Accreditation Examination

Please note: these pages contains important information regarding the procedures in preparation for the Professional Interviews for the Accredited Certificate in Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control. Please read this thoroughly, and check here regularly for updates to these pages.

• Introductory Notes

  Delegates are invited to register for the Accreditation of Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control Course upon enrolling for the Introduction to Environmental Permitting Course (formerly the Introduction to Pollution Prevention and Control course).

  Exemptions* are in place for delegates to go straight to the Advanced and Monitoring courses dependent upon their level of experience. These delegates should register upon their enrolment for the Advanced or Monitoring course(s).

• Remote Assignment

  Upon completion of the Introduction, Advanced and Monitoring modules, the candidate will be required to undertake a number of EP inspections and produce inspection reports, including associated papers (detailed below). For the purposes of the exam, delegates should inspect as a minimum:

  Either	One A2 Installation plus One Reduced Fee activity*
  Or	Two Risk Assessed Part B Installations* plus One Reduced Fee activity**

  * The two risk assessed Part B activities must be two different installation types and processes
  ** If you are not able to meet either of these requirements due to your Authorities approach, please contact us to discuss alternatives

  These inspections must be undertaken after completion of the lecture modules. Papers relating to inspections undertaken prior to the lecture modules will not be accepted. Delegates should use the more complex of their inspections as the basis for the presentation required at the exam. We recommend delegates consider choosing as wide a variety of process types as possible (eg. an installation from the minerals sector, one from metals, one from the solvents sector……) to present the Assessors with a full range of issues.

  We appreciate that many authorities may not have access to more complex processes, and delegates are welcome to make arrangements through ourselves or other LA contacts to enable them to experience more detailed processes.

  Applications for the examination will not be accepted within a three-month period of completion of the lecture modules. Furthermore, we recommend a minimum of one years work experience in EP before undertaking the exam process.

• Timescales

  Delegates have 18 months to complete all parts of the Certified course. This will be either from attendance at the Introduction course, or from attendance at the Advanced and/or Monitoring course for delegates who exempt themselves from the Introduction. Martin Cranfield Associates (MCAL) will make every effort to keep delegates informed of their deadlines.

  Schedule:

  -	Complete the remote assignment EP Inspections as detailed above when Advanced and/or Monitoring modules have been taken
  -	Check for availability of an exam – no less than three months after lecture modules.Contact MCAL for upcoming dates not yet on the website.
  -	Submit your booking form as soon as possible, prior to the deadline for document submission. Without the completion of this form, your document submission will be rejected. At this stage, if possible, information concerning the PG notes relevent to the installations submuitted would assist us in selecting the best Assessor(s) for your exam.
  -	Submit documentation in preparation for exam no less than 49 days prior to exam date. Delegates should confirm at this point which of the site inspections will form the basis of their presentation. We require 2 copies of your documentation on hard copy paper*. Please note all papers will be treated as confidential and will be destroyed after the successful completion of the Accreditation. *Please minimise the use of paper by printing your submission on double-sided sheets.
  -	Candidates will be advised if documents have been accepted within 21 days of receipt.
  -	Proposed examination dates will be confirmed at least 14 days in advance (assuming no deferral has been requested following the assessors review of submitted documents).
  -	Submit prepared presentation 7 days prior to exam (powerpoint presentations will be set up ready for the delegate to use on arrival). Assessors will not have access to the presentation prior to the exam.
  -	Delegates will be advised within 21 days as to the result of their exam.

  Confirmation of the exam will be dependent on the candidate passing the documentary stage; full details of the requirements are outlined below.

• Documents to be Submitted in preparation for the exam

  Candidates will be required to submit the appropriate documents at least 49 days prior to the examination. These must be submitted in hard paper copy (2 copies) to the contact details listed at the end of this leaflet, and need to include:

  a)	Completed Candidate Acceptance Criteria Form & Examination Booking Form.
  b)	Inspection reports for all the installations inspected. The content of the report should include, (but is not limited to):
  -	A description of the installation inspected, including:
  -	Details of the process and what is produced
  -	Equipment and abatement plant
  -	Location
  -	Any other relevant information that would assist the assessor(s)
  c)	Brief history of site
  d)	Pre inspection planning
  e)	Details of the inspection, including
  -	Full inspection report including all information required to meet DEFRA reporting requirements
  -	What was inspected and why
  -	What areas, if any, of non-compliance there were?
  -	What areas, if any, needed improving?
  -	What recommendations were made?
  -	Issued not addressed/inspected
  -	Areas for improvement in the inspection
  -	Risk Assessment forms
  f)	What immediate follow up actions were taken?
  g)	What longer term actions were required
  h)	Associated papers resulting from the inspections; these may include letters to the installation, Request for Further Information notices, Details of relevant AQ notes (for example)
  i)	Details of the relevant Guidance Note for the chosen installation(s)
  j)	The current permit for the site.
  -	(This may be an historic document and in these cases you should include any comments about potential issues/problems with the permit, including any updates and/or variations you believe may be necessary to improve the permit).
  NB	Current at the time of submission, not inspection.

  Delegates need to consider the above list carefully, and use this as a checklist against which to verify that sufficient information is included for the document submission. Basic checks will be made against the above list, for both quality and content in relation to the items listed above and anything not reaching the required standards may be rejected.

  Delegates will be advised as to the acceptability of their submission. Where the assessors consider the submission to be poor or borderline, candidates will be informed and advised on the areas in need of improvement.

  There is no set format for the style of your reports, however we recommend a minimum of 2 pages, and no more than 6 to 8 for a more complex installation (guidelines only).

  Delegates should note, for the purposes of the covering report, that we require you to write in the first person, not as the authority or department. This exam is concerned with YOUR activities and you should make it clear exactly which actions are your own, and which involved other members of the team and Authority policy.

  Following receipt of the above reports all documents will be reviewed to determine whether the reports are of sufficient validity for the candidate to proceed with the examination. They will subsequently be passed to the assigned assessor(s). However, should the documentation fall beneath the level required by the assessor(s), delegates will be asked to defer the examination until such a time as the documentation has been completed satisfactorily. Delegates will be advised within 21 days of submission if the documentation has been accepted. An additional fee may be applicable if the documents require a deferral and resubmission.

• Exemption Requirements

  Candidates who have applied for, and received, an exemption from the Introduction to Environmental Permitting Course on the basis of current, continuous and direct work experience in EP Regulation for a minimum period of 2 years

  Candidates wishing to exempt themselves from the Introduction to EPR course must complete an exemption application form, designed to ensure sufficient experience has been gained to justify the exemption.

  On acceptance of the exemption request, delegates will be required to also provide, and may subsequently be questioned on:

  -	A Health and Safety risk assessment for their inspection of a site (or generic H&S assessment for an officer inspection at an installation).
  -	An environmental risk assessment (as required by DEFRA for risk assessing an installation) for an inspected installation
  -	A permit either drafted or varied by the candidate
  -	A set of monitoring data from an installation

• The exam

  Candidates will be asked to provide contact details prior to the examination in order for us to contact them should this prove necessary. Every effort will be made to ensure that all the required papers and presentation documents are prepared in advance of the exam, and delegates should arrive approximately half an hour beforehand.

  The exam will consist, in part, of a presentation by the delegate in relation to the most complex of the site inspections. The assessor(s) will subsequently ask a variety of questions relating to the papers submitted and the application of the course content. This may involve questions on some or all installations forming the document submission, and more general questions, and are chosen at the discretion of the assessors.

  Please note that the presentation must be based upon the most complex of the inspections undertaken and not upon the Reduced Fee Activities. It should be clearly stated when submitting your documents which site will form the basis of the presentation. The presentation should primarily be based upon the content of the site documents submitted, but additional information and comments are welcomed.

  The exam will last approximately 50-60 minutes, including presentation time.

  	Delegates should	Prepare a 10-15 minute presentation on ONE of the sites which they have inspected and submitted documents (PowerPoint presentation recommended but is not obligatory). Questions will be asked concerning this presentation which should be based upon the most complex of the sites inspected where possible.
  		Be able to detail the chosen installation’s pollution potential and refer to the relevant Guidance notes
  		Be able to demonstrate knowledge of the course content through a question and answer session
  		Be able to demonstrate the application of the course content to all the sites inspected through a question and answer session
  		Be able to provide details of the course of actions applied and explain the chosen course of action(s)
  		Be able to demonstrate a detailed knowledge and understanding of the installations for which they have submitted documents
  		Be able to demonstrate a good knowledge of general EPR processes, issues, legislation and current updates

• Format of the Exam

  The exam will include a 10-15 minute presentation given by the candidate, followed by a question and answer session designed to establish the candidate's knowledge and understanding of the EP Regulations and application of such in the field, which should take approximately 35-40 minutes. The assessors will be guided by a series of questions designed to cover all aspects of EP, and will be looking to grade the delegate in the key areas of:

  Appreciation of Issues

  Application of Skills

  Application of legislation

  Communication skills

  Each area will be rated from "A" (very good) to "D" (fail).  A delegate receiving a "D" grade in any aspect will fail the exam.  A "C" mark is technically a fail but a pass may be achieved if all other areas receive either "A" or "B".

  Questions are likely to be asked on the presentation subject, and may be asked concerning any of the inspected and submitted installations, as well as covering the EP Regulations in general.

