Guidance for
ACA students
Professional Level
computer-based exams
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CONFIDENCE
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CONFIDENCE
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Contents
Section
Page
Introducing computer-based exams
3
Computer-based exam software
4
Before the exam day
9
On the day of the exam
10
Guidance for ACA students – Professional Level computer-based exams
2
Introducing computer-based exams
Computer-based exams, at the ACA Professional and Advanced Levels, are being introduced over
a two-year period. A summary of when each exam will move to computer is provided below.
September
Professional Level exam sitting with the first computer-based exams
for Tax Compliance and Audit and Assurance.
• how to navigate through the software; and
Professional Level exam sitting with the first computer-based exams
for Financial Accounting and Reporting and Financial Management.
If you have a question, please contact our student support team on +44 (0)1908 248 250
or email [email protected]
2018
March
November
Please read this guidance before you sit a Professional Level computer-based exam.
It will help you to understand:
• what to expect on the day of the exam;
2017
March
Guidance for ACA students
Professional Level exam sitting with the first computer-based exams
for Business Planning and Business Strategy.
First computer-based exam sitting for Advanced Level exams.
• key functionality within the software.
What is the difference between computer-based exams
at the Certificate and Professional Level?
The computer-based exams at the Certificate Level contain a variety of question styles,
which may include:
• multiple choice (choose one answer);
• multiple response (choose more than one answer);
As soon as an exam moves to computer, a paper-based exam will no longer be available.
For more information, guidance and support on the introduction of computer-based exams,
visit icaew.com/cbe
• multi-part multiple choice (choose one answer for each part of the question);
• numeric entry (key in a number); and
• scenario-based.
At the Professional Level, the exam questions contain both structured and unstructured
detail in scenarios that you have to read, assimilate and understand. The information will
be presented in a business context, with varying technical complexity. You may need to
assimilate information from various sources within the question.
Guidance for ACA students – Professional Level computer-based exams
3
Computer-based exam software
Here is an overview of what to expect from the computer-based exam software on the day of your Professional Level exam.
This screenshot shows the
response area where you will
add your answers to each
exam requirement. There
is a response area for each
requirement of the exam.
The response area has all the
essential functions that you
need during the exam and
you will already be familiar
with most of them.
Follow the guidelines
on page 4 and 5 for a
description on each function
and how to navigate the
response area.
6
1
9
10
5
2
15
12
11 13
8
7
3
Guidance for ACA students – Professional Level computer-based exams
4
4
Computer-based exam software
Guidance on the response area functions and how to navigate your way through a computer-based
exam is described here. See the response area screenshot on page 4 for the corresponding numbers.
No.
Function
Description
Spreadsheet
navigation
You can use the left click on your mouse to select a cell. Once you
have selected a cell, you can use the arrow and tab keys on your
keyboard to move from one cell to another. Your answers will be
recorded in the response area only.
View the exam
questions and
requirements
Left click on the ‘Question’ icon:
2. Tax Compliance
2
This exam is split into sections. Each section
contains one or more sub-requirements. You
can access sections by selecting the relevant
tabs on the left-hand side of the screen.
The exam question and requirement will be displayed in a ‘pop-up’
window.
This window can be moved around on your screen, so you can
view the response area and exam question simultaneously. The
question ‘pop-up’ window will be displayed on screen until you
decide to close the window by clicking on ‘x’ in the top right-hand
corner.
1
You can copy text and numbers from the question window and
paste them into the response area.
See page 8 on how to highlight and add sticky notes within the
exam requirement.
2
Navigate to each
exam question and
requirement
Where questions have sub-requirements, you
can access these by left clicking the relevant
tabs. In this example, sub-section 1 has been
selected. Sub-section 2 is blue, as it has not yet
been viewed.
Access to each exam question will be presented in one of two
ways, depending on the exam:
1. Audit and Assurance
In this exam, you can access
the questions by clicking on
the relevant tabs on the
left-hand side of the screen.
In this example, question 1
has been selected.
The remaining questions are
blue, as they have not yet
been viewed.
Guidance for ACA students – Professional Level computer-based exams
You can also use the ‘Back’ and ‘Next’ buttons to move between
questions.
‘Preferences’ icon
Located at the lower left side of your screen, you can select
‘Preferences’ to change the colour of your screen, if required.
‘Introduction’ icon
Select the ‘Introduction’ icon to go to the introduction screen.
3
4
5
Computer-based exam software
No.
Function
Description
Progress bar
This indicates the number of marks associated with the exam
questions you have viewed. It does not reflect whether you have
completed your responses to the questions you’ve viewed.
5
No.
Description
Enter a narrative
response
Select any cell in column A.
Left click on this icon
7
Finish
Only click on ‘Finish’ when you have finished the exam and want
to submit your answers.
Please note that in a live exam, your response to each exam
question will be submitted for marking either when you click on
‘Finish’, or when your exam time has finished.
If you are viewing the computer-based exam practice software,
you can select ‘Finish’ to export your practice exam responses.
