ACCA exam meltdown

ACCA exam: the meltdown

PQ editor Graham Hambly catalogues students’ woes at the latest set of ACCA exams

The June ACCA exams were a catalogue of cancelled and delayed exams as UK exam centres struggled to cope with ‘technical difficulties’. Many PQs waited hours (some over eight hours) only to be told their exam would not be going ahead.

ACCA students were also shocked when they walked into the Viglen House exam centre in London (see picture). Sitters told us there were “wires everywhere” at the Dalston, Manchester and Leicester centres. A PQ said: “It is hardly surprising there where technical difficulties when you are running 100+ computers off extension leads from one power source.”

For many the pictures were confirmation that some centres were simply not up to the job. As one PQ said: “I had a fire extinguisher beside me with all the wires under the desk.” Another simply said: “So health and safety does not come into ethics then, ACCA?”

Students at many centres revealed it wasn’t plain sailing even if they got logged onto the exam. Many spoke of keyboards having a mind of their own, even deleting work as they typed in their answers. “My screen just kept going on and off,” explained an AA sitter.

One frustrated PQ even claimed it was time for BBC Panorama or C4 Dispatches to get on the case.

We have also heard there were technical difficulties in India too, for the remote invigilated exams. And some students have actually called for a return to paper exams.

Students are demanding ACCA take a serious look at how it is going to address these continuing issues. “We don’t hear the AAT or CIMA having the same amount of problems,” suggested one sitter. With the availability of remote invigilated exams on demand, students believe the time is right for ACCA to offer affected sitters the chance to sit a new exam before September. • Despite the technical difficulties, computer crashes and noisy air conditioning, the exams themselves generally got a thumbsup with the usual caveats of time management issues. To read our paper-by-paper feedback go to www.pqmagazine.com.

ACCA statement about cabling problems at exam venue – 9 June

ACCA apologises to students who have been affected by delays and issues at some exam centres this week. We are currently investigating complaints from students about the cabling at one of our venues.

We understand that one room at Viglen House in London was not set up in an appropriate manner. We take these matters very seriously and have launched an investigation with our partners at this site.

We are sorry that students for the morning session were delayed and some had to withdraw because they were not able to stay for the delayed sitting in the afternoon. We will refund their fee and ask them to rebook their exam.

We would also like to apologise to 140 students who had their exams cancelled at Ealing and Hammersmith College yesterday, where we had technical problems. They will also have their fees refunded.