Professional Examination

 

UDD and the future

In 2007, The Institute of Quarrying signed a partnership agreement with the University of Derby to maintain the currency and relevance of teaching material supporting the distance learning course leading to the University of Derby Diploma in Quarry Technology (UDD).  In the same year, The Institute set the last Professional Examination, which qualification will be replaced by the UDD.

History

The Institute’s Professional Examination has been the standard academic qualification for entrance into the grade of Member (MIQ) since 1978. Prior to that it had been the requirement for entrance to the original grade of Associate Member since the examination was first introduced in 1947.

Between 1947 and 1973 the examination was taken by small numbers of candidates at centres arranged by the Institute. These candidates were in many cases self-prepared. Others may have benefited from coaching by senior managers or from attendance on courses such as those leading to City and Guilds awards.

In 1971, however, the Institute, along with the industry’s Training Board, helped establish the Doncaster Assisted Private Study Course in Quarrying and the first candidates prepared by this course sat the examination in 1974 at Doncaster College, although the majority of the first intake were candidates for the 1975 examination. From this time on it has been the standard practice for Doncaster to be the sole UK examination centre.

An examination syllabus introduced in 1972 consisted of five three-hour examination papers: Quarrying Operations, Quarry Engineering, Materials Processing, Safety and Legislation and Management) and the Professional Examination continued on this basis until 1994. During this period, Mature Candidates (those over the age of 38 years, with 10 years’ experience in the industry, of which five will have been in a position of managerial charge) were required to sit Quarry Operations only, subsequently Safety and Legislation only, and latterly both papers to qualify.

After a thorough revision of the examination in 1992 by a working party under the chairmanship of the then Chairman of the Education Committee, changes to the Professional Examination were introduced over a three-year period to establish the format which existed until 2007.

The Examination

The scheme required candidates prepared by the Doncaster Assisted Private Study Course to gain 12½ Credits to be awarded a pass in the Professional Examination. Credits are awarded in three stages: 1. At the end of the Foundation Course (2½) 2. At the end of the Intermediate Course (5) 3. At the end of the Professional Course (5)

Foundation Examination papers covered the introductory studies in: Mathematics, Engineering, Quarry Operations / Geology / Surveying

Intermediate Examination papers were: Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Quarry Operations (General), Quarry Operations (Crushing and screening), Materials and Materials Processing.

Professional Examination papers were: Quarry Engineering, Quarry Operations (General), Quarry Operations (Blasting), Health and Safety Legislation and Practice, and Business Management.

The pass mark in each subject was 45%, which could be achieved by gaining marks from the three-hour examinations which provided up to 70% of the total score and from course assignments which offered the opportunity to gain up to 30%.

Candidates with existing qualifications may have been granted exemption from one or more of the papers on a subject-for-subject basis.

Candidates were awarded a Pass if their total score was in the range 45-64, a Merit if 65-84 and a Distinction if 85 or over. Prizes were available for each of the examination subjects covered in the Intermediate and Professional courses.

Certificates were prepared and dispatched to successful Professional candidates by the Nottingham office. Doncaster College prepared Foundation and Intermediate certificates for approval and dispatch by the Institute.