- What is the IRATA Assessment?
- Assessor and his role.
- The structure of the IRATA Assessment day:
- the Candidate`s documents checking;
- TAC agreement and briefing;
- Theory Examination (for Level 3): rules, rights, process;
- Practical Assessment;
- Notifying Candidates about Assessment outcome;
- Receiving of TAF Yellow copy.
4. Useful links and Demo Exam.
What is the IRATA Assessment?
IRATA International defines it as “the method to assess the candidate’s knowledge, skill, and awareness of applicable Training, Assessment, and Certification Scheme (TACS) syllabus items”.
An Assessment consists of a theory knowledge awareness test or examination (the form depends on the Level that the Candidate is gaining) and a practical Assessment.
Assessor and his role on Assessment
Regarding TACS requirements, the Assessor, who is the IRATA-appointed person, conducts the assessment. His primary responsibility is to ensure that each Candidate performs the essential tasks in a safe manner, in accordance with the IRATA ‘TACS’. The Assessor shall not register, educate, or guide Candidates.
At the same time, the Assessor should make his or her instructions clear and not direct Candidates to perform tasks outside the current syllabus.
The structure of the IRATA Assessment Day
From the moment your Assessment starts, your trainer can no longer assist you with training or give you instruction, except for language translation if needed. Now the Assessor gets to work, providing you with all the steps of the exam.
First step: the Candidate`s documents are checked
You are required to have:
- Government-issued photo identification.
- IRATA Logbook (if you are upgrading or revalidating).
- A copy of your ‘Technician Assessment Form’ in case you are being re-assessed.
IRATA Conversion Approval Letter (for converting from another rope access system).
Second step: TAC agreement and briefing
As soon as the documents are checked, an Assessor must provide you with the ‘Terms and Conditions of the Assessment’. You will be able to read them on the reverse of your ‘Technician Assessment Form’.
An Assessor will ask you to sign the ‘Candidate Declaration’. And only if you agree to the terms and sign the document may you proceed with the Assessment.
The next action is a briefing from the Assessor. Its goal is to ensure your understanding of the Assessment process. You will be informed about
- a summary of the Assessment steps;
- the expected start and finish times, including any breaks;
- first aid, safety, and rescue plans;
- an explanation of the pass/fail Assessment criteria;
- the expectations and the rules for candidates;
- an explanation of the conditions that may lead to the early termination of an Assessment;
- how to submit a complaint.
Step 3: Theory Examination
Theory knowledge assessment concerns only Candidates for Level 3 technicians. The theory examination is delivered on the IRATA online platform. If the examination is not accessible online, the Assessor may use a paper examination.
You will have 10 questions and 30 minutes to complete the test.
The questions will be based on the IRATA ‘International Code of Practice’ (ICOP), the ‘TACS’, and IRATA safety publications. These are all documents you may learn about on the IRATA International website (https://irata.org/publications).
The Theory Examination has five different types of questions:
- True of False
- Multiple choice with a Single Answer
- Multiple choice with Multