Syllabus changes to the Operator Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC) have been imposed to incorporate both National and International qualifications as one. So what’s new? Tachodisc managing director Karen Crispe explains what operators can expect from awarding body OCR’s new syllabus.
OCR’s new CPCs in Road Haulage and Passenger Transport will both consist of a single multiple-choice assessment and a single case study assessment. Both elements will test national and international knowledge/application and have been built around reduced and more relevant content. The good news is that to achieve the new International CPC, candidates will only need to take these two units.
Multiple-choice assessment
The multiple-choice assessment will be available as a quarterly, paper-based test from March 2012. From June, OCR has stated that it will also be available on screen and on demand, allowing candidates to sit or re-sit an assessment at a convenient time and to enable results to be received quickly. Candidates will need to achieve 70% over the whole paper to pass.
Case study assessment
The new case study assessment, which is also available quarterly as a paper based test, will no longer be preceded by a pre-release scenario. Instead, a shorter, more relevant scenario will be issued with the papers at the start of the two hour assessment. This shorter case study will only contain information that will enable the candidate to demonstrate application of the knowledge they have acquired.
An additional improvement to the case study is that it will now only assess core areas. Furthermore, OCR has simplified the pass mark so there will be no sections A and B; candidates will need to achieve 50% over the whole paper to pass.
Some items in Part B of the case study assessment were previously regarded as peripheral. These areas will now be selected periodically and assessed as part of the new multiple-choice assessment. The case study will focus on the application of knowledge, making candidates more adept at in the skills required in relevant transport careers.
Candidates will also now be able to take any notes or books of their choice in to the case study assessment and questions will test application of knowledge only. For example, candidates will no longer be asked to identify and explain but just to explain, allowing them to demonstrate they can apply their knowledge and use relevant sources of information. OCR states that this will ensure that those who gain the OCR CPC are well-prepared for the real world of transport management.
And finally, contrary to recent news reports, the new CPC format does not require candidates to pass both units in one session; they can carry forward any passes into a later session.
For further information on the core areas which will be tested in each assessment visit www.tachodisc.co.uk.
Commercial Motor’s Compliance and Best Practice Bulletin is sponso
kingkarlkebab:
Can anyone recommend literature to read up on (eg. for a home study course)?
I want to get my National CPC so obviously need to do it this year before the changes come in.
I’m in Bedfordshire and a company down the road are OCR accredited and they do the training and tests all on their premises, so this is ideal for me as I only have to travel around 6 miles.
We’re expecting a baby on 10th September which is the date of the next OCR exam sitting, so I can’t attend this course. The next one, which is the course I’ve booked is on 1st & 2nd December (and the training is held the week before). the only trouble with this, is if I fail any modeule, I have to redo the whole thing again due to the changes next year.
So essentially, what I’m after is an up to date home study pack I can start reading and get aquainted with. So when i attend the course I’m prepared for it and it’s not all new to me.
I’ve got a PDF file from Hargreaves Training which is a home study course and I’ve had a quick glance at it. But it’s not a recent one and things like minimum wage, maternity rights are always changing.
So, can anyone advise a homestudy course? I don’t need the test dates, just the material to read up on.
Thanks for reading.
Karl
To be honest if you have no cpc at all id sit the new course, it will give more. I just sat the International exam because i already have a national and if i didn’t sit the international now i would have to re-sit the whole lot!
There’s quite a big change to the operator CPC exams on the way, so I thought I’d give you plenty of warning about it.
Next year, syllabus changes to the Operator Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC) will be imposed to incorporate both National and International qualifications as one. Significantly for operators, it means that if a full National CPC qualification is not achieved before 2 December 2011 (the final date for CPC exams in 2011), they will have to assume the new course and examinations in 2012.
If you haven’t got the three necessary passes for a National CPC by the end of this year, then you’ll have to start all over again next year, because the idea of ‘just’ a National CPC is coming to an end. For people in that postion, it seems that you only have two more shots at the exams.
From March 2011, the CPC exams will change, and so you’ll have no choice but to do the International part as well.
Wheel Nut:
What do I need to gain the Passenger CPC?
Do my Nat & Int in road transport operations stand for anything?
Hi Malc,
The answer to your question depends on the dates on the said Nat and Int CPCs.
Your unit #1 exam pass (part of your freight Nat CPC) might count as a unit #1 pass for passenger CPC these days, but there have been other changes and it all depends on the relevant dates.
TBH and to avoid confusion, I’d suggest that you refer directly to OCR for some horse’s mouth info, because they know the relevant cut-off dates and which of your certificates might be allowed to count towards the passenger CPC.
I,m hearing noises that if you passed your national prior to 1999 then you can’t just upgrade to international, you have to take national again first - ANYONE??
knowlep:
I,m hearing noises that if you passed your national prior to 1999 then you can’t just upgrade to international, you have to take national again first - ANYONE??
It seems as from March 2012 there will only be one exam which incorporates both types of examination.
To be honest, the International exam was a bit of a joke and covered many of the same subjects as the National
knowlep:
I,m hearing noises that if you passed your national prior to 1999 then you can’t just upgrade to international, you have to take national again first - ANYONE??
Hi knowlep,
The noises are correct mate.
There is another relevant cut-off date from the old CPCs as issued by RSA in the 90s, because the newer (present) system administered by OCR doesn’t accept the princilple of obtaining a Nat CPC from RSA and an Int CPC from OCR as being valid.
If you got both Nat and Int from the same ‘series,’ then they’re fine as a combination, but my understanding is that you can’t do a mix-and-match and I can’t remember the cut-off date.
I suggest that you contact the OCR Customer Contact Centre on 01223 553998, then you’ll receive the correct info.
I was planning on buying some home study notes but not taking the exams till next year, will the notes I buy now still be relevant?
Hi Sam,
My honest advice is that you should decide when you wish to take your CPC exams, and once you’ve fixed that date, I’d suggest that you then check with the provider that the notes you buy from them are up-to-date for that exam.
I’ve seen many people fail their CPC exams by assuming that old notes are still valid.
Can anyone recommend literature to read up on (eg. for a home study course)?
I want to get my National CPC so obviously need to do it this year before the changes come in.
I’m in Bedfordshire and a company down the road are OCR accredited and they do the training and tests all on their premises, so this is ideal for me as I only have to travel around 6 miles.
We’re expecting a baby on 10th September which is the date of the next OCR exam sitting, so I can’t attend this course. The next one, which is the course I’ve booked is on 1st & 2nd December (and the training is held the week before). the only trouble with this, is if I fail any modeule, I have to redo the whole thing again due to the changes next year.
So essentially, what I’m after is an up to date home study pack I can start reading and get aquainted with. So when i attend the course I’m prepared for it and it’s not all new to me.
I’ve got a PDF file from Hargreaves Training which is a home study course and I’ve had a quick glance at it. But it’s not a recent one and things like minimum wage, maternity rights are always changing.
So, can anyone advise a homestudy course? I don’t need the test dates, just the material to read up on.
kingkarlkebab:
Can anyone recommend literature to read up on (eg. for a home study course)?
I want to get my National CPC so obviously need to do it this year before the changes come in.
I’m in Bedfordshire and a company down the road are OCR accredited and they do the training and tests all on their premises, so this is ideal for me as I only have to travel around 6 miles.
I would recommend the EOS study pack. Very good.
But if you have already booked the course for December, why don’t you give the training provider a ring. Chat nicely with the person on the phone and ask if you can ‘borrow’ a set of notes in advance so that you can read up. They will quite likely be nice and give you your notes in advance. Save you a few quid.
kingkarlkebab:
We’re expecting a baby on 10th September which is the date of the next OCR exam sitting, so I can’t attend this course. The next one, which is the course I’ve booked is on 1st & 2nd December (and the training is held the week before). the only trouble with this, is if I fail any modeule, I have to redo the whole thing again due to the changes next year.
So essentially, what I’m after is an up to date home study pack I can start reading and get aquainted with. So when i attend the course I’m prepared for it and it’s not all new to me.
Hi Karl,
Congratulations on the baby.
I have to agree with Helen’s post about the EOS student notes (above.)
I’d like to suggest that you contact the provider that you have in mind, and explain your situation.
They might be tempted to give you the study materials up front if you offer to pay for the course up front, that way they’d have nothing to lose.
Hi DD,
I passed the National in 1989 RSA,then took the International in 1999 OCR.I currently act for one operator on the International.Does that mean its no longer valid in the near future.I’m not to worried as I’m 65 next year.
Cheers Dave.
Dave the Renegade:
Hi DD,
I passed the National in 1989 RSA,then took the International in 1999 OCR.I currently act for one operator on the International.Does that mean its no longer valid in the near future.I’m not to worried as I’m 65 next year.
Cheers Dave.
If I remember it right, If you got your cpc by exam you’ll be ok, if you got your cpc by grandfathers rights then you will need to prove you have been acting as a CPC holder for a transport company.
I lost / left my RSA certificates in Africa whilst on refresher terrorist training. So when I applied for duplicates, both of them came from OCR.
I am sat here by the phone with my certificates waiting, until a company realise they cannot operate on the continent anymore until their TM has passed another set of exams
Dave the Renegade:
Hi DD,
I passed the National in 1989 RSA,then took the International in 1999 OCR.I currently act for one operator on the International.Does that mean its no longer valid in the near future.I’m not to worried as I’m 65 next year.
Cheers Dave.
If I remember it right, If you got your cpc by exam you’ll be ok, if you got your cpc by grandfathers rights then you will need to prove you have been acting as a CPC holder for a transport company.
Thanks Denis,passed both by exam,also both are in use.
Cheers Dave.
Thank you Helen and Dave. I’ve spoken to them and they are going to give me some notes a few weeks before the course. I’m going to have a look at the EOS notes now and get them. I like to be prepared and ready for it.
Thanks again. I’ll report back and let you know how I get on.
Here are some tips to maximise your chances and minimise potential administrative headaches:
Having read the link you provided, please wait until after the next exam before ordering the study pack so that you will receive the most up-to-date version of the notes which are relevant to the exams that you will take.
It’s a fair while since I taught CPC, but IIRC, there’s a requirement for a signed photo to be attached to the joining form, so please check the contents of the study pack carefully and ask the provider if you’re not sure.
Please be absolutely sure that you’re enrolled for the course AND exams in good time, because there is a cut-off point, following which there are extra fees payable for late bookings. Please check the course and exam booking cut-off dates with the provider that you intend to use.
I’ve seen many people fail their CPC exams by assuming that old notes are still valid.
