Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Simply complete the application form on the how to become a centre page.

Once your application and supporting documents have been reviewed, we will allocate an EQA to carry out an evaluation visit to approve your centre. The centre application fee must be paid before an EQA will be allocated to conduct the evaluation visit.  Please note, centre application fees are non-refundable.

The evaluation visit will be carried out during an in-person visit, at the centre address as stated on the application form.  The visit will be conducted at a time convenient to your centre and the ABBE Evaluator, but please be aware that it can take up to eight weeks to arrange a mutually convenient date for these visits.  This could however be much quicker, depending on availability.

Prior to making an application for centre approval, you may request an advisory visit to help plan and prepare for the implementation of the qualifications, this can be in person or remote. Advisory visits are charged at the standard visit fee rate for the type of visit requested.  If you need to cancel or reschedule your Advisory visit, please notify ABBE at least 5 working days before the planned visit, otherwise the full fee will be charged.

Once you’ve got your application underway, we can provide ongoing support to help complete the application form by telephone, email or an online meeting.

Once you become an ABBE Approved Centre you will have access to:

• Subject specialist External Quality Assurers
• Qualification specific documentation
• Helpful Customer Services team

If you wish to discuss your individual requirements and find out more about our approval process and the qualifications we offer, please contact us at abbeenquires@bcu.ac.uk

If you are already an Approved ABBE Centre and want approval to deliver additional specific qualification(s), contact the ABBE Enquiries team at abbeenquires@bcu.ac.uk to request an Additional Qualification Application Form.

Training Centres must enrol learners with ABBE ahead of any assessment taking place.

Learners must be registered under their full legal name. Centres must check this against the learner’s photographic ID. 

• Acceptable forms of ID include:
  • Passport
  • Driver’s license

The first and last name on the ID must match the first and last name used to register the learner. This is especially important where the learner needs to sit an exam as part of the assessment for their qualification.  Entry to exams will be prohibited if the learner’s name and ID do not match.

Please email abbeenquires@bcu.ac.uk with the learner’s ABBE ID number, full name and qualification details.

ABBE need to do this for you, so please email abbeenquires@bcu.ac.uk with the learner’s ABBE ID number, full name and qualification details and we’ll take care of this.

If you wish to add or remove a centre contact, you will need to send the request to abbeenquires@bcu.ac.uk in writing.  Please make sure you include their full name, email address, phone number and job title.

Please email abbeenquires@bcu.ac.uk outlining the changes to your centre.  Please note, changes to your assessment and quality assurance team will need to be approved by your EQA, so please contact them directly.

If you want to make changes to your current assessment team, you should notify your EQA of the changes to be made, sending all required CVs, CPD documentation etc.  You must wait for confirmation from your EQA that the proposed amendments are acceptable before implementing the changes.  Your EQA will inform ABBE of changes to your assessment team.

If you need to cancel or reschedule your EQA visit, please notify your EQA and ABBE at least 5 working days before the planned visit, otherwise the full fee will be charged.

A Purchase Order (PO) is required for any processes involving monetary transactions, such as learner registrations. Please include the PO number on the registration upload screen in Parnassus.

As an Awarding Organisation, ABBE develops and owns qualifications, but we do not deliver training ourselves. To enrol onto an ABBE qualification, you would need to contact an ABBE Approved Training Centre directly to discuss booking a place on one of their courses.  They will be able to inform you of the associated costs etc.  Check out the ABBE Qualifications page for a list of ABBE Approved Training Centres who offer that qualification.

The ABBE Qualified logo is available to learners who have achieved an ABBE qualification. If you wish to apply for the ABBE Qualified logo, please email abbeenquires@bcu.ac.uk with the ABBE ID number, full name and qualification details.

To apply for a replacement certificate, please email abbeenquires@bcu.ac.uk requesting a replacement certificate form, you will need to provide the ABBE ID number, full name, qualification title, centre name and reason for the request.  Please note, there is a charge for this service.

You can use the ‘Learner Certificate Validator’ found on the ABBE Parnassus Portal. You will need the Learner’s first name, last name, date of birth, certificate number and certificate date to validate a certificate.

Your results will be processed and released to your training centre upon completion. We will process results within 5 working days, however, it may take a little longer if we have any queries we need to discuss with your training centre.

In the first instance, please speak to your training centre.

