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TPS exam guidance

Follow our step-by-step guide to get ready for your TPS assessments.

All TPS-level assessments (including mocks) are conducted through the online assessment platform using remote invigilation.

To make sure you’re fully prepared, and help remove some of the stress, we’ve explained how it works and what you must do to get ready for assessment day.

Please read through all the guidance below to understand what happens when, and what you need to do when.

(If you’ve been here before and are looking for something specific, click a link to jump to a section).

How to book an assessment

Upcoming assessments are available to book on Timetabler when the booking window opens. You’ll find more information and details of the latest assessment dates here.

What to do (at least) one week before your assessment

1. Watch our video guides

Assessment platform user guide

Remote invigilation tutorial

2. Prepare what you’ll need to sit your assessment

  • A quiet, private and enclosed room/location with a desk and comfortable chair.
  • A working PC or laptop with an embedded webcam and microphone. (You can only use one screen, either the laptop or an extension monitor. If you choose to use an external monitor, you'll also need an external webcam, keyboard and mouse.)
  • A power connection for your laptop.
  • A stable internet connection (ideally for your sole use during the assessment).
  • 2GB of free RAM for the proctoring software to run properly. (Close any applications that you don’t need.)
  • Chrome is set as the default web browser on the PC/laptop you’ll be using.
  • This Chrome plug-in is downloaded to the PC/laptop you’ll be using.
  • The MS Teams app (or browser version) on the PC/laptop you’ll be using. (If using the app, download and install it before the day of your first assessment.)
  • If using a work laptop, your IT department may need to whitelist the following URL: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/proctorio/fpmapakogndmenjcfoajifaaonnkpkei.
  • Photo ID, such as a driving licence, passport or biometric national ID card. (The ID must be current and contain a photo and signature. Photocopies or digital copies won’t be accepted.)

3. Take the onboarding test

Log in to the assessment platform and take the Essential Onboarding Test. It will show you how the platform works and what to expect on assessment day. You will also be able to check the remote invigilation software and ensure it's compatible with your device. You can take the test as often as you like and should do so at least once before every assessment diet.

You’ll find it in your assessment platform dashboard approximately one week before your first assessment. Please note that it's your responsibility to get in touch with us if the Essential Onboarding Test is not in your dashboard.

4. Access your assessment Teams

For each a assessment diet we’ll add you to a dedicated Teams on Microsoft Teams, with two channels:

  1. Announcements: this is where we’ll confirm the start time, send you important updates, reminders and links to key guidance ahead of your assessment(s).
  2. General: this is where you can ask us pre-assessment questions and contact us with issues. (Before posting a question, please thoroughly read all the guidance on this page and in the Announcements channel.)

When logging in to Teams, use your @student.icas.com email and its password, and remember to turn on all notifications.

We’ll add you to the Teams approximately one week before your first assessment. Please note that it’s your responsibility to ensure you’ve been added and get in touch with us if not.

5. Read our Assessment T&Cs and associated policies

You must read our Assessment Terms & Conditions and the associated policies before sitting your first assessment.

6. Review your reasonable adjustments

If you’ve been awarded assessment adjustments, the details of your application and the assessment timings will be emailed to you no later than two working days before your assessment. If you don’t receive these and believe that adjustments should be applied to your assessment profile, please contact students@icas.com as a matter of urgency.

For short-notice requests within the 15 days before your assessment, please contact us as soon as possible on 0131 347 0100 and we'll do our best to help.

What to do 72 hours before your assessment

1. Re-watch our video guides

If you haven’t already, watch our video guides, or watch them again to refresh your memory. You can’t be too prepared.

2. Check your assessment Team

Make sure you’ve been added to your assessment Team on Microsoft Teams and get in touch with us if not. That’s where we’ll confirm the start time, share key updates and where you can ask pre-assessment questions.

3. Check your assessment platform dashboard

Log in to assessment platform, check your dashboard contains all the assessments you’ve booked and get in touch with us if not. You'll gain access to your assessments on the assessment platform at least 72 hours before your first assessment. We will keep you updated on the Microsoft Teams assessment Announcements channel.

4. Read the invigilation guide

From looking at your wrists to vaping, learn the behaviours that online invigilators look out for and that you should avoid during the assessment.

5. Get help with pre-assessment stress

It’s only natural to feel stressed in the run-up to an assessment. It’s just your brain and body’s way of reminding you to prepare for the day. Watch our video to learn more about ways to cope with assessment stress. And if you’re really struggling, our Student Assistance Programme has a free 24-7 helpline with BACP-accredited counsellors.

What happens on assessment day

Watch our video guide, and read through the information below, to discover everything that happens on assessment day, from what you're allowed to bring, to how to conduct the room scan.

Get your ID ready

Remember, you’ll need to show valid photo ID, such as a driving licence, passport or biometric national ID card. If your webcam struggles to focus on your ID during the assessment platform checks, ensure the room is sufficiently lit. If that doesn't fix the problem, take the best picture possible. If necessary, we'll contact you after the assessment for further verification.

