exam Application form. After completing it, send to:

ACS Distance Education
P.O Box 4171, Stourbridge DY8 2WZ, United Kingdom
Ph: +44 (0) 1384 442752 

To Pass Any Module, you must satisfactorily complete all assignments and also pass an exam for that module. (Note: In a few instances, such as some of our stand alone 30 lesson certificates; the number of exams or requirements for passing may be a little different)

Examination Procedure

On completing all required assignments for a subject you are then entitled to sit for an examination in that subject. If you pass the exam, you are awarded a pass in that subject, and an official letter will be sent from the school acknowledging this.

Note: You do not have to do an examination unless you want to! (To gain an official pass however, the exam is necessary.)

You can sit the exam away from the school at a location which is convenient to you.

The procedure is as follows:

1. You nominate an adjudicator (i.e. supervisor) to oversee the exam. This must be a reputable person such as a police officer, Justice of the Peace, Minister of religion, school principal or your employer. Adjudicators cannot be relatives.

2. Set a date, time and place for the exam (usually held at the adjudicators office).

3. Submit your exam application 4 weeks prior to the nominated date.

4. We will send the exam to the adjudicator.

5. At the set time, you attend the nominated place and the adjudicator will conduct the exam. On completion of the exam, your work is taken by the adjudicator and sent by them directly to the school.

You should bring a stamped envelope (addressed to the school) to the exam for mailing the finished paper.

General Information

  • Exams are usually one and a half hours in duration.
  • Students should bring pens and a few dozen sheets of foolscap or A4 paper with them.
  • No texts or notes are allowed in the exam.
  • An exam fee of £30 payable to the school applies each time you sit an exam.
  • What are the Exams Like?

What Should You Expect?

The short answer is DON’T have any expectations: just know your subject! Our style of education (and assessment) is different to what you may be used to at a secondary school or post secondary college (e.g. TAFE, Polytechnic or Community College)

How Do We Structure Exams?

  • Exams designed to see not only what you know, but how you are able to organise and convey your thoughts when placed on the spot.
  • We always reserve the right to examine you on anything which has been touched on in your course, even if only in a vague way.
  • Our main concern is that you have a general understanding of the foundations or underlying principles of the subject you have studied. If you demonstrate such an understanding through both the exam and the assignments you have submitted, you will pass the exam.
  • Getting all answers correct will generally earn you around 75-80%. The final 20% is awarded for going beyond what is required (e.g. showing creativity or innovation, or answering questions in extra detail). Only a small proportion of students will have the capacity to go beyond 80%.
  • We record a % mark on your exam paper, and keep a note of it in our records, but in accordance with government education policy your Statement of Attainment records only that you have successfully completed (i.e. Passed) or not yet completed (failed).

Sample Exams

We will provide sample exams for some subjects, but not all. You should be careful to not give too much importance to the sample exam. The exam you end up sitting might or might not be very, very different. REMEMBER… we are testing you on how you would perform in the real world, where you can be confronted with totally unexpected problems at any point in time. If we were to make you aware of what to expect in an exam, we would be defeating the purpose of the exam.

Don't Worry!

Prepare for an exam by refreshing your memory. All you need to do is read through your notes and assignments again once or twice, until the information seems fresh again. People who have successfully completed assignments hardly ever fail exams. The process of completing the assignment almost ensures that you retain sufficient information to pass. Where someone else has helped you a lot with your assignments this might not be the case though (an exam, in many ways, simply verifies that the work you have undertaken, was in fact your own)