You can’t use the following for your exam:

• Mobile Phones
• iPads/Tablets
• Computers set in ‘S’ Mode
• Computers using more than one monitor
• Chromebooks/Notebooks/Thinkpads/Vivobooks/Surface Pro’s etc.
  • These types of computers tend to look like a typical laptop

We also recommend that you don’t use a work computer, as they tend to have firewalls and other security policies that may block video streaming during the exam.

If you are unsure whether your device is compatible, check the Device Specification List. You should also carry out a system test prior to your exam day – see section on “How can I check whether my computer will work with the EDExams software?”

Prior to exam day make sure your computer will work with the EDExams software. Click the link here https://edexams.com/candidate-software to:

1. Check the system requirements
2. Download the EDExams software
3. Carry out a system test. Open the EDExams App and click on the green “Check Status” button

On exam day and before your exam begins:

1. Run another system test

If you experience any issues during your system checks, contact EDExams for assistance by either:
Telephone: 01909 384 090
Email: mail@edexams.com
Live Chat: edexams.com

If you experience any technical issues, contact EDExams for assistance by either:

Telephone: 01909 384 090
Email: mail@edexams.com
Live Chat: edexams.com

ABBE recommend that you don NOT use a work computer for online exams, because work computers tend to have firewalls and other security policies that may block video streaming during the exam.

If you must use your work computer to take your exam, please request your IT department opens the following ports:

• 22 (Support channel)
• 80 (HTTP)

You should also carry out a system test prior to your exam day – see section on “How can I check whether my computer will work with the EDExams software?”

Your training centre will book your exam for you. They can do this once they have registered you with your Awarding Body. Once your exam is booked, you will receive a confirmation email with your appointment details, the technical specifications for your computer, and important information about how to download the EDExams software and test your computer ahead of your exam day.

First of all, please check your “spam” folder, sometimes these emails end up in here. If you check your “spam” folder and you still haven’t received your confirmation email, then please let your training provider know, giving them an alternative email address, and they can request for the email to be resent.

The area where you take your exam should be a private and enclosed space, ideally free from windows or glass dividers that might enable others to view your screen. You need to be in the room on your own.

Your test space should be free from all revision materials, notes, paperwork including materials on the walls, such as, sticky notes, notes on boards etc.

You should also sit yourself in a place where you can maintain a reliable and consistent internet connection.

You will be asked to show three different 360-degree views of your room using your webcam before starting the exam. You need to show:

1. All walls
2. All desk surfaces
3. All floor area

Once you have completed the different 360-degree views of your room, you may start the exam.

Your exam space will be reviewed by an invigilator and if it fails to meet the requirements, this will be reported to your Awarding Organisation for suspected Malpractice and your exam may be invalidated.

For entry into EDExams examinations, the following forms of ID will be accepted:

• Passport
• Driving Licence
• Proof of age cards with a PASS logo
  • such as, a CitizenCard or Young Scot card
• EU national identity card (unexpired)

Once you’ve started your exam, no-one else is allowed to enter or even pass through your exam space. This includes, children, colleagues, roommates, etc.

You are not allowed to get help from other individuals while taking the exam. However, if you experience technical difficulties during your exam, you can get help via the “Q Chat” button that is available on every slide of the exam.

You can get help via the “Q Chat” button that is available on every slide of the exam. However, most issues can be avoided by ensuring that your computer meets all the system requirements ahead of your exam and by completing a system test.

All personal belongings must remain out of arm’s reach during your exam. However, the following items are not allowed in the exam room:

• Mobile phones, tablets, iPads, iPods, MP3/4 players etc
• Headphones, Earphones, Airpods etc
• Watches

The invigilator will look out for certain behaviours such as, looking off the screen, mumbling or speaking aloud, covering your mouth or face, using unauthorised materials (e.g. mobile phones, recording equipment, writing materials), interacting with third parties intentionally or unintentionally, and leaving the webcam view. This list is not exhaustive.

If for any reason or duration you leave the webcam view, this will be reported to your Awarding Organisation for suspected Malpractice and your exam may be invalidated.

If your invigilation stream stops during your exam, as a security measure EDExams automatically freezes the exam and saves and encrypts all progress up to that point. EDExams will then contact you to offer a remote support session to get you back onto the platform to complete your exam.

