Back in November last year, we reported that CIPS had announced a 60% cut back on its Regional Exam Centre network in the UK. Here we update you on how those plans are going and discuss what impact this might have on you as a CIPS learner.
CIPS operates a network of Regional Exam Centres for all of its members to attend their exams. There has been over 30 of these centres across the UK up until quite recently, usually located in major cities and towns. Many learners find this network an invaluable resource and their only means of taking a CIPS exam, particularly those who do not have the required technology (or money) to sit remote exams and perhaps do not attend a study centre that has its own approved exam centre like ours.
There is an increasing trend among Employers to prevent learners using work PCs and work phones to download the invasive exam software for information security purposes. Learners are therefore dependent on providing their own PC if they have one, but there is also a more recent trend among younger (Gen Z) learners not to own what is increasingly seen as “old tech”.
This means there is even more need for CIPS to provide public exam centres for their membership.
cips CLOSURE UPDATE:
The plans seem to have changed slightly since November 2023 and there are now 19 Regional Exam Centres due to be closed, leaving just 10 remaining open. That’s just 34% venue availability on this time last year and can only be assumed to be a cost-cutting exercise.
Here’s the latest closure announcements that we have received from CIPS:
Exam CentreS closeD at the end of 2023:
CIPS Portsmouth
CIPS Hammersmith
CIPS Wolverhampton
CIPS Leicester
CIPS Cardiff
CIPS Heathrow
EXAM CENTRES TO CLOSE AFTER MARCH 2024:
CIPS Norwich
CIPS Peterborough
CIPS Oxford
exam centres to close after may 2024:
CIPS Sheffield
CIPS Exeter
CIPS Belfast
EXAM centres to close after july 2024:
CIPS Southampton
CIPS Coventry
CIPS Reading
exam centres to close after november 2024:
CIPS Milton Keynes
CIPS Liverpool
CIPS Croydon
CIPS Edinburgh
WHAT DO I DO IF CIPS CLOSES MY EXAM CENTRE?
There are obvious ramifications for learners here. One is the assumption that you will either be happy to travel further distances to take an exam, or that you will be happy to switch to the “remote invigilation” option. But neither of these options are viable for all learners, so it pays to plan ahead if you are affected by the CIPS closure plans.
The remote invigilation option is definitely worth exploring and we have written about this in a previous blog. In effect, you can take the exam on your own PC in the relative comfort of your own chosen surroundings, provided you comply with the exam condition requirements.
In general, we receive positive feedback from our learners (both in the UK and across other geographic territories) about the ease and convenience of the remote invigilation exams. However, please bear in mind that they are more expensive and also that they place the onus of technological support on you. While the software and technological requirements are not overly demanding, many employers don’t permit you to use your work computer for this exam. The info-security policies of many organisations (particularly in the defence sector, the financial services sector, some of the public sector, research sectors and pharmaceutical sectors) simply may not permit the intrusion of the software onto company hardware.
So, it may be that you have no other choice than travelling further than originally planned to find one of the 10 remaining CIPS exam centres. But there is one word of caution here - and it concerns capacity.
Please remember to book your exam as early as possible in order to try to secure your appointment. Already we have noticed that there is far greater demand than supply, which is perhaps hardly surprising. Earlier this week, one of the CIPS exam centres was completely full within a single day of opening, leaving some learners having to travel excessive distances to undertake their exams.
CORDIE EXAM CENTRE:
Please also remember that the Cordie exam centre remains fully open throughout the year in 2024 and beyond. The closure of local CIPS exam centres (Southampton, Portsmouth, Oxford, Reading and Exeter) affects many of our more local student-base, but our New Forest exam centre remains open and available to you.
If you would like to discuss how these closures affect you personally or if you would like to take your exams at our exam centre, then do please get in touch. We understand the need for CIPS to cut costs and reduce its exam centres, but we have no intentions of following suit.
We remain open for business as usual and look forward to seeing you soon!