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Today i have sat my Audit and assurance exam for the March 2022 session (7th March). I have faced technical issues on the computer and in my screen there was a medium sized floating window called ‘Input is error’ which kept appearing from the moment I selected my name and started the exam till the end of the exam. I have reported this issue with the invigilators and they did everything they can to solve this problem from changing the system, replacing the monitor to troubleshooting the issues everything they did but nothing has solved the issue. In the meantime, the invigilator was making calls with the Pearson exam delivery software people about this issue and they said it is from your end but after some time the invigilators concluded and said that this is an software issue from their side that they cannot do anything about this and asked me to adjust with this issue and told me that they will let me know if they found a solution about it. They asked me to continue the exam and not waste anymore time, when infact, I already lost upto 20 minutes of time while they were trying to resolve this issue with my system. I continued writing the exam despite the issue being unresolved. The floating window was moving and making a circle in the screen and it kept hiding my question and the answer I was writing that I have to wait for few more seconds for the floating window to pass so that I can read my question clearly. Waiting for the floating window to move for every few seconds everytime cost me a lot of time in the exam that I lost my focus and become very frustrated. I can’t even properly read the question or the answer I was writing and felt very helpless. Even though with this issue still unresolved, i tried so hard to attempt and complete all the questions on time and when i came to the last 20 mark substantive procedures questions I was left with only 5 minutes time and could not fully write the answer and the time was up.
After the exam, I told the invigilators that I could not complete my exam appropriately and on time because of the serious issues that I faced and asked them what action will they undertake for this issue happened and they informed me that an another student from different room have faced the same issue and the issue was not resolved for him either. They told me that they would report this issue for both of the students to the ACCA but they said they do not know of what actions will they undertake regarding this issue and asked me to personally send an email to acca regarding the same issue that I have faced.
I have prepared for this exam so hard that I definitely knew that I would pass this exam but now after finishing my exam I don’t think I will pass the exam and now all my efforts have been wasted because of the exam center’s fault.My question is what should I do about this serious issue that I faced in the exam center that affected my performance badly? Should I report this issue in the centre compliant section of myacca? If by doing so what actions will they undertake regarding this issue? I want this issue to be considered when marking my exam and I want them to provide grace marks for all the time that I lost in while facing this issue. Please suggest me what should I do?
I will reply tomorrow when I am at a computer. There is plenty of time for you to report through the proper channel so please don’t panic that I cannot write an answer now.
At a computer sooner than I thought. See here https://www.accaglobal.com/gb/en/student/exam-entry-and-administration/exam-results/mitigating-circumstances.html don’t worry if you have no documentary evidence you need only provide a sufficient description in order that your circumstances can be matched to ACCA’s internal reports.
I suggest you write in far fewer words than your posts on the subject – keep it factual and to the point.
Okay sir. There’s also a section called ‘centre complaints’ in myacca. Should I need to report the issue there? Or should I report this issue in ‘mitigating circumstances section’ please clarify this doubt sir?
You are claiming for mitigating circumstances on grounds of a technical issue so I would make that your primary focus. If you feel you have a complaint against the centre there’s no reason why you should not report that too but I suggest you cross reference to the fact that you have made a claim for mitigating circumstances.
In the mitigating circumstances section, the text box only allows 1000 characters.
And it also requires writing with bullet points. I don’t know how to summarise this issue since I feel everything that I’ve said in the above post is important and I think I might leave out some key issues if I summarise this issue. Can you please write me a summary of this issue that I’ve posted above detailing all the important key issues that I’ve faced during the exam session. It would be very helpful for me submit this issue correctly to the ACCA. Please help me out with this sir!Sorry – but can you imagine my workload if every student with mitigating circumstances were to ask me to write their reports for them. You have to remember that for a technical issues report, ACCA’s software will provide information – also that the problem was not unique to you.
I suggest you copy and paste your “report” above into a doc and edit is down by degrees until you have the requisite maximum. You may be able to dispense with the 1st sentence (for example) – you don’t need to write out AA in full or say what date the exam was. “on the computer” is superfluous – this is what is meant by a technical issue. What you really need to say is in the 2nd sentence – what the problem was and that it lasted for the duration of the exam. The “after the exam” section is not necessary – whether or not you discussed with the invigilator is irrelevant – since they only advised you of the process which is communicated on ACCA’s www.
