BCS Online Exam Process
Extra Time in Online BCS Exams
You can check eligibility for additional online exam time by clicking here
Please inform us when booking your exam slot if you are applying for extra time.
Upcoming exam dates
We have the following dates scheduled for an invigilated exam:
- 7:00 pm Tuesday 30 May 2023
- 7:00 pm Monday 12 June 2023
- 7:00 pm Monday 26 June 2023
To book a place on one of these sessions, or if none are suitable, please email info@ba-solutions.co.uk.
BA Training Solutions will register you for the exam and you will receive an e-mail from the BCS informing you that the exam has been added to your account. If you have never taken an exam with BCS before, you will need to create an account, from which you will be able to see your exam booking. Do not attempt to do this until you have received an email from BCS.
The BCS portal can be accessed at:
https://eprofessional.bcs.org/Portal/Candidate/Login
From the portal, you can update your personal details, view upcoming exams and access any exams that you have been registered for. You can also see results for exams you have already taken and download your qualification certificates.
You will also need to download and install the Questionmark software well in advance of the exam. Do not attempt to install it on the day of the exam. The software can be accessed and tested using this link:
https://support.questionmark.com/content/get-questionmark-secure
Some corporate devices may have a firewall that prevents download of the software. If this applies to you then you should seek advice from your organisation’s IT department.
You will also receive a separate Zoom invitation for the exam session. Please check the details of the exam and let us know if there are any issues.
Please note that last minute cancellations of exam sessions will incur an administration fee of £35 + VAT which will be payable before a further exam slot is booked.
On the day of the exam
Before joining the Zoom meeting you should sign into the BCS portal:
- From your BCS account you will then need to go to ‘upcoming exams’ and select the exam you will be taking. Follow the Questionmark instructions to initiate the exam. This will not start the exam until your invigilator has given you an access code.
- Ensure you do not have any other applications on your PC open as this will prevent you from running the Questionmark software. You will have to close Outlook and also Skype which may be running in background mode. Questionmark will inform you of any applications that need to be closed.
Please sign into the Zoom meeting 10-15 minutes before it is due to start.
The invigilator from BA Training Solutions will greet you and check your ID and your exam environment. You must be the only person in the room with a clear desk other than some notepaper and a pen or pencil. You may use the notepad during the exam if needed.
The invigilator will provide you with an access code to start the exam.
During the exam you will need to stay connected to both the Zoom meeting and the exam. You will not be able to see your tutor during the exam as the Questionmark software will block this, but your tutor will still be able to see you, so that they can invigilate the exam as they would if you were in a classroom environment. You will be expected to keep your microphone switched on during the exam. You may want to turn your own volume down so that you are not disturbed by noise from other candidates. Your mobile phone should be switched on (in silent mode) in case the invigilator needs to contact you during the exam without disturbing other candidates.
Navigating through the exam is relatively intuitive. Questions are answered on screen by clicking onto one of the 4 answers displayed on the screen. There should be an amount of time left displayed at the top of the screen. There is also an option to ‘flag’ a question that you want to go back to later. We recommend that you take a best guess at every question before flagging it. The Questionmark software will allow you to navigate backwards and forwards through the exam and go back to flagged questions.
Ensure that you attempt every question.
At the end of the exam
You can terminate the exam before the time expires but we do not recommend this. Otherwise, the exam will finish at the end of the allocated time.
Your exam result will be displayed immediately. The result will remain as pending until it has been processed by BCS which can take a day or so.
Please note that there may be a short delay for other candidates finishing the exam, so it will not be possible to discuss the exam with the invigilator at the end.
If you experience any technical issues or erroneous questions during the exam, please inform info@BA-Solutions.co.uk immediately.
Good Luck