Examinations
Every training programme run by the Education Department of the Velocity Interoperability Network ends in an examination. Examinations are set by the Department, sat under its supervision and marked to a published scheme. A pass is a condition of certification.
The papers are set to the current edition of the syllabus and to nothing else. Each paper draws its questions from the modules the syllabus marks as assessed in it, in roughly the proportion of the hours given to each module. The marking scheme for each paper is published with the paper after the sitting, so that candidates and providers can see how marks were allocated.
Papers and pass marks
| Programme | Papers | Duration | Pass mark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foundation | One written paper | 2 hours | 60 per cent |
| Operator | One written paper and one practical paper | 2 hours and 3 hours | 65 per cent in each paper |
| Assessor | One written paper and one supervised assessment | 3 hours and one day | 70 per cent and a satisfactory assessment |
| Refresher | One written paper | 1 hour | 60 per cent |
Structure of each paper
| Paper | Questions | Marking | Total marks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foundation written paper | 40 short-answer questions and 2 longer questions | Short answers 1 mark each; longer questions 10 marks each | 60 |
| Operator written paper | 30 short-answer questions, 2 longer questions and 1 case study | Short answers 1 mark each; longer questions 10 marks each; case study 20 marks | 70 |
| Operator practical paper | 4 tasks on training equipment: commission, operate, change, respond to an incident | Each task 25 marks against a checklist of required actions and records | 100 |
| Assessor written paper | 20 short-answer questions, 3 longer questions and 1 case study | Short answers 2 marks each; longer questions 10 marks each; case study 30 marks | 100 |
| Assessor supervised assessment | A real assessment planned, conducted and reported under supervision | Graded satisfactory or not yet satisfactory on the supervising assessor's report | Not marked |
| Refresher paper | 30 short-answer questions on the current standards | 1 mark each | 30 |
How an examination proceeds
Step 1: Registration
Candidates are registered for an examination by the Department or by the approved provider that delivered the programme. Registration closes ten working days before the examination date.
Step 2: Sitting
Examinations are sat in person at a place notified to the candidate. Written papers are closed-book; practical papers are taken on equipment supplied by the Department.
Step 3: Marking
Papers are marked against a published marking scheme by two markers. Where the markers differ, a third marker decides.
Step 4: Result
Results are issued in writing within twenty working days of the examination. A pass is recorded against the candidate and may be used in an application for certification.
Step 5: Review
A candidate may ask for a clerical check of the marks within ten working days of the result, and may appeal after a clerical check. A second attempt at a failed paper may be made after a further thirty days.
Conduct of a sitting
- Identification
- Candidates present the notice of venue and their staff or citizen identification before entering the examination room. A candidate who cannot be identified is not admitted and is recorded as absent.
- Materials
- Nothing is brought into the room for a written paper except writing materials. Copies of the standards are provided for practical papers. Devices capable of storing or communicating information are surrendered to the invigilator before the paper begins.
- Timing
- A candidate arriving after the paper has begun is admitted within the first thirty minutes but receives no extra time. No candidate leaves in the first thirty minutes or the last fifteen. Additional time agreed as an adjustment is added at the end.
- Conduct
- Candidates do not communicate with one another once the paper has begun. A candidate who does so, or who is found with unauthorised material, is asked to leave and the paper is not marked. The Department writes to the candidate and to their sponsoring organisation.
- Disturbance
- A candidate whose sitting is affected by noise, a fault in equipment or any other disturbance tells the invigilator at the time. The invigilator records it, and the record is considered if the candidate later appeals.
Dates and adjustments
Every sitting from October 2026 to March 2027, with the closing date for registration and the date by which results are issued, is on the examination timetable. Candidates who need adjustments to the conditions of an examination should write to contact@education.gov.vin when registering.
A candidate who believes a result is wrong may ask for a clerical check and, after that, appeal. The procedure and time limits are described under Appeals and complaints. Fees for examinations have not yet been set and no charge is made until they are published.