Covid-19 Announcements

News
April 8, 2020
All the latest news about ICM and our courses.

July 2021

Update: Monday 5th July 2021

·      Where a Remote Assessment has been carried out in June the results will be issued to Centres on Monday 18th October 2021.

·      Details of ICM policies and procedures for Special Consideration can be found here.

·      For information on what Centres or Learners can do if they are  unhappy with the results and for information on the next available assessment window can be found on here or by calling  +44 (0)1202 490 555.

March 2021

The March 2021 series will see a return to examinations. The only exception will be for Centres ICM have directly contacted to make alternative arrangements to continue Remote Assignments due to ongoing restrictions caused by the pandemic. Students are advised to contact their teaching centre for further information. For Centres who are completing Remote Assignments for March 2021, find Remote Assignment guidance documentation and past papers in the December 2020 section.

September 2020 Examination Series – Remote Assessment

Update: 10th August 2020

ICM continue to monitor the pandemic internationally and have adapted the September 2020 examination series to ICM Remote Assessment (RA) to ensure the safety of all Candidates.

ICM RA are a quality-assured alternative method of assessment to paper-based examinations that are carried out in a remote location. RA form a summative measure of a Candidate’s knowledge and skills in line with the unit learning outcomes and may be used during times when face-to-face teaching and assessment cannot be safely delivered, Centre validation is part of the ICM RA model. Candidates who had examinations postponed from the June 2020 series and those who have entered for examinations under the September 2020 series are required to complete a RA in September 2020.  Paper-based examinations will not be resumed until it is safe to do so.

Candidates completing ICM RA:

  • will not be advantaged or disadvantaged by this method of assessment
  • are engaging in an assessment that has been designed to test the same knowledge and skills as a paper-based examination
  • do so independently and in the safety of their own homes or a suitable private space, rather than attending an Examination Venue
  • are permitted to access textbooks, notes and other resources, including the internet whilst completing their RA
  • have 10 business days to complete and return their RA responses

Accessing RA

The September 2020 Remote Assessment Question Papers will be available to download from our website from Monday 21st September 2020. To ensure all Candidates can access the materials, copies of the Remote Assessment Question Papers will be posted to Approved Centres by ICM.

Completing Assessments

Electronic completion using Microsoft Word is ICMs preferred method for Candidates. Candidates who are unable to complete their assessment electronically can submit handwritten answers.

29th June 2020 - September examination series

Due to the disruptions caused by COVID-19, we have extended our closing date and we will accept entries for the September 2020 examination series up until Friday 3rd July 2020 from Approved Centres.

To allow those centres that are beginning to reopen over the next 2 months with additional time to prepare for the September examinations, we have moved the examination timetable by 3 weeks. Examinations will now commence on Monday 21st September 2020 and conclude on Thursday 1st October 2020. https://www.icm.education/examination-timetable

We hope these measures will help to support ICM Approved Centres and learners in these challenging times.

8th April 2020 - June examination sitting postponed

The safety and wellbeing of everybody is our primary concern and, having consulted with the Government Agencies and Regulators we work with worldwide, we have sufficient information to take a unified approach and to postpone the June 2020 examination sitting in the following countries:

  • Bahrain
  • eSwatini
  • Germany
  • Ghana
  • Guyana
  • Ivory Coast
  • Kenya
  • Lesotho
  • Malawi
  • Malaysia
  • Malta
  • Myanmar
  • Nigeria
  • Pakistan
  • Republic of Cameroon
  • Republic of Ireland
  • Sierra Leone
  • South Africa
  • St Lucia
  • Tanzania
  • The Gambia
  • Togo
  • Trinidad and Tobago
  • Uganda
  • Vietnam
  • Zambia
  • Zimbabwe

ICM is committed to working with Centres in the best interest of learners and will automatically defer all candidates to the September examination series who had registered to take their exams in June 2020. The closing date for entering for the September examination series remains as 24th June.

Keep safe and well during these difficult times.

