- Is
an exam required for each course, or do candidates complete one
program comprehensive exam?
In order to
earn credit for courses in a National Institute designation program,
an individual must complete an exam for each course with a minimum
grade of 70%. The National Institute will not award a designation
unless all exams have been completed successfully. There is no
program comprehensive exam required. Please note that CPE exams do not count for credit in a designation program. [top]
- How
are exams administered?
All designation
program exams are taken on the National Institute website, www.niepe.org.
[top]
- What
kinds of questions appear on a National Institute exam?
Designation
program exams consist of 60 questions, and are a combination of
multiple choice and true/false. For multiple choice questions,
four possible answers are given, and you choose the correct answer.
The exams are timed, with 2 minutes to complete each question.
It is not possible to skip questions or go back to review them
after you have entered your answer. [top]
-
How is my answer recorded?
To record your answer, click on the circle next to your choice, and then click the "go" button. If your time expires, before you have done both of these things, no answer is recorded and the question will be scored as incorrect. [top]
- Does a National Institute designation exam also qualify for Continuing Professional Education (CPE) credit?
No. By passing a timed designation exam, you will only receive credit within our program. If you purchased a self-study product and need CPE credit for the course as well, you must complete a separate CPE exam, taken at www.cpenow.com.[top]
- How
do I access a National Institute exam?
To take an
exam, you log on to www.niepe.org,
click on "Take an Exam," and then choose the program
in which you are enrolled. On the next screen that appears, click
on the appropriate course title, then enter the authorization
code that has been issued to you by the National Institute. (Please
be sure to include the course acronym, i.e. GATE, when entering
the code. Example: GATE3019480). Please note that an authorization
code must be obtained prior to taking the exam in order to be
allowed access to the exam on the site. [top]
- I
have an AOL (America Online) browser. Will this affect my exam
in any way?
It is strongly
recommended that the AOL browser not be used when taking a National
Institute exam. The exams work best when taken on a current version
of Internet Explorer. If you have questions, please call the National
Institute at (610) 688-4574. [top]
- How
do I obtain an authorization code?
For live seminars, codes are
only issued after proof of seminar attendance is submitted to
the National Institute. You may either submit an attendance form
that was signed by the discussion leader at the seminar or a certificate
from the state CPA society verifying your attendance. An exam
must be successfully completed within one year of the date of
the seminar.
In the case
of an individually purchased self-study product, the candidate
must contact the National Institute when he or she is ready to
take the exam. The National Institute will then issue a code.
Again, an exam must be completed within one year of the self-study
product purchase date.
For those
who have purchased a self-study designation package, all coursework
and exams must be completed within eighteen months of the purchase
date. Candidates should call the National Institute when they
are ready to take an exam. [top]
- I
purchased a self-study course and I received a serial number with my order. Will
I be able to access designation exams with this number?
No. The serial number
will enable you to access your self-study materials and CPE exam. The designation exam program will not
recognize this number if you attempt to use it to log on to a timed
designation exam. The only number that is valid is the one that is assigned
to you from the National Institute. [top]
- Can
I access an exam using my National Institute identification number?
No. The only
number that is valid for exam access is your exam authorization code, which is unique for each test.
- Is
an authorization code valid for one person only?
Yes. Each
individual must get his or her own code for each course, and the
code is good for one test. [top]
- Can
I take the exam again if I do not pass it the first time?
You may take
an exam as many times necessary to pass it; however, a new code
is needed for each attempt and a $30 fee must be paid in order
to obtain it. Please note that the test must be passed by the deadline date. [top]
- What
if I lose power or my Internet connection while I am taking the
exam?
If you are
disconnected while taking an exam, make sure your computer is
completely out of the Internet. You can click on the "Back"
button at the top of the screen until you are completely out of
our site, then close out of the Internet completely. When you are
ready to resume testing, go back into our website, follow the
same instructions and enter the same code and the system should
bring you back to where you were when it was disconnected. [top]
- Will
I be informed of my test results immediately after completing
the exam?
Yes. As soon
as you finish your last question, the system calculates your score
and it appears on the screen. The results are also automatically
transmitted into the National Institute’s records. [top]
-
Will I be allowed to see which questions I missed?
No. In order
to protect the integrity of the exams, incorrect entries and correct
answers will not be made available to the public. [top]
-
Will the National Institute send me verification
of my score for each exam?
No. If
you need such verification, you may request it from one of our
representatives. The National Institute does not automatically
issue grade verification. [top]
- How
do I contact the National Institute?
