FFICM Examination Regulations

Published 19/12/2022

12. Reviews

12.1     Subject to the following regulations, a candidate can ask the Director to review the conduct or the result of their examination.

12.2     Reviews will be entertained which allege bias or impropriety of some kind in the organisation, content, conduct or determination of the result of the examination. The burden of proof lies with the candidate who must prove clear reason as to why their performance was affected by impropriety or bias. The following are examples or incidents that may affect performance:

12.2.1  Organisation e.g. wrong or missing documentation, instructions or artefacts, poor seating/lighting.

12.2.2  Content e.g. questions not relevant to the examination, questions on a topic not related to the curriculum.

12.2.3  Conduct e.g. personal questions about candidate’s age, gender, origins, beliefs, disabilities, workplace or experience.

12.2.4  Determination of the result e.g. the examiner(s) did not follow the marking methods set out in Appendix 2.

12.3     No review, however, may be made of matters which relate solely to the examiners’ judgement.

12.4     Any request for a review must be:

12.4.1  submitted by the candidate to whom the Review relates setting out in full the matter on which the request is based.

12.4.2  addressed to the Director and submitted within two months of completing the relevant examination.

12.5     On receipt of a request for a Review, the Director will send the candidate a letter of acknowledgement and will consider the admissibility of the request.  If the Director concludes that a review is inadmissible, whether on the ground of Regulation 12.3 or for any other reason, the Director will so inform the candidate in writing forthwith.

12.6     If the Director:

12.6.1  is of the opinion that the request for a review is in the nature of a request for guidance or re-calculation rather than a challenge of the examination procedure or result due to alleged impropriety or bias, the request may be treated in accordance with the appropriate regulation.

12.6.2  finds that the matter on which the review is based contains any error of fact, the candidate shall be so informed without delay and shall be invited to indicate whether he or she wishes to pursue the matter.  If he or she does not, the Review shall be deemed to have been dismissed.

12.6.3  concludes that the matter on which the Review is based, provides proof of impropriety or bias of some kind, whether in whole or in part, the Director shall take any action necessary to rectify the situation identified and the candidate shall be informed of the findings and any corrective action to be taken. 

12.6.4  concludes that the matter on which the Review is based does not prove impropriety or bias, then the candidate shall be so informed in writing forthwith.

12.7     In conducting the review in accordance with Regulation 12.5, the Director shall consult the Examiners.

12.8     Applications for FFICM examinations will not be accepted whilst a matter under Review remains unresolved.