The responses will then appear in a new tab within the browser
you are using. You will then be able to save your practice answers
and/or print.
To save your practice exam answers as a PDF, the following
browsers must be used: Chrome, Firefox or Internet Explorer
(Windows 10).
and you will be able to add text.
Simply start typing and the size of the cell will automatically
increase as you type.
In this example, a student has accessed questions totalling 22
marks:
8
6
Function
9
Increase the size of a
column or row
Cells can be increased by enlarging the size of the column or row
headers (left click to drag).
Bold, italic and
underline
To format text, highlight the text and select the relevant button to
apply formatting.
formatting
Keyboard shortcuts or by selecting bold, italic or underline and
then typing will not format the text.
Decimal places
Use these buttons to increase or decrease the number of decimal
places displayed.
Enter numbers
within a cell
Select cell and enter number.
10
Commas can be used in number entry and numbers will be right
aligned. Brackets can be used to indicate negative numbers.
Formulae
Can be entered within a cell and basic formulae can be used,
ie, +,-, / ,*
When a different cell is included in the formula, select this by:
• left clicking on the target cell;
• using the arrow keys to navigate to the cell; or
• manually typing the cell reference.
Guidance for ACA students – Professional Level computer-based exams
6
No.
Function
Description
Auto sum
Select cells to be summed and then left click on the auto sum icon.
No.
Function
Description
Inserting or deleting
rows and columns
You can insert or delete rows and columns by using the ‘Layout’
drop-down menu:
A total will be displayed to the right-hand side if the numbers are
selected in a row. A total will be displayed below if numbers are
selected in a column.
11
Undo
Click on the ‘Undo’ button to undo the last action. The last five
actions can be undone.
Export
Click on the ‘Export’ button when you are viewing the computerbased exam practice software to export your response to each
exam question.
12
Each response area can hold a maximum of 100 rows.
The exam responses will then appear in a new tab within the
browser you are using.
13
Depending on which browser you are using*, you can then save
your practice answers and/or print.
Please note that this function is only available within the computerbased exam practice software, it is not available in a live exam.
* To save your practice exam answers as a PDF, the following
browsers must be used: Chrome, Firefox or Internet Explorer
(Windows 10).
Guidance for ACA students – Professional Level computer-based exams
7
Computer-based exam software
Here is an overview of how to annotate an exam requirement on screen. You can highlight content within a
requirement, copy and paste text and numbers to the response area and add sticky notes.
No.
Function
1
2
Description
There are two ways to highlight text within a question.
1
Highlighting
question content
1. Click and drag to select text. Then click on the ‘Highlight’ icon.
Click on the downwards arrow to change the highlight colour.
2. Click and drag to select text. Right click and select ‘Highlight’
from the menu.
There are three ways to add sticky notes within a question:
1. Click on the ‘Sticky note’ icon and drag the note to the required
area on screen.
Add sticky notes
2
2. Click and drag to select text. Right click and select ‘Add sticky
note’ from menu. Move the note by clicking and dragging it to the
required area on screen.
3. A sticky note can be added to highlighted text. Hover over the
highlighted text, right click and select ‘Add sticky note’ from the
menu.
The text you add within sticky notes can be cut, copied and pasted
into the response area. Please note that content within each sticky
note will not be marked.
To remove a sticky note, right click on the note you would like to
remove and select ‘Remove sticky note’ from the menu.
Guidance for ACA students – Professional Level computer-based exams
8
Before the exam day
Where will I take an exam?
Watch the computer-based exam webinars
Professional Level computer-based exams will take place at specialist approved computer
exam centres. These venues are available across the UK and in specific approved international
locations.
A series of short webinars are available for you to watch before your exam. They provide an
overview of what to expect on the day of your exam.
When you apply for a Professional Level exam online, you will be asked to enter a town,
postcode or country as your preferred location. You will then be shown the five closest available
exam centres to your preferred location. You then select the centre where you want to sit your
exam.
Exam centres are available on a first come, first served basis, so be sure to book your exam early.
If an exam centre does not appear when you enter your location details, it means that the exam
centre is fully booked.
If you have access arrangements, the centres that meet your specific arrangements will be
displayed.
How do I apply for access arrangements?
If you have already applied and have been awarded access arrangements for any of the
Professional or Advanced Level exams, we will contact you to confirm your access arrangements
for these exams before they move to computer.
From 2017, the deadline to apply for access arrangements will be the same date as the exam
application deadline. Check out the full list of exam dates and deadlines at icaew.com/exams
If you have access arrangements already in place that are not due to expire, you do not need
to reapply when you book an exam that is moving to computer. If you do not have access
arrangements for any of the Professional or Advanced Level exams but feel you may need them
once they move to computer, or you haven’t taken an exam in two years, please get in touch,
email us at [email protected]
1.
2.
3.
4.
