Can I try a demonstration of an ABBE examination online?
Are there any new areas of competence that a home inspector requires which an existing practitioner will not have?
Yes, there are three main areas which will be new to existing practitioners. Firstly, Home Inspectors will need to know how to categorise property defects in accordance with the 3 point Home Condition Rating scale. The correct use of this scale is a completely new skill for existing practitioners. Secondly, the energy assessment within the HCR will be undertaken using a newly created methodology, RDSAP. Even those existing practitioners who have previously undertaken energy assessments on homes will still need to acquire competence in the use of RDSAP. Thirdly, the National Occupational Standards for Home Inspectors, on which the ABBE qualification is based, require you to demonstrate competence in planning your daily routine, dealing with administration and issuing Home Condition Reports using prescribed software. Not all existing practitioners will have full competence in these aspects.
Are there new skills and knowledge which I will have to acquire to achieve the Home Inspection Diploma and pass the examination?
Yes. The ABBE Diploma in Home Inspection is a NEW QUALIFICATION, with brand new standards and guidance which has to be learnt and tested. The existing skills of professionals working in the residential property industry are vital to the qualification of Home Inspector, but there are new skills and knowledge required to be a Home Inspector and these have to be tested against these new standards.
But I'm an experienced practitioner; surely the skills and knowledge I have accumulated in my many years of practice will suffice to get me through the exam?
If you are an experienced practitioner you are just as likely to benefit from preparation and revision time. Compare this to how you would fair if you retook your driving test today - As a driver we all fall into bad habits and our knowledge of the rules of the road is sometimes sketchy. Experienced practitioners can all benefit from refreshing the underpinning knowledge that assists them in identifying a defect as well as learning the requirements of the new role of Home Inspector.
Do I need to revise for the ABBE Diploma in Home Inspection external exam?
Any exam needs some preparation and revision time. No matter how confident you may feel, it is wise to consider those areas that are new to you, and which are part of the role of the Home Inspector. Your Assessment Centre will have had some experience and feedback from candidates that may be shared with you, to prepare you for this examination.
How can I be sure that the results I receive for the external examination are fair and accurate?
There is a robust quality assurance process in place to develop, produce and moderate the Home Inspection internal exam. This is regulated by QCA. The examination questions are developed by the ABBE Examinations Panel (comprising experienced practitioners and educational professionals) who ensure that the questions are valid instruments to test the knowledge and understanding component of the Home Inspection Diploma and also that they reflect up to date practice in the field. Once the examination has taken place, the results are moderated by the ABBE Examinations Officer to ensure they have performed satisfactorily in the exam. Any difficulties that may have been encountered during the examination (eg disruption, disturbance, problems with technology, question anomalies) are taken into account at this stage. This moderation process and the moderated results are overseen and ratified by the ABBE Examinations Panel.
Is 90 minutes long enough for the exam?
Feed-back from candidates has revealed that the one and a half hours allowed is plenty of time for the exam. ABBE designs the questions to suit this length of time.
Is the examination all multi-choice?
Yes, each of the three sections are multi-choice in their construction. All questions are to be attempted.
Isn’t my existing knowledge sufficient?
It’s probably a good start, but even the most experienced practitioner will need to add new skills and knowledge. An analogy may be the move from driving a car to riding a high powered motor bike. You need all your existing knowledge of the Highway Code (and we would all freely admit that this would need some revision prior to re-testing), together with some practical additional training in the road craft skills necessary to handle the machine itself on a busy road system.
What areas will I be examined upon?
Really you must expect to be questioned upon any of the underlying knowledge that the Home Inspector is going to need to fulfil the requirement under the Housing Act. This is set out in the National Occupational Standards, the Inspection and Reporting requirements (the guidance for Home Inspectors) and the Home Condition Report Form itself, with the terms of engagement.
What happens if I don’t prepare for the exam?
Many candidates have approached the exam on the basis that as they already operate in this field of work, then there is nothing new to learn. They have not looked at and studied the standards (National Occupational Standards), the guidance (Inspecting and Reporting Requirements), or the additional areas of knowledge necessary for the Home Condition report (like Reduced Data SAP for example). Start self testing yourself now – don’t leave it to the last minute. ABBE monitoring suggests that good quality experienced candidates do well achieving around 65%, but this is still a fail. Many candidates are mature individuals who have not taken an exam for a long time, so are naturally uneasy, and we understand that. This is another reason why preparation is necessary to build self confidence. It is not surprising that a number of candidates, without proper preparation, have not met the standard the first time around.
What is the format of the exam?
The exam is all multi-choice, and the pass mark is set at 70%, this ensures that pure "guess work" alone in the exam will not be successful.
What is the purpose of the exam?
The exam needs to test the underpinning knowledge and understanding necessary for this Home Inspector qualification, and as the Awarding Body this is the only independent test that the candidate will face, the rest of the qualification is achieved by a process of proof by assessment. The areas of knowledge and understanding are necessarily broadly based, covering off building construction, property defects, energy efficiency and the insurance reinstatement cost calculation, as well as health and safety and client confidentiality issues.
What subjects should I revise?
That is difficult to generalise upon, and your Assessment centre may have already helped you identify some gaps in your underlying knowledge. You certainly need to know residential building construction, the various elements (as listed on the Home Condition Report) usually found in properties built in this country, and the defects most commonly found in them. Services, health and safety aspects and the knowledge that supports the current SAP requirements (RDSAP 2001) is also essential. Do not forget the basis for insurance re-instatement calculations, what logic underpins the figures used, and the basis of the Condition Ratings in the Home Condition Report.
Who writes the questions and how can I be sure the questions are fair?
The exam questions are completed by a panel of practitioners, supported by academics, and questions are all rigorously vetted prior to submission into exam. The exams are balanced for the level of difficulty, and there is a process of continual assessment of candidate responses to the questions and the exams themselves by the examination panel to ensure fairness and equity.
Where can I find more energy information from the CLG [Communities and Local Government] to help me with my qualification and in practice?
Can I work in Scotland if I have an ABBE qualification that was designed primarily to enable me to practice in England and Wales?
In Scotland the decision of whether an individual is suitable to produce EPC’s is down to the judgement of the Approved (formally Protocol) Organisations who have obtained approval from the Scottish Government for their training and/or membership requirements. Those who have registered with the ABE or BRE and who have an ABBE qualification the answer is definitely a yes.
See http://www.sbsa.gov.uk/european_issues/epcprotocols.htm .
Both of these organisations are approved by the Scottish Government as offering suitable training, support and monitoring and are approved ABBE assessment centres which means under the terms of the Approved Organisations the ABBE awards they offer will be suitable as evidence of experience required to join their approved scheme and are recognised both sides of the border. The other organisations who also have an Approved Organisation agreement in place with the Scottish Government may also accept ABBE awards.
Candidates who work in Scotland may be asked to undertake some additional top up training relating to historic buildings due to the high number of these types of buildings in the country.
Can I work in the republic of Ireland if I have an ABBE qualification that was designed primarily to enable me to practice in England and Wales?
The Republic of Ireland Government [SEI], will recognise all of ABBEs awards. After joining a registration scheme you will be able to work in Southern Ireland. Small differences exist but the SEI does not see this as being a sufficient isse to warrant any further training.
http://www.sei.ie/Your_Building/BER/BER_Assessors/BER_Assessor_Training/BER_Assessor_Training_Courses/