These procedures are intended for students of the Professional Development Scheme (PDS), sitting national exams in either May or November.
If you are studying an internally assessed programme, your study centre will provide you with all the information you need about exam enrolment.
After the exams
When will I receive my results?
Results for the May 2008 exams are issued on 21 July 2008. If you don’t receive your results by the published date, please contact your study centre. However, you’ll be able to view the results of your May 2008 national exams in a secure area of our website from 18 July 2008.
Before viewing your results online, you’ll need to go to our homepage and open a CIPD website account, if you haven’t already done so. To do this, you’ll need your CIPD membership number.
If you have any difficulties registering online, call our website support team on 020 8612 6211 between Monday and Friday, 09:30–17:30, and they’ll be happy to help. Once you’ve created a web account and logged in, you’ll need to access the My Profile area of the website and select the My Exams tab. You’ll then be able to view your results online until 29 August 2008.
How are my results calculated?
For PDS exams, grades are issued as Fail (below 45%), Marginal Fail (45–49%), Pass (50–59%), Merit (60–69%), or Distinction (above 70%).
All borderline scripts are referred to the moderating committee and reviewed by the examiners. Those deemed worthy of a Pass are moderated to a Pass grade. All others are shown as a Marginal Fail. Your results for the CIPD national exams are solely representative of your performance in the exams. Coursework and exam marks are not combined.
Can I appeal against my exam result?
We operate a fair and equitable exam assessment process.
The exam questions are set by the examiners and reviewed by a committee of all examiners to check the questions for clarity and focus. The examiners prepare a marking scheme when setting the questions and this is used by all markers to assess candidates’ answers. A sample of scripts is second-marked by another examiner. All marks are checked for arithmetic errors. Candidate numbers are used instead of names to ensure equity of treatment by examiners. Mitigating circumstances are taken into account by the examiners when marking papers. Borderline results are moderated at a committee of examiners before final results are notified. All results issued are final. There is no appeals procedure against grades awarded.
What happens if my exam answer book is lost?
If, for any reason, your exam answer book is lost, you’ll be required to resit the exam.
How do I enrol for the November 2008 exams?
If you’ve failed or were absent from any exams, you’ll find an enrolment form for the November 2008 exams enclosed with your results. If you passed all of your exams, you’ll need to contact your course tutor for a November 2008 enrolment form.
Completed enrolment forms for the November 2008 examinations must be returned to the CIPD by 22 August 2008.
Can I get a copy of the examiners’ reports?
Examiners’ reports are available here
If you don’t have access to our website, please email us or telephone 020 8612 6208.
How do I apply for exam feedback on a failed exam?
If you need help to resit an exam, please contact your course tutor, who will be able to give you personal advice based on your work throughout the course.
Limited exam feedback is available from the CIPD examiners. This feedback will identify your main strengths and weaknesses by giving you comments on each section of the paper and on your script as a whole. Constructive and positive advice will also be given for future improvement. While examiners often quote extensively from candidates’ answers, we’re unable to return original answer scripts or copies.
No information is supplied concerning the marks awarded for individual questions, but the examiner may give you some indication of how close or how far you were from a Pass on a particular question and indeed on the paper as a whole.
If you think you’d benefit from exam feedback, you can complete an exam feedback request form and send it with your credit card details or a cheque, payable to the CIPD, for £50 per subject. The deadline for receipt of exam feedback request forms is 11 August 2008. Please don’t attach a feedback request form to your exam enrolment form, but send both separately. We aim to give you exam feedback within seven weeks of your request.
We’re unable to process requests for exam feedback received after the closing date of 11 August 2008. If you haven’t received acknowledgement of receipt from the CIPD within seven working days, please call 020 8612 6223 as soon as possible.
When will my membership be upgraded?
If you’re eligible for an upgrade and your membership is current, you’ll be sent a certificate within eight weeks of the results issue date.
Some centres may request that their students’ certificates are sent directly to them for presentation ceremonies. Please check with your course tutor whether your centre expects to hold such a ceremony.
For information about our Postgraduate Diplomas and Certificates, please scroll down.
My grade has changed. Will my membership card be reissued to reflect this?
New membership cards are issued once a year in May and show your membership grade at that time. Your new membership certificate can be used as proof of your grade if it changes during the year.
What are the benefits of continuing my membership?
Our membership is widely acknowledged to enhance career development and job prospects. It’s recognised as a benchmark for professionalism and is a requirement for many personnel and development roles.
As a member you’ll be able to take advantage of our exceptional member benefits and services, which include:
- immediate access to our comprehensive library and information services
- exclusive access to member-only resources on our website, including the latest research, information, and news
- free professional and personal telephone advice on all aspects of UK employment law
- access to a network of local branches and special interest forums
- exclusive discounts on all CIPD conferences, publications and training courses
- free subscription to our award-winning magazine People Management.
You’ll find more information on our member benefits and services here
Please note that CIPD membership certificates reflect current membership of the CIPD and are only issued to fully paid-up members.
Can I use any designatory letters after my name?
Chartered Members, Chartered Fellows and Chartered Companions can use, respectively, the designations ‘Chartered MCIPD’, ‘Chartered FCIPD’ or ‘Chartered CCIPD’, as appropriate after their name. Associates, Licentiates and Graduates cannot use any designatory letters.
How can I upgrade to chartered membership?
You can apply for chartered membership as long as you have three years’ revlevant managerial experience. More information can be found here
May 2008 National Exams Pilots
We will be piloting two key changes to the national examinations for May 2008.
People Management and Development (PMD)
The duration of the exam will be extended from two to three hours. The format of the exam and the number of questions remains unchanged.
The CIPD is keen to ensure that no student is disadvantaged by having insufficient time to complete their examination answers and thus adequately demonstrate their knowledge and ability. By allowing candidates more time to complete their exam for this compulsory subject, we aim to determine whether an additional time allowance will facilitate clearer discrimination between candidates with differing ability.
Employment Law
Section ‘A’ of the exam will comprise an ‘open’ case study which will be made available to tutors and candidates four weeks prior to the exam.
The CIPD recognises the fact that Employment Law differs from other modules in breadth of the subject area. Therefore, a 'seen' case study will be piloted and tutors will be given prior notice of the subject areas to be covered in section B of the exam. This additional information may enable candidates to focus their efforts on meeting the required professional standards of the areas being assessed and allow tutors to target key topics.
The success of both pilots will be measured against agreed criteria including the assessment of the responses produced by candidates. Depending on the outcomes, it is possible that these changes could be made permanent and, in the case of the additional time allowance, extended to other PDS subjects.
PDS Employment Law Statutes
The most recent book is Blackstone's Statutes on Employment Law 2007-2008, 17th edition, by Richard Kidner, published by Oxford University Press.
Alternatively candidates may take an older edition, plus un-annotated copies of:
- Work and Families Act 2006
- Transfer of Undertakings Regulations 2006
- Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006
- Employment Law Act 2002 (Dispute Resolution) Regulations 2004
- Employment Equality (Religion or Belief) (Amendment) Regulations 2003
- Employment Equality (Sexual Orientation) (Amendment) Regulations 2003
The use of highlighter pens or blank ‘Post-It’ notes is permitted, but written notes of any description are prohibited. Invigilators have been instructed to inspect all books.
Questions
If you still have any questions, please contact the Exams Team on 020 8612 6223 or email us.