Yes, click on the “A” text icon at the top of the exam screen and select the size text you want. You can also change the background colour of your screen, by clicking on the “Slide Colour” icon at the top of the exam screen.

No, if this happens, it will be reported to your Awarding Organisation for suspected Malpractice and your exam may be invalidated.

You may not take hand-written notes, but you can use the built-in “Doodle” pad in the EDExams app.

Yes, you can mark a question with an “x” to go back to later, if you have enough time. Just click on the “x” next to the question number at the bottom of the page and this will flag the question.

Your result will be sent to your training provider and they will notify you of your final result once it has gone through the quality assurance processes.

Firstly, check the FAQs on PearsonVue, you can also visit your exam program’s homepage to find answers to FAQs about your exam. If you still have questions, you can contact Pearson’s dedicated customer service team.

If you are impacted by a test centre closure, you will receive an email with information on how to reschedule your exam.

If the issue is before your exam starts, please contact the dedicated Pearson Customer Services team:

If you have an issue during the exam, please inform the test administrator at Pearson Vue as soon as the issue occurs.  A case will be filed, with most cases investigated and resolved within 3-5 business days.

Visit your exam program’s homepage, click “Create account” and complete the required fields. Once you’ve created an account, you’ll be able to schedule your exam. Or, use the PV Online Examination System User Guide for ABBE centres and learners document.

Visit your exam program’s homepage and sign in. Click “My Profile” under the My Account menu. You will see the Edit option to the right of any fields you can update.

If you are unable to update a field, please contact the customer service team listed on your exam program’s homepage for help.

Visit your exam program’s homepage and sign in to select the exam you’d like to schedule. You can select up to three test centres to compare appointment availability.

Visit your exam program’s homepage and sign in. Select the exam you’d like to reschedule or cancel from Upcoming Appointments. You will receive an email confirming any changes to your appointment. Don’t forget to click Confirm Reschedule on the final screen to ensure your changes have been saved.  It’s always a good idea to refer to your original appointment confirmation email to see whether there are any fees or deadlines for rescheduling or cancelling your exam.

Pearson state that you can cancel an exam 48 hours before it’s due to start or reschedule 24 hours beforehand, otherwise you will be charged.

On the payment screen, you will see the option to enter your code. If you’re booking your exam over the phone, please tell the agent that you have a voucher to use.

Firstly, visit the OnVUE page for your exam program. Once there, navigate to the FAQs section of the page, where you’ll find helpful information on everything from scheduling your exam to system requirements, testing policies, and more.

PearsonVue have published the full ID requirements on their website.  Here’s some useful information:

Before testing online, you’ll need to provide a headshot photo of yourself, your identification (ID), and your testing space.

Identification must meet the requirements outlined below.

• All IDs must be valid (unexpired) government-issued originals (i.e., not a photocopy or an electronic version)
• IDs must include the test-taker’s name and a recent, recognisable photo
• The first and last name on the ID must match the first and last name used to register for the exam
• Acceptable forms of ID include:
  • Passport
  • Driver’s license

TQT determines the overall size of a qualification. This indicates how long a ‘typical’ Learner might take to study for a qualification, this includes time spent on individual study and assessment. It includes Guided Learning Hours (GLH), which is the time spent being taught by an Assessor or under supervision. Learners study at different rates, so the TQT of the qualification is a guide.

Please check the CITB website for which Qualifications the CITB pays grants.  Please note, if a qualification is on the list, grants for the training must be claimed retrospectively by the employer.  The list of qualifications can be found in the link below:

Short qualifications we pay grant for – CITB

Where assessments are externally assessed, centres must apply to ABBE to request a reasonable adjustment. Appropriate evidence must be submitted in support of a reasonable adjustment request. This may include medical evidence, a statement from an employer confirming the learner’s usual way of working or any other appropriate information. Please refer to ABBE’s Reasonable Adjustment Policy, which can be found on the Useful Information page.

Where the centre has made reasonable adjustments in relation to internal assessments, the Head of Centre (or designated nominee) must ensure that the adjustment implemented is based on firm evidence of a barrier to assessment and is in line with the guidance in the centre’s reasonable adjustment policy. Failure to do so may result in action related to malpractice which could ultimately lead to the recall of certificates, removal of qualification approval or removal of centre approval.

If you’re unsure, please contact ABBE for guidance.