Important information for students sitting E-Assessments from April 2012 onwards
E-Assessments are available at test centres in the following locations: Belfast, Birmingham, Bournemouth, Bristol, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Guernsey, Isle of Man, Jersey, Leeds, Liverpool, (City of) London, Manchester, Newcastle, Peterborough and Southampton.
You may enter for the E-Assessments online here
You will be eligible to sit the E-Assessments following acceptance of your registration as a CIOT student, subject to a 21 day period to allow your profile to be created on the E-Assessment system.
You must apply to sit the E-Assessments online; an entry and payment facility is available via the Institute’s website for this purpose. It will be possible to sit the two E-Assessments on separate occasions, or you may sit both back-to-back at a single session, with a short break between the two E-Assessments. Provision will be made for you if you are eligible for extra time or require accessibility software. Please contact the Institute about this.
Various test centres around the UK will be available for you to sit the E-Assessments at a time of your choosing. You should allow at least 10 working days between the time of booking the E-Assessment and an appointment being available at your chosen centre, and you should expect slightly longer waiting times at periods when demand is likely to be high (particularly in February and August).
Should you be unsuccessful you must allow 72 hours before booking again.
Frequently asked questions about the E-Assessments
When can I sit an E-Assessment?
To book an E-Assessment appointment you must be a currently registered CTA student who has been issued with a student identification number by the Institute. If your registration as a student has expired you must re-register before you will be able to make a booking.
Subject to availability and opening hours you will be able to take the E-Assessments at a time of your choosing. Smaller test centres may have reduced opening hours. Some weekend and early evening appointments will be available at certain centres.
You must complete both E-Assessments before entering for your final written tax paper. The entry deadline prior to the May exams is last day of the preceding February, and the entry deadline prior to the November exams is last day of the preceding August.
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What fee do I need to pay to take an E-Assessment?
Each attempt at an E-Assessment costs £75. This fee is non-refundable.
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What is the format of the E-Assessments? What kind of questions will be set?
Each E-Assessment lasts for one hour and is made up of 60 multiple choice questions, where you are asked to identify the correct response from a choice of four, and multiple response questions, where you are asked to identify several correct responses from a choice of up to six. All questions have the same value towards your overall mark.
Each E-Assessment is preceded by a short non-timed, non-scored tutorial in order for you to familiarise yourself with the computer testing environment.
To pass an E-Assessment you will need to correctly answer 40 out of the 60 questions set.
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What do I need to study to pass the E-Assessments?
All questions in the Professional Responsibilities & Ethics E-Assessment are drawn from the following professional standards documents, which are available without charge on the CIOT website:
Professional Rules & Practice Guidelines - effective from 31st March 2011
Professional Conduct in Relation to Taxation effective from 4 January 2011
PII Guidance
PII Regulations
Continuing Professional Development Regulations and Guidance 2011
You will also need an awareness of the following:
Proceeds of Crime Act 2002
Money Laundering Regulations 2007
CCAB Anti-Money Laundering Guidance (and Supplementary Anti-Money Laundering Guidance for the Tax Practitioner)
Material which may be accessed by links from any of the above is not examinable (except any link that refers to an examinable item specified above).
All questions in the Law E-Assessment will be drawn from:
Essential Law for Tax Practitioners – Second Edition (Examinable from March 2013).
A free supplement is available if you intend to sit the E-Assessment according to Scots Law.
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Where do I go to sit the E-Assessments?
The CIOT will deliver the E-Assessments in conjunction with Prometric, a leading worldwide provider of computer based testing services. Prometric have numerous test centres located throughout the UK; you may view details of these via the CIOT portal on Prometric's website
Prometric: CIOT portal
All E-Assessments must be sat at Prometric centres in order to ensure consistent test conditions for all candidates.
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How do I book an E-Assessment?
You must book via the CIOT website. A link to the online booking facility is available at the top of this page. You will need your student registration number, a valid email address and a debit or credit card (American Express is not accepted) in order to make a booking. Should you experience any problems using the online booking facility please contact the CIOT Education Team by email at e-assessments@ciot.org.uk, by telephone on 0844 5796700 or by letter to our normal postal address and we will resolve them for you.
Important - if you need to sit the Law E-Assessment according to Scots Law you must select the "Law - Scotland" option when booking your appointment. If you need to sit under England, Wales and Northern Ireland Law you must select the "Law" option. Take care to select the correct option when booking as this cannot be amended later.
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Can both E-Assessments be sat at the same time?
Yes, it will be possible to book an appointment to take both tests. This can be done by selecting a 'back-to-back' appointment via the online booking facility (both E-Assessments are still marked and graded separately). Should you choose to do this then the Professional Responsibilities & Ethics E-Assessment will take place first, followed by an optional ten minute break before the Law E-Assessment begins. It is not possible to change the running order of the two E-Assessments.
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Can I reschedule my appointment?
Yes, you may do so via the reschedule option on the online booking system, although this will incur a charge as follows:
If request made more than 29 days before original appointment date - no charge.
