Exams and assessment

So how are you assessed as an ICB learner? It's pretty simple. 30% of your final mark comes from the activities and evaluations you undertake during your course. Your Portfolio of Evidence (PoE) is a folder given to you at the start of the course, once you've registered for an assessment with the ICB, in which you'll include any assignments given to you as well the tests you take. Your PoE is complete when your final summative assessment (exam) is added to it at the end of your course.

When you sit down to write your final assessment - which counts for the remaining 70% - you'll include that in your PoE, which an ICB registered assessor will then check to see if really know your stuff. The activities and evaluations are essential, as they fully prepare you for the final assessment, and also provide evidence of the hard work you've done leading up to it.

Make the grade

A passing grade ('competent') is 60% for the overall course, and you need to get a minimum of 50% for the final assessment. You have to part ways with your PoE and hand it in for assessment at the end of your course.

If you're assessed as 'not yet competent', you still have the chance to write one supplementary assessment, which has a pass mark of 60%.

Colleges usually conduct assessments monthly, so if you're studying at one, just ask them for their assessment schedule. Final assessments for correspondence learners are held at ICB-approved assessment centres around South Africa. You can find a list of the centres here. Assessments take place at these centres in February, May, August and November.

REMEMBER:

• You can only be assessed if you are registered with the ICB as a Student Member.
• Those are the basics - but be sure to read over the ICB Assessment Policies & Procedures before you start completing your PoE, as these are updated from time to time.