Associate Certificate course in Environmental Management

Assessment Details

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.

GDN/0002 Rev02 Page 1 of 15

 Associate Certificate course in Environmental Management
Assessment Details
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.

GDN/0002 Rev02 Page 2 of 15

 Associate Certificate course in Environmental Management
Assessment Details
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.
GDN/0002 Rev02 Page 3 of 15
 Associate Certificate course in Environmental Management
Assessment Details
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.

GDN/0002 Rev02 Page 4 of 15

 Associate Certificate course in Environmental Management
Assessment Details
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.

GDN/0002 Rev02 Page 5 of 15

 Associate Certificate course in Environmental Management
Assessment Details
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.

GDN/0002 Rev02 Page 6 of 15

 Associate Certificate course in Environmental Management
Assessment Details
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.

GDN/0002 Rev02 Page 7 of 15

 Associate Certificate course in Environmental Management
Assessment Details
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.

GDN/0002 Rev02 Page 8 of 15

 Associate Certificate course in Environmental Management
Assessment 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.

GDN/0002 Rev02 Page 9 of 15

 Associate Certificate course in Environmental Management
Assessment Details
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.

GDN/0002 Rev02 Page 10 of 15

 Associate Certificate course in Environmental Management
Assessment Details
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.

GDN/0002 Rev02 Page 11 of 15

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

GDN/0002 Rev02 Page 12 of 15

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

GDN/0002 Rev02 Page 13 of 15

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

GDN/0002 Rev02 Page 14 of 15

 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”.

GDN/0002 Rev02 Page 15 of 15