It is unnecessary to blame the centre and quite superfluous.
Thank you so much for your super helpful reply it is very much appreciated. I’ve submitted my mitigation circumstances request and I will circle back to you once I have the result. Here’s the reply I’ve received from ACCA.
09/03/2022
Dear MR. Paul Daniel Vaseekaran,
Thank you for the correspondence relating to your Audit and Assurance examination sitting.
ACCA recognizes that some students may sit their examinations under trying conditions and circumstances. In such cases, a student’s examination performance can be submitted for special consideration.
I can confirm that the details outlined in your submission have been recorded and will indeed be considered before the finalisation of your mark.
The final mark displayed on your examination status report will include any consideration awarded during this process.
If you have any further comments to make regarding your March 2022 session, these must be with the Examinations Department in writing by 23/03/2022.
Thank you Paul for the follow-up information and I should indeed to be interested to know your result in due course.
I got fail mark 47% even after applying to mitigating circumstances ?
I seriously don’t think they that have given me any consideration marks even after facing such a horrible technical issue that I’ve mentioned above which is totally their fault that not even the exam center could solve the issue but now I’m the one who’s paying the price. This adds insult to my injury. I’m very disappointed by this result and in ACCA. I feel this is really unfair.
What should I do about this? Should I appeal? I’ve read in many acca and opentution forums that appealing is only a waste of time and money and very unlikely that a review will change my mark. Please guide me through this!?
Thank you for providing feedback on your experience – I’m sorry it didn’t have a favourable outcome.
You have grounds for appeal if you think that they took NO account of the circumstances. I think that is unlikely but obviously I cannot know that. Look at the published answers, marking scheme and examiner’s comments. … how many marks do you think you earned directly? Only a few discretionary marks can be awarded – not 10, for example.
Only you can decide if you want to go through the appeal process bearing in mind that if not successful you only postpone starting preparation for a resit.
Hello sir I’ve decided to appeal to the Examinations Appeals Committee for 30 GBP. What should I write to them?
Should I write the entire issue from the technical issues that I’ve faced in my exam to unfair exam result even after applying to mitigating circumstances?
I want them to consider my issue seriously and honestly. Please guide me sir.As it says here https://www.accaglobal.com/pk/en/student/exam-entry-and-administration/exam-results/mitigating-circumstances.html
“The appeals process is NOT a re-consideration of your circumstances.”
The only grounds for appeal is that you believe that ACCA did not apply it procedures properly when you received your exam result.
I think you should say something like, notwithstanding the additional time pressure imposed by the technical issues that you claimed as mitigating circumstances on [date] you believe you had passed. You would therefore appreciate if the Examinations Appeal Committee could please confirm that all stages of the mitigating circumstances process were undertaken and the correct mark was in fact issued to you.
Keep your appeal concise and courteous – do not describe your result as “unfair”.
Hello sir I’ve received my appeal outcome on 25th May and it was unsuccessful. Here’s the appeal outcome i had received from ACCA.
Hello Paul Daniel,
Thanks for contacting us.
Thank you for your appeal regarding your mitigating circumstances during the March 22 examination session.
Your appeal was presented to the Examinations Appeal Committee on 24th May and the finding of the committee is that your appeal against the results outcome has regretfully been unsuccessful.
The original results therefore stand and remain unchanged for the March 22 session. If you’re not satisfied that your comments have received due consideration and believe that we didn’t apply our procedures properly, please refer to our complaints policy via the unhappy with the service you have received (https://www.accaglobal.com/gb/en/footer-toolbar/contact-us/unhappy.html) page.
I’m truly so disappointed in ACCA and it’s marking system. I seriously don’t think they gave me any consideration marks for their fault in the exam software that no one in the exam center could solve that floating window error. Before applying mitigating circumstances and appeal, I’ve even complained this issue in the exam center after finishing my exam. But none considered and I’m very sad that that i failed my exam after preparing so hard for it and also lost money for exam and appeal fees. I’ve made up my mind if this thing happens again in my upcoming FM exam, then I’m very sure that I will quit ACCA for good. Anyway, thank you so much sir for your guidance.
Thank you for sharing your experience on this matter – I am sure it will be informative, if not a comfort, to other students. The best advice I can give you now, trite though it may sound, is to put it behind you. If you have practiced all the “official materials” in the CBE practice platform, you should be confident of success in June.
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