Introducing computer-based exams
Overview of the computer-based exam software
The exam experience from start to finish
Overview of the guidance and support available
Watch the webinars on demand at icaew.com/cbe. There are also exam webinars for each
Professional Level exam. Go to icaew.com/examresources and select the exam you are studying
to access the webinar.
Practise the exam questions
Sample exam
Sample exams for all Professional Level computer-based exams will be available for you to
access at icaew.com/cbe. The sample exam questions are available with a blank version of the
computer-based exam software, so you can practise answering questions as you would in the
actual exam. You can also view the illustrative answers from the examiners and guidance on
exam technique.
Question bank
Questions from the ICAEW published question bank will continue to be available two months
before an exam sitting. For exams moving to computer, the question banks will be available
within the exam software. This will enable you to practise exam-standard questions within the
new software before you take your exam. You will also be able to save, export and print your
answers. Access the question banks within the exam resources area of our website at
icaew.com/examresources, just select the level and exam you are studying.
Top tip
How do I familiarise myself with the computer-based exam
software?
You will continue to study, practise questions and prepare for computer-based exams as you
do currently for ACA exams, although it is essential that you also become familiar with the new
computer-based exam software in advance of your exam. See pages 4–8 for an overview of the
computer-based exam software.
You will need a stable internet connection to access the sample exams and question
bank resources. You will also still need to purchase the ICAEW official learning
materials so you can access the study manuals and answers from the question banks.
Instructions to candidates
You should familiarise yourself with the Instructions to Candidates before the day of the exam.
This document sets out and describes all the processes and procedures of a Professional Level
computer-based exam. Go to icaew.com/exams
Guidance for ACA students – Professional Level computer-based exams
9
On the day of the exam
Can I use pen and paper for workings?
How do I start the exam?
You will be provided with a pen and paper in the exam room to make notes. Please note
that your notes will be collected by the invigilator, but will not be marked. You will be
expected to show all workings as part of your response on screen.
Once you have arrived at the exam centre and completed the administrative processes you
will be shown into the exam room. You will be provided with a keycode which gives you
access to the exam. When instructed to do so, you will enter the keycode and check the
details on screen are correct. The keycode you will be given, is for you only. Each student will
be given a unique keycode.
How should I structure my answer?
All of your workings must be shown, rather than just included as formulae within a cell.
You need to ensure that all of your responses are visible on screen and not hidden within
a cell. The examiners will only mark the content that is visible on screen.
When all students in the exam room have checked their details on screen, the invigilator will
provide everyone with specific exam information and announce a pin code. You will enter
the pin code to start your exam. As soon as the exam starts, your exam timer will begin and
you will be able to view the exam questions and each response area.
Do I need to take my permitted text into the exam room?
What will I see on screen?
Yes. You are required to take your own copy of the relevant permitted text into the
exam room. No spare copies will be available at the venue. View the list of permitted
publications for the Professional Level exams at icaew.com/permittedtexts
Can I take in a calculator?
Yes. You are allowed to take your own calculator into the exam room. However, please
note that your calculator must not be capable of being programmed to hold alphabetical
or numerical data and/or formulae or capable of automatically computing net present
value (NPV) or internal rate of return (IRR).
When the exam starts you will see the response area for the first question on your screen.
There will be a response area for each requirement of the exam and this is where you will
add your answers to each question. These answers should be clearly labelled. The response
area has all the essential functions that you need during the exam. Go to pages 4–8 for an
overview of the computer-based exam software.
How will my exam be saved?
The exam software will automatically save as you navigate through each question.
How will I know how much time I have left?
Can I take my own device into the exam?
No. All students will use the technology available at the exam centre. A computer will be
allocated to you on the day of the exam.
At the top of the response area, a timer will count down the exam time for you. In a live
exam, your responses will automatically be submitted for our team of examiners to mark.
What happens if my computer crashes?
The exam will be delivered via a secure, locked-down application that is resilient to internet
connectivity problems. In the unlikely event that you encounter any technical difficulties,
the invigilator will be able to provide support. In the unlikely event that your computer does
crash, your exam will automatically save and you will be able to pick up where you left off by
re-entering your pin code.
Guidance for ACA students – Professional Level computer-based exams
10
What happens at the end of the exam?
If you wish to finish the exam before the exam time is over, select ‘Finish’. You will be
asked on-screen to confirm that you wish to end the exam.
If you run out of time or forget to click ‘Finish’, a message will appear stating that the
exam time has ended and will automatically force the system to save your answers and
then close the exam. As soon as you complete a computer-based exam, your exam will
automatically be uploaded onto our marking system. For all exam result dates, download
the ACA planner at icaewcom/acaplanner
Get in touch
If you have any questions, please contact our student support team:
T +44 (0)1908 248 250 E [email protected]
If you’re browsing our website, look out for the live help boxes. You will be able to speak
directly to an adviser.
Do you live outside of the UK? You can also contact us using Skype. Search ‘icaew_uk’ on
Skype and speak to our student support team free of charge.
Good luck!
We wish you the very best in your exams.
Guidance for ACA students – Professional Level computer-based exams
11
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