If request made between 5 and 29 days of original appointment date - £15 charge per E-Assessment rescheduled.
If request made less than 5 days before original appointment date - £30 charge per E-Assessment rescheduled.
Please note that E-Assessment fees are non-refundable if you choose to cancel your appointment.
Should you fail to present yourself at the test centre for your appointment without rescheduling then the fee paid is forfeit. A new booking must be made and the test fee paid in full again should you subsequently want to attempt the E-Assessment concerned.
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What provision is made if my personal circumstances mean that I need longer than one hour to complete an E-Assessment?
You should inform the CIOT Education Team before booking the E-Assessments. Please contact us by email at e-assessments@ciot.org.uk, by telephone on 0844 5796700 or by letter to our normal postal address and we will send you the appropriate form, which you should complete and return to the CIOT with evidence of your condition supplied by a medical practitioner or other appropriate documentation (e.g. if you are dyslexic an Educational Psychologist's report). The CIOT will then contact you to inform you of the extra time and/or special arrangements that you will be allowed. To book an examination you must contact the Education team by phone or email and we will book the test for you with the extra time allocation.
All Prometric test centres have step-free access for wheelchair users.
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What am I required to bring to the test centre?
You must bring one piece of official photographic ID containing your signature e.g. passport, photocard driving licence. Failure to provide this will result in entry to the test centre being refused and forfeiture of your test fee. This rule will be strictly enforced.
If you do not have permissible ID documents you should contact the CIOT Education Team before booking an E-Assessment appointment.
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What happens if I am late for my appointment?
You should still present yourself at the test centre as it is possible that you may still be able to sit your E-Assessment should a vacant test slot be available. However, if you are late for your appointment and the centre has no available slots then you will be unable to sit the E-Assessment and will forfeit your fee.
You should aim to arrive at the centre at least 15 minutes prior to the appointment time in order to allow time for the compulsory identity checks before the E-Assessment is due to start.
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Are there contact details for the test centres?
No - please direct all enquiries to the CIOT Education Team by email at
e-assessments@ciot.org.uk, by telephone on 0844 5796700 or by letter to our normal postal address.
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How do I find my way to the E-Assessment centre I have chosen?
You will be provided with the address of and directions to the test centre when you book your appointment.
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Is there parking available at the centres?
Parking is not generally available at the test centres - it is suggested that you park in a nearby public car park or travel to the centre by public transport.
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What happens during the test appointment?
You should aim to arrive at the test centre at least 15 minutes before the start time of the E-Assessment in order to complete the check-in and identification process. Lockers are provided for you to secure your belongings as only the required ID documents may be taken into the testing suite. The E-Assessments are closed-book exams; you are not permitted to use any textbooks, legislation or notes. You will be shown to your allocated workstation by the invigilator.
You are advised not to take valuable belongings with you to the test centre as neither Prometric nor the CIOT will be liable for any loss of or damage to your possessions.
If you are taking both of the E-Assessments at a single session an optional 10 minute break between them will be provided.
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Will I be disturbed by other candidates entering and leaving the test area?
Each workstation in the test area is partitioned and the room itself supervised by an invigilator. As far as practical, incidental noise levels are kept to a minimum and noise cancelling headphones are available.
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What happens if I need to leave the workstation during the E-Assessment?
If you need to use the lavatory or take any medication during the E-Assessment you should raise your hand to alert the invigilator. You may leave the test area temporarily but the allowed time for the test will continue to elapse while you are away. Please note you cannot bring anything for consumption - food, drink or medication - into the testing area. Any medication should be taken before the test starts or by leaving the test area during the E-Assessment.
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What measures are in place to prevent cheating during the E-Assessments?
Prometric test centres are monitored by experienced invigilators supplemented with video recordings of the test area. The test area is constantly monitored while candidates are working. If you believe you have witnessed any malpractice on the part of another candidate then you are encouraged to report this, in confidence, to an invigilator who will investigate and report to the CIOT.
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What clothing do you advise I wear?
Whatever you feel comfortable working in. Please be aware that the centres are air conditioned and therefore you may wish to bring an extra layer of clothing to put on should you find it too cool for your comfort.
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When and how will I be notified of my result?
You will be issued with your result at the centre directly after the conclusion of the E-Assessment in the form of a printed document.
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If I am unsuccessful in an E-Assessment, how quickly can I rebook an appointment?
Please allow at least 72 hours before attempting to book a re-sit in order for your result to be processed fully. Attempting to book earlier than this may result in your application being declined by the online booking system.
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Is there any limit to the number of attempts permitted to pass the E-Assessments?
No. However, you should be aware of the rules surrounding the validity of credits within the CTA exam structure. Please refer to the CIOT Prospectus for further information.
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What can I do if I am not satisfied with my experience of the E-Assessments?
In the first instance you should contact CIOT Education Team by email at e-assessments@ciot.org.uk, by telephone on 0844 5796700 or by letter to our normal postal address. You must do so within 21 working days of sitting the E-Assessment concerned.
Staff at the test centre will not be able to provide any feedback on the content of the E-Assessments or your results.
