BCS Professional Examination

Explanation of Results

For an explanation of your results, and how to re-enter, please read the appropriate sections below.

Explanation of Result Transcript - All Examinations/Assessments
The result transcript provides a record of results for all assessments for which you entered to date. The date you sat the examination is included next to the result for the module. If you submitted a project under BCS Professional Examination regulations, your project result is included on your transcript. The Professional Projects are graded as follows: P (Pass), C (Credit), D (Distinction) and F (Fail). If the project failed, a personalised letter detailing the reasons for failure is enclosed.

Marks are provided for all written examinations which are graded either 'Pass' or 'Fail'. A pass grade is given to those papers achieving a mark of 40% or more.

An 'Absent' grade indicates that you did not attempt the Examination.
A 'Withdrawn' grade indicates that you did not attempt the Examination due to reasons verified by the Examinations Officer and entry fees have normally been transferred to either the October 2001 or April 2002 Examination. (You have already been sent a letter with entry form and procedures for re-entry if we received a request from you for a withdrawal.).
'Accredited' means that you have gained exemption from that module. The accreditation date is the date it was entered on to the computer system. You are classed as being accredited from a complete stage if you have been accredited from more than 50% of the required modules (and passed the remaining modules) to satisfy that stage and you will not be given the Award in such a case.

We have simplified the result transcript and you now only receive one transcript, which details your results to date, across all stages of the Professional Examination for which you entered. There is a line of results at the bottom of your transcript with three boxes, which record your status to date and whether you have been awarded the qualification. For further explanation please see under the appropriate stage below.

You have also received a result transcript if you were granted an accreditation since February 2001 that has resulted in you satisfying the requirements of a stage.

Candidates who have satisfied the requirements for an Award since February 2001 to date will receive a certificate later this summer. The names will also be published on pass lists on our web site. We will also publish pass lists by module i.e. the names of those candidates who have been successful for a particular module.

Transition Candidates
If you have made the transition from Part I or Part II, you will have been given credit for any passes at Part I and/or Part II by the status 'TRANSITION' against the appropriate module(s) and stages.

Certificate
Requirements: passes in all three compulsory modules: Information Systems, Software Development, Technology.

Possible Result Combinations (Certificate)
The boxes on the extreme left-hand side of the transcript relate to the Certificate.

Certificate 'PASSED' if passed or a TRANSITION from all 3, or 2 out of 3 Certificate modules, with 1 Certificate module accredited.
Certificate 'FAILED' if passed or TRANSITION from fewer than 3 Certificate modules, (including absent, withdrawn, failed or combination of all three)
Certificate 'ACCREDITED' if accredited from all 3, or 2 out of 3 Certificate modules with 1 Certificate module passed or gaining a TRANSITION

Award: 'YES' if Certificate states 'PASSED' otherwise 'NO'.

Certificate and Award are blank if candidate has never entered for the Certificate stage.

Diploma
The boxes in the middle of the transcript relate to the Diploma.

Requirements: a pass in the compulsory core module Professional Issues in Information Systems Practice and passes in three optional Diploma modules.

Possible Result Combinations (Diploma)
Box 1 (relates to Certificate see above)
Box 2: Diploma 'PASSED' if passed or TRANSITION from 2 or more Diploma modules, with the remaining Diploma module(s) accredited.
Diploma 'FAILED' if passed or TRANSITION from fewer than 4 Diploma modules, (with the remainder absent, withdrawn, failed or combination of all three)
Diploma 'ACCREDITED' if accredited from at least 3 out of 4 Diploma modules with the remaining Diploma module passed or TRANSITION.
Diploma 'PENDING' if passed/TRANSITION from 50% or more Diploma modules with the remaining Diploma modules 'ACCREDITED' but failed the Certificate (Box 1)

Box 3: Diploma Award 'YES' if Box 2 (Diploma) states 'PASSED', otherwise 'NO'

Diploma and Award are blank if candidate has never entered for the Diploma stage.

Professional Graduate Diploma
Candidates are required to pass four optional Professional Graduate Diploma modules.