  The presentation should be based on a site previously inspected by the candidate and should detail the site and its inspection, including any issues determined during the inspection. Candidates will be expected to present upon the most complex installation from their authorities' portfolio.

  Note: We strongly advise delegates practice their presentations to ensure the correct timings. Delegates who over run the maximum presentation time of 15 minutes may be asked to stop before the presentation is complete. You may wish to consider using screen facilities to ensure the visibility of your slides.

  Delegates are welcome to bring documents into the examination with them. However it should be noted that these papers are for occasional reference only. They should not be used as a means of sourcing information to answer questions during the examination and the delegate should be able to demonstrate their understanding and knowledge of the subject without continual reference to documentation.

• Assessor(s)

  Each examination will be led by two independent assessors. Each Assessor has received formal training by the Environmental Health Registration Board and is therefore approved to their standards. MCAL may moderate/observe any examination(s), which will be selected at random. The moderator will be present to observe the assessor(s), the delegate and has again received formal training from the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health for this purpose. A moderator/observer may also on occasion be present from the EHRB.

  All correspondence will be between the delegate and MCAL. Delegates will not be contacted by the assessors, nor should delegates deal directly with any assessor at any stage other than during the examination itself.

  Assessors will be selected for examinations based on their availability and appropriate experience in direct relation to the subjects submitted. It will therefore assist in the selection of the best assessor if delegates could advise the PG Note information when submitting the booking form, if this is in advance of then document submission. They will not be eligible to assess any delegate of whom they may have some prior knowledge.

• After the Exam

  Candidates will be informed of the decision to award the certificate, or not, in writing within 21 days of the exam. Candidates who do not achieve a pass rating will be welcome to attend further exams. Feedback will be provided by the assessor(s) in writing within two working weeks detailing the issues behind the decision. Resubmission fees will be applicable.

  The Accredited Certificate will be issued by the Environmental Health Registration Board direct to the successful candidate.

  MCAL will endeavour to provide guidance and assistance throughout the Accreditation process to all delegates as required.

• Submission Details

  Two copies of the document submissions should be sent in hard copy to:

  Exam Submissions
  Martin Cranfield Associates
  Friars Gate Farm
  Marden Hill
  Crowborough
  East Sussex
  TN6 1XH

  All enquiries to:
  Carey Jacobsen
  01892 611 377
  carey@cranfieldassociates.co.uk

• Regulations

  1	All candidates are required to complete an examination booking form. Document submissions will not be accepted without a completed examination application form and Candidate Acceptance Criteria form.
  2	Failure to cover the majority of the required submission criteria may invalidate the application and lead to negation of the submission.
  3	Delegates may be asked to defer the exam if the documents are deemed to fall below the required standards. The document review fee will be applicable in these cases.
  4	Candidates requiring exemptions from the Introduction course must complete the Exemption Application form.  Acceptance or rejection of the application will be notified by MCAL.
  5	Prior payment of the examination fees is required and invoices will be raised on receipt of the appropriate booking form.
  6	Exam dates may be postponed if the minimum attendance is not met. MCAL will accept these documents being transferred to an alternative date, and offers the potential to review the documents over time if required
  7	Requests for extensions by delegates will be considered in extenuating circumstances. Delegates will be contacted as far in advance as possible should the need for an extension arise from an assessor.
  8	Paid fees for late withdrawals due to extenuating circumstances may be transferred to alternative examinations at MCAL’s discretion.
  9	When referring to deadline schedules, the number of days quoted is not restricted to 5 working days but to a full 7 days including weekends and Bank Holidays.
  10	Inspections may be undertaken with colleagues and are not limited to the candidates own authorities’ installations. Details of accompanied visits must be clearly stated.
  11	Historic documents, not the delegates own work, for example the current permit will be accepted. Any documents arising as a direct result of the inspection, the report and presentation must however be the delegates own document.
  12	Reference documents may be brought into the examination. The use of these documents will be taken into consideration by the assessors.
  13	Delegates may be contacted after the exam to give their comments on the exam process for our information and review.
  14	This document is reviewed regularly to assist delegates in completing the exam process with maximum information and to ensure the efficiency of the exam process. Delegates are expected to check our website regularly for updates.
  15	Failure to sit and/or pass the examination within the 18 month timescale will require them to re-register with CIEH/EHRB in order to complete the Certificate. Registration costs will be applicable.
  16	Appeals will be reviewed by a panel led by one of our independent assessors, with no prior knowledge of the examination. All assessors are trained and approved by EHRB to undertake the assessment role. Appeal procedures follow the criteria of the CIEH appeals process. A charge of £100 will be applied for appeals.
  17	Events are subject to minimum attendance and may be cancelled/postponed at short notice. Exam fees will not be reimbursed. Delegate will be transferred to an alternative exam.