30th March 2020

Announcement regarding COVID-19

We understand that Centres are operating under challenging times; as a follow-up on our previous communications, ICM is continuing to monitor the situation to determine if the June exams will go ahead and are preparing alternative arrangements as a contingency. We want to reassure all parties that we are doing everything we can to ensure Learners are not disadvantaged by these unprecedented circumstances. ICM is continuing to operate as normal, the March 2020 examinations are currently being marked by our Examiners and we are on schedule to release the results by our published results date, 3rd June 2020. All June examination series entries received by our extended deadline, Wednesday 1st April 2020, will be processed.  Wishing you all good health.

19th March 2020 update to our previous announcement below (dated 12th March 2020) regarding effects of COVID-19

As a contingency measure and in order for your candidates to gain their Certificates in September for exams scheduled in the June 2020 series, you must have entered candidates for the June 2020 exam series. In order to accommodate your requests, we have extended the deadline for the June series to Wednesday 1st April 2020. We understand Centres are operating under challenging and unprecedented circumstances but we encourage you to use this window of time to make preparations for your Learners so that certificates can be awarded fairly.

Please note, you can only submit predicted grades for Candidates who have:

Already finished teaching content or have sufficient resources and instructions to finish learning by an alternative and suitable means.

Sufficient attainment data (this could be evidenced in the form of a mock exam, internal assessment (e.g., oral assessment/presentation, Learner records, Learner work history).

We will continue to provide further information and details of any steps you have to take in the next few days.Please look out for these announcements via email. During these uncertain times we wish you and your Learners good health.

Announcement regarding the COVID-19 12th March 2020

Should Candidates be unable to undertake their ICM examination(s), ICM may request records of predicated grades, with supporting evidence for each unit entered, e.g., evidence of a mock exam test, Learner records, Learner work history.

Predicted grades must accurately reflect a Learner's likelihood of achievement in their summative exam. Records, therefore, must be maintained by Centres as evidence in the event that ICM requests to view these should a claim for predicted grades be raised. Practice/mock examinations based on past papers provide credible evidence and are available for use here:

https://www.icm.education/past-exam-resources

16th March 2020 - In response to the ongoing situation

In response to the ongoing situation regarding the COVID-19 virus, ICM would like to assure Centres that we are prioritising the safety of staff, Learners and Centres. ICM is closely monitoring the situation regarding the COVID-19 virus, we are listening and taking advice from Governments in each country. ICM will endeavour to safeguard the interests of candidates while maintaining the integrity of the examination system and qualification standards.

We understand that a number of Centres are closing due to the COVID-19 outbreak and Centres are concerned that it may make it difficult for them to complete the required number of hours for their specific qualifications. Please can you ensure your Centre continues to record qualification teaching hours and document where there has been a change in teaching method.

At this time, we do not intend to make any changes to our examination and certification timetable in order to deliver results to published timelines. We will continue to assess the situation daily and will update our website to reflect any alternative arrangements in a timely manner, if and when required.

12th March 2020 - Announcement regarding the Covid-19 virus, also referred to as “Coronavirus”. 

ICM’s priority continues to be with the safety of our staff, Approved Centres and Learners around the world and we are focused on maintaining continuity of operations whilst monitoring the situation closely.

We are taking advice from Governments and Regulators in each country, following our well established contingency plans and procedures whilst also adapting to the crisis situation as it develops.

We understand the situation is changing daily and that each country is likely to take independent action in response to the spread of the virus. It is currently our intention to continue to run the June examination series in all locations in accordance with the established timetable. Should this change, or in the event an examination venue takes the decision to not provide access to the facility to run the examinations, we will contact the affected Approved Centres directly to make alternative arrangements which may include deferring the examination to a later date.

The closing date for the June 2020 examination series remains as 18th March and the timetable can be found on our website: https://www.icm.education/exa mination-timetable

We will provide updates through our website and directly with Approved Centres as they become available. Should an Approved Centre require further information, please contact: info@icm.education 

In the UK, the Department for Education and Public Health England have published guidance for educational settings which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-to-educational-settings-about-covid-19/guidance-to-educational-settings-about-covid-19


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