12/02/2018
Frequently Asked Questions
Q.
What differentiates ACEPA from other administrative professional courses?
A.
ACEPA is an Executive Led Business focussed programme and is only ever delivered by Executives or ex-Executives
Q.
Why was ACEPA developed?
A.
The Executive Support profession is on a journey. From the traditional "Secretary" the role is evolving into that of Executive Business Partner. In order to survive in the profession Executive Assistants need to learn more business focused skills.
The BMTG leadership team recognized this evolving pattern and realized that those in the profession required something that would give them the knowledge, skills, tools and techniques to undertake these new and challenging roles.
Q.
What are the entry requirements?
A.
As ACEPA is an advanced level course we look for a combination of skills and experience. Entry to ACEPA can be granted if you fulfill one of the following criteria.
University degree
or equivalent 3 years’ experience in role or similar role
Fellow or similar level of a recognized local PA/EA Association
Q.
Does ACEPA qualify for CPD credits?
A.
Yes ACEPA is independently accredited by the CPD Standards office and offers 30 CPD Credits.
Q.
Is the ACEPA certificate valid for life?
A.
YES. Unlike most, if not all, other Certified/Chartered courses the ACEPA certificate and post nominal is yours for life.
Q.
Do I need to maintain "Membership" of pay Annual Fees to use ACEPA?
A.
NO. Again unlike most, if not all, similar Certified or Chartered courses ACEPA does not require you to maintain "membership" or pay annual fees for the privilege of using you well earned post nominal for interviews or on business cards etc.
Q.
Do I need to maintain a level of CPD credits to keep ACEPA post nominal?
A.
NO.
Q.
Is ACEPA recognised?
A.
ACEPA has been attended by delegates from hundreds of companies across the globe who selected ACEPA due to its uniqueness, reputation and course content.
A full list can be found here
As well as being independently Certified by Qualifi, a recognised UK awarding body, ACEPA is also accredited by the CPD Standards Office and fully endorsed by Executive Secretary Magazine, the Association of Office Professionals of South Africa (OPSA) and the prestigious Institute of Administrative Managers (IAM)
Q.
Does ACEPA have any testimonials?
A.
YES. ACEPA uses www.findcourses.co.uk to collect testimonials and is the highest scoring course amongst all Administrative Professional Courses in terms of Volume of Courses and Delegate Score-Details can be found here
Q.
Can ACEPA be Run In-House for my Company?
A.
YES, Please Contact BMTG or our country partners for further details.
Q.
Can I sit the BMTG examination and get the accreditation without attending an official BMTG course?
A.
NO.
Q.
What is the format of the BMTG examination?
A.
The "Open Book" examination consists of 50 questions which are a combination of written answers, multiple choice and true/false answers. Most delegates take up to 2 hours to complete the examination as it is a strong test of delegates' knowledge.
The pass mark with effect from 1st July 2016 is 70%.
Q.
Is additional research required to successfully complete ACEPA course or is everything I need to know contained in the course materials?
A.
Any additional research is always useful for a delegate, however the examination is based on the course materials alone, and no additional research is required to sit the examination.
Q.
Can I do the ACEPA course and not sit the examination?
A.
Yes of course. After participating in the course, it is your choice whether to take the examination or not, but without passing the examination, you would not be eligible to use the ACEPA designation on your business card or resume and would not be Certified.
Q.
How long after the examination will I know my results?
A.
The examination results are generally published within one week of sitting the examination.
Certificates can take up to 30 days.
Q.
What is the percentage of delegates who fail the BMTG examination?
A.
Generally, delegates are failed for the following reasons as:
Failure to achieve the minimum Assessment score
Failure to fully attend all sessions,
persistent lateness,
non attendance or
non participation.
Examination failures are between 5%-10% of all delegates who attend.
Q.
If I fail the examination, what happens next?
A.
In the event of an Assessment fail, there is an appeals process which can involve resitting the examination under classroom conditions or writing an essay on learning outcomes and application thereof.
Delegates who fail the Assessment may also re-attend the course at a discount of 50% of the price originally paid.
There is no appeal process for delegates who failed due to non attendance, persistent lateness or non-participation unless due to certified sickness or illness.
Q.
What should I look for in Certification?There are a multitude of bodies offering credentials for the Administrative profession.
A.
Our view is that any credentials must be totally independent of the training body and/or association offering the training otherwise there is conflict of interest.
Check who is actually "certifying" and are they regulated in any way.
In addition our suggestion is to:
Look at course testimonials and only select those course with high scores
Establish which firms/organisations have sent delegates previously
Avoid diploma mills. Having a “qualification” from a diploma mill will damage your reputation and job prospects.
Ensure that anything that claims to be a “Diploma”, “Degree” or “Chartered” is offered by a bona fide Educational Institution and that the course is of sufficient length to justify the award. For example you cannot gain Degree, A Diploma or Chartered Status in by doing a 5 days course.
It takes years of study
Use Google to look out for scams.
Unfortunately there are many out there
Finally, ensure that the certificate is not simply being offered by the course provider with no independent accreditation body. Again, sadly, there are many training organisations that simply self-certify. Their credentials are worthless
Our advice is "Be Careful Out There"
Q.
Is ACEPA Available On-Line?
A.
No.
Q.
Are there any bursaries available for ACEPA?
A.
No.
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