Know what you can bring

Your permitted materials, a clock or stopwatch, ear plugs or ear defenders. You can bring food and drink if the food is in a clear container or bag and it must be shown to the camera at the start of the assessment.

Your permitted materials

The assessment is open book, so you can use any materials you think may be helpful. Materials can be paper copies or downloaded digital copies. You are not allowed to access the internet (including Advantage) to view materials or information. Please download and save any material to your computer before the assessment.

Know what you can’t bring

Headphones, earbuds/pods and smart watches/devices are not allowed. Articles of clothing that cover your head are also not allowed. Religious head coverings are permitted.

Switch off your phone

Switch off your phone and put it out of reach.

Log off your VPN

You will be unable to access remote invigilation software and the assessment platform if your device is connected to your VPN.

Log in to the assessment platform 15 minutes before the start time

Your assessment times will be posted in the assessment Team on the Announcements channel the week before your first assessment.

You should log into assessment platform and click the link to access the assessment up to 15 minutes before the start time. This extra time is to allow you to print the assessment paper (should you choose to do so) and to conduct the room scan. However, you won’t be able to start the assessment until the stated start time.

You can email the paper to yourself on another device for printing in another room. You should take no longer than five minutes to print the paper. Once the assessment paper has been released and you have downloaded or printed it – you must sit at your desk in assessment conditions and wait for the assessment to start. You must not read any notes.

Starting the assessment

At the stated assessment start time, click 'start assessment' in the assessment platform to begin.

Don’t be late. Failure to log in at the start time may result in you being unable to sit the assessment.

If you’ve been awarded a time-based reasonable adjustment, we’ll email you in advance with your individual start time.

Enter your responses directly into the assessment platform

You must type your responses directly into the assessment platform. Only content entered directly into the assessment platform will be marked.

Your response cannot be embedded as an image, screenshot or snip. This will not be marked, and you will receive a ‘0’ for this part of the paper.

Copying and pasting Excel content

This shouldn’t be confused with assessment tasks that may involve you ‘copying and pasting’ content from Excel into the assessment platform. This is allowed, but can’t be embedded as an image, screenshot or snip.

There are no marks for presentation at TPS. Marks are only allocated for content. There are no marks available for formatting, colour, shading or any other presentation aspect. Please don’t worry if formatting is lost when copying and pasting content.

If graphs are required as part of your response, they need to be uploaded as an Excel sheet. Some SFM and FINREP questions may also ask you to submit an Excel sheet as part of your response. The question will let you know when this is needed.

Using Word templates

If you’re using templates created in Word, these should be transferred to the assessment platform immediately. You should complete the assessment, using your template, in the assessment platform.

Taking bathroom breaks

If you need to take a bathroom break, raise your hand to the camera and say, “bathroom break”. Your break should take no longer than five minutes.

Mandatory wellbeing break

During the assessment there is also a mandatory 15-minute wellbeing break. This must be taken at some point during the assessment. It’s up to you when to take the break. When you decide to do so, raise your hand and say, “15-minute break”. This break must be taken in a single block (i.e., you cannot take three 5-minute breaks). During this break you must remain in full view of the camera and you cannot read your assessment paper or type into your assessment script. If you wish to get up from your chair to stretch or exercise this must be done in full view of the camera.

Keep check of time

Once you’ve clicked ‘start assessment’ the clock in the assessment platform keeps track of your available time. This time includes the 15-minute wellbeing break, so you must stop to take that break at some point during your assessment.

There will be no upload window at the end of your assessment. Everything that you wish to be submitted and marked as part of your assessment must be typed into the assessment platform (as detailed above) by the end of the time.

Completing the assessment

When you have entered all your responses and are happy with them you can click ‘submit assessment’ to end the assessment and submit your responses.

Alternatively, when the time on the clock expires, the assessment platform will auto-submit your responses.

Please note that once your responses have been submitted, they are final and can’t be changed.

Once your responses have been submitted you can close the assessment platform window.

How to deal with issues during your assessment

Please follow these steps if you experience a problem during your assessment:

  1. Raise the issue by writing a new post in the General channel of your assessment Team.
  2. Stay calm. We’ll aim to investigate and resolve the issue as quickly as possible to get you up and running with no loss of assessment time.
  3. Check the Announcements channel in your assessment Teams for further information and follow any instructions carefully.
  4. If the issue is individual to you, complete a Special Considerations form (see below).
  5. If the issue has affected everyone sitting the assessment, we’ll report it to the Special Considerations and Extenuating Circumstances Panel, who’ll consider it when reviewing marks.

What happens after the assessment

Applying for a Special Consideration

A Special Consideration can be applied after an assessment and relates to an unforeseen and temporary experience that’s impacted your performance during the assessment. A link to the Special Consideration form will be posted in the General channel of your assessment Teams at the end of the assessment, and you can apply from then until 12:00am 3 days later.

Getting your results

Results dates can be found in our yearly planner and your results will be emailed to you by 10am on the relevant date. (Please note that we don’t give out assessment results over the phone.)

Appealing your results

Our Appeals Policy has full information on the rules governing appeals and how to apply.

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