Advisers and trainees were left in the dark yesterday (July 6) when technical issues delayed the R06 financial planning exam due to begin at 09:30 in the morning.
The CII apologised for the glitch which it said had caused a 15-minute delay to the start time, but candidates have since told FTAdviser of hours of delays and technical glitches during the sitting.
In a statement yesterday the professional body advised any candidate who was unable to log-in to the exam as a result of the glitch would be allowed to rebook for a future date, but advisers and training providers have warned this is not enough to rectify the issue.
Luiza Todd, director at Bespoke Training Solutions, said she knew of students who were ejected from the exam up to three times and some after they had been working on the test for two hours.
Ms Todd said others received a pop-up box asking candidates if they would like to exit the exam, despite not having selected that option, and some students waited for 45 minutes to begin the exam unsure as to whether they would be able to sit it.
She added: "A free resit in October will not be enough.
"There are 100 hours study time recommended for the R06 exam, plus many candidates have either paid personally, or their companies have paid for providers such as BTS to provide remote exam workshops.
"Such individuals and companies should as a minimum get these costs reimbursed as well."
Several sources told FTAdviser candidates spent hours trying to contact the CII either via the online chat system or telephone, but to no avail.
I now don’t know if I should be gearing up to start my career as a financial adviser, or whether I should be planning to resit an exam through no fault of my own in three months’ timeAnonymous One trainee adviser who continued to experience technical difficulties whilst sitting the exam said they unsuccessfully tried to contact the professional body, which they said wasted precious working time.
A candidate who was able to eventually sit the exam said they had not yet been contacted by the professional body with any information regarding the glitch or its impact on results.
Another student said the uncertainty surrounding the exam meant it could have a "huge effect on earning potential and career progression" as candidates wait to hear whether they passed despite the technical glitches or whether their test was submitted at all.
One candidate told FTAdviser: "The whole process has been an absolute disgrace from start to finish, and not one befitting a professional body and the institution which dictates the fortunes of so many careers including my own.
"I now don’t know if I should be gearing up to start my career as a financial adviser, or whether I should be planning to resit an exam through no fault of my own in three months’ time."
A candidate on Twitter said it was the "most horrific experience" of his professional life, whilst others raised concerns anyone now needing to resit the exam as a result of the technical issues would have to revise a new case study.
But Gill White, learning and assessment director of the CII, said any candidate who was unable to log-in to the exam yesterday and required a resit before October would not need to learn an "entirely new case study".
Ms White said a new paper would be created with different questions about the same case study, which she said may be "slightly amended".
According to the CII, 830 candidates were due to sit yesterday's exam and despite the delays 95 per cent completed it by "early yesterday afternoon".
But numerous concerns have been raised surrounding the quality of answers in light of the confusion, with one candidate warning on Twitter he was a "nervous wreck" once he was able to access the exam.
Ms White added: "We are extremely sorry for the distress caused by the issue that candidates experienced yesterday with the R06 remotely invigilated exam.
"We are contacting all the candidates who were booked to take the R06 exam on Monday and have asked them to share the problems they faced.
"The CII can reassure those affected by the technical issue that no student will be disadvantaged as a result of the problems they faced with their sitting.
"We will be looking carefully at the level of impact on candidates and take that into account to ensure fair results."
The three-hour exam is intended to demonstrate an adviser’s financial planning skills and the CII recommends 100 hours of studying for the qualification.
As a result of social distancing measures currently in place across the country, advisers were set to sit the exam remotely.
rachel.mortimer@ft.com
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