Possible Result Combinations (Professional Graduate Diploma (PGD))
Box 1 (relates to Certificate see above)
Box 2: (relates to the Diploma see above)
Box 3: Professional Graduate Diploma: 'PASSED' if passed or TRANSITION from at least 2 out of 4 PGD modules with the remaining modules accredited.
PGD: 'FAILED' if passed or TRANSITION from fewer than 4 PGD modules (with the remainder absent, withdrawn, failed or combination of all three)
PGD: 'ACCREDITED' if accredited from at least 3 out of 4 PGD modules with the remaining 1 module passed or TRANSITION.
PGD: 'PENDING' if passed/TRANSITION from 50% or more PGD modules with the remaining PGD modules 'ACCREDITED' but failed either the Certificate (Box 1) and/or the Diploma (Box 2)

Box 4: Professional Graduate Diploma Award 'YES' if Box 3 states 'PASSED', otherwise 'NO'.

The Professional Graduate Diploma and Award are blank if candidate has never entered for the PGD stage.

Appeals/Re-marking Procedure
Documentation about this is enclosed. The closing date for consideration of Appeals from the April 2001 Examination is 15th September 2001. Only script(s) from the 2001 Examination that attained a mark of 34% or lower may be re-marked. The fee is £50 per script if you ask for a script to be re-marked and the candidate must make the request, in writing, and enclosing the fee of £50, to Liz Long, Exams Manager (BCS Professional) no later than 15th September 2001. Your letter must include your membership number, candidate number and full title of the paper(s) to be re-marked. For appeal, the fee is also £50 per script (which will be refunded if the appeal is successful), and the candidate must supply documentary evidence supporting the appeal. Candidates not abiding by the procedures laid down in the enclosed "Procedures for Review of Decision" will not be allowed to either appeal or have the script re-marked.

The outcome of the re-marking is a letter stating whether or not there has been a change to the published results. No reasons for failure are given.

Entry for next sitting (BCS Professional Examination)
All candidates who attempted the April 2001 Examination and still have not satisfied the requirements of this stage, will find enclosed an entry form and fee list for the April 2002 and October 2001 Examination.
You should ensure that you have seen the Study Guide for October 2001/April 2002 which has just been published and is available on the web site. There have been changes to some of the syllabuses, regulations, reading lists.

Timetable
Please see our web site for the timetables for the October 2001 and April and October 2002 sittings.

Entry Closing Dates

The results from the October sitting will be despatched from the Exams Office by 7th February 2002. Those who sit the Certificate in October 2001 and are unsuccessful will be given sufficient time to re-enter for the April 2002 Certificate sitting if they wish. (Procedures to be confirmed to appropriate candidates after the October sitting). However, entry for all other modules for the April 2002 Examination must be made by the appropriate January closing date above.

How to Re-Enter
For the convenience of all candidates, the enclosed entry form is labelled Re-entry and is personalised with your name and contact number. This means that you only need to indicate the following:

· the modules you wish to attempt (please choose carefully - modules will not be amended once processed)
· the examination venue
· the payment details and staple/pin cheque/bank draft to form (if appropriate)
· sign and date the form.
· return by the correct closing date
· (if you have changed your address, note this on the form).

Question papers from previous sitting are on our web site and the reports of the April 2001 Examinations will be available on-line shortly.

Professional Project
If you sat the Professional Project under old regulations, (April 2001 was the last year for submission under these regulations), then you will be notified of your result by separate letter.
Professional project forms and guidance notes are available on-line or from Customer Support. (See below).

Routes toward Membership
Success at the BCS Professional Examination provides you with points to enable you to accelerate your route to professional membership. Please see www.bcs.org.uk/2000plus/qual.htm or contact Customer Support if you require further advice.

For advice:
Examination Web Pages: www.bcs.org/exam.htm Timetables, past question papers and examiners' reports, Appeals/Re-marking Procedure, electronic versions of all examination literature, including this document, are on our web pages. Please consult regularly for the latest information. Also includes all entry forms, which can be downloaded in PDF format.

Customer Support: examination packs, Professional Project forms and guidance notes, membership enquiries/literature marketing@hq.bcs.org.uk tel: +44 (0) 1793 417424

Exams Office: result queries, examination regulations, syllabus, procedures, venues
email exams@hq.bcs.org.uk Tel: +44 (0)1793 417454 or 417510

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