AMTRA Exams – an update

In the context of the Covid-19 situation, AMTRA has decided to cancel AMTRA exams at Greenmount on 1/2 July, LANTA/Stoneleigh Park on 7 July, and Writtle on 8/9 July.

We’re sorry that circumstances mean we have to let RAMAs down when everyone has worked so hard towards gaining their qualification.

At the present time we are continuing to explore whether we can run the exam at Harper Adams University on 16/17 July. No definite decision has been made; we will let RAMAs know one way or the other in early June. However, if you already know that you definitely won’t sit the exam, we ask RAMAs to please contact the office and let us know.

Traditionally held school and university exams are not taking place in the UK at the present time, and so it is difficult to re-commence the AMTRA exams (which are Harper Adams University exams).

While we consider that the risks associated with being well spaced apart in the written exam room, or several metres from an AMTRA assessor, are very small, we’ve taken the view that our duty of care to candidates, our assessors, and our partners at Harper Adams and the assessment centres, and to the wider community, is such that this is the appropriate course, for the moment at least.

There are many challenges, some obvious, some more subtle. For instance, invigilators and candidates have to travel from Harper Adams which in some cases includes overnight stays (particularly for two-day exams) – we don’t know when hotels will reopen. Additionally, invigilators may need to have private conversations with individual candidates during the exam, which normally involves being a lot closer than two metres. Then there are challenges to the hygiene of rooms and desks (not under the direct control of AMTRA or Harper Adams), of exam papers going to candidates and back again, among other things for us to manage.

For the avoidance of doubt there will, of course, be no cancellation/rebooking fee due. Our normal 24-month limit for sitting exams (without additional fee) will also be extended.

We will schedule more exams in due course, but do not anticipate doing so until we have a better idea when we can safely hold exams again; we do not want to schedule fresh dates only to cancel them again.

We will keep the situation under review for future exams, but cannot offer clear guidance as to when exams will resume, and will let you know when we know more.