FAQs on the Qualification Process
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Question: Why do we have to do professional exams?
Answer: Accredited environmental health degree courses are based on a national curriculum developed and set by the CIEH. Each university tailors its courses according to this curriculum.All environmental health students are also required to undertake a period of work-based learning known as the Experiential Learning Portfolio (ELP). On successful completion of an accredited degree and your Experiential Learning Portfolio, you can apply for the last stage of qualification – the Professional Examinations.On passing the Examinations, you will be awarded the Certificate of Registration by the Environmental Health Registration Board (EHRB) and will be a fully qualified environmental health practitioner. (top)
Question: Does the CIEH judge my competence via the qualification process?
Answer: Competency is for your employer to judge. Our role is to form a view on your development, understanding and application of the principles and practices of environmental health, and to make sure that you have reached the standard set for a fully qualified EHP.(top)
Question: Do I need to register with the EHRB as part of the qualification process?
Answer: All students are required to register with the EHRB 21 days prior to the date on which they make an application to have their ELP assessed. An application form for registration is available to download from this website.The ELP is the first professional assessment that you complete on the road to qualification, and must be satisfactorily completed before you may apply to undertake any of the other professional assessments.(top)
Question: Is there a charge for the EHRB registration and subsequent professional assessment?
Answer: Yes, the current charges are summarised on this website. The charges to students are subsidised by the CIEH so the costs are kept to a minimum. By delaying the requirement for registration and fee payments until the application is made, the CIEH provides an opportunity for the student to gain financial support towards the fees from their employing or sponsoring organisation.(top)
Question: Do I need to be a Student member of the CIEH in order to undertake the ELP or the Professional Examinations?
Answer: No, but you do need to register with the EHRB prior to submitting your ELP for assessment and commencing the professional assessment process.There are however distinct advantages (please see below) to acquiring Student membership of the CIEH – it is free and all students are encouraged to take upmembership at the earliest possible time. An application form is available to download from this website.(top)
Question: What are the benefits of becoming a CIEH student member?
Answer: Amongst other things membership brings you free copies of Environmental Health News and Environmental Health Practitioner magazines, which provide up-to-date information, articles and contact opportunities within the profession. Membership also entitles you to attend regional meetings, Special Interest Group and branch meetings to network with fellow professionals.(top)
Question: Can I take all the professional assessments when I want to rather than waiting for the CIEH programme dates?
Answer: The programme of CIEH assessments is designed to coincide with the normal academic year and generally provides good access at the appropriate times for the majority of students.Setting examinations and administering assessments requires extensive input from a range of colleagues within the profession including: the writing of scripts, scenarios and questions; arrangement of facilities for undertaking assessments and the marking, collation, moderation and scrutiny involved in forming both questions and assessing answers.This process cannot be done on demand because of the large number of students that we deal with during a year and must be programmed into a manageable timetable.(top)
Question: Why do we have deadlines for applications for professional assessments that are so far ahead of the assessment?
Answer: Assessment sessions are held in a number of places throughout the country and it takes a considerable time to make the arrangements and produce the documentation necessary to successfully and efficiently run each session.In accommodating all applications, the CIEH need to gauge the number of applicants for each assessment session before making the necessary arrangements of accommodation, markers, examiners and assessors in sufficient numbers to cope with demand.(top)
Question: Can I take the Professional Examinations before completing the ELP?
Answer: The ELP, which forms the work-based learning element of an environmental health degree, is an integral part of the curriculum. All students must successfully complete the ELP before undertaking the Professional Examinations.(top)
Question: Why do I have to wait so long before I get the results of the ELP and Professional Examinations?
Answer: The assessments must be fair and accurate. The CIEH ensures that second marking and moderation is undertaken on all assessments. Results are then scrutinised and placed before the Qualifications Board before collating and mailing these to students.The timescale the CIEH sets for this process is extremely tight but the dates are published in advance, and all students and employers should be aware of these dates in connection with all contract and employment matters.(top)
Questions: Can you tell me the results over the telephone?
Answer: The CIEH has a duty to protect the personal information of all our students. When people telephone the CIEH, the identity of the person cannot be fully assured.In a competitive market, notification by telephone would also mean that some students would get information at a different time, resulting in an unfair advantage being gained over colleagues.The additional day taken for posting results ensures that everyone receives their results securely and at the same time.(top)
Question: Can I appeal against the results?
Answer: Appeal procedures are contained within the examination regulations which govern all of the CIEH assessments. Appeals are allowed under certain criteria, but it should be noted that no appeal is possible with respect to academic judgement.(top)
Question: I have been educated and completed my work-based learning in Northern Ireland. Can I give my answers to the professional examinations under Northern Ireland legislation?
Answer: The curriculum is written for the UK and does not allow for any regional or local variation. The accreditation of degree courses requires that a common syllabus is taught and students are expected to be familiar with this, not withstanding their place of work.(top)
Question: Why are the Professional Examinations sometimes held in Hotels?
Answer: The Professional Examinations are held at venues up and down the country to make them locally accessible for students. The CIEH tries to select appropriate accommodation for the assessments which is easily accessible and this is why we choose hotels as venues.(top)
Question: Does the CIEH publish guidance about what to expect in the Professional Examinations?
Answer: Yes, the CIEH does publish its examination on professional assessments.Each year CIEH staff attend every accredited university to provide specific guidance, answer any queries and/or questions regarding the process and procedures.In addition to this, students are invited to contact the CIEH directly with any questions or enquiries regarding Professional Examinations.(top)
Question: Who sets the Professional Examinations?
Answer: The Examinations are set on behalf of the CIEH by qualified academic members of the profession who are experienced in constructing appropriate examinations, and who fully understand the level at which these should be pitched. The scenarios and questions, together with the marking advice provided by the authors, are then examined in detail by a CIEH Professional Examination Scrutiny Panel that consists of academic colleagues, the question authors and practising EHPs.The Professional Examination is a testing time and students are always advised to read the questions and tasks very carefully before attempting their answers. Clarification can be sort from the invigilator, but advice can not be given which will help you with the answer or interpretation. The interpretation of the question is part of the requirement of the student and any presumptions made by the student should be made clear in the answer given.(top)
Question: Who marks the exam papers?
Answer: The exam papers are marked initially by the author of the paper. All ‘fail’ papers together with a selection of ‘pass’ papers are then second marked by an experienced and qualified EHP and all marks are then independently moderated to ensure a consistency of marking across the board.(top)
Question: The exam results sometimes don’t come back to students in time for them to enter the subsequent exam session should they have failed and be required to re-sit. Can this programming be altered?
Answer: The CIEH runs a considerable number of exams throughout the year and the timetable is quite congested. The Professional Examinations are timed to coincide with the academic timetable year-on-year but, occasionally, the programmes become slightly overlapped.Our advice to students is that they should apply for the subsequent examinations session as a provisional measure which can be cancelled with no loss of fee should they prove successful in the earlier session.(top)
Question: How many attempts can I have at the Professional Exams?
Answer: Currently, there is no limit to the number of attempts; however, this policy is currently under review.(top)
Question: Why can’t I get personal feedback on my exam papers?
Answer: As laid down in the examination regulations, the exam papers are the property of the CIEH and once submitted may not be returned to or shown to the candidate.General feedback is provided through the CIEH website on the main areas of failure in examination sessions. Papers, tasks and marking advice for each examination are posted on the website following the completion of all the examination processes.This is felt to give you enough information to be able to re-evaluate your approach and response to the tasks set by the examination, and to gauge your own performances and any areas of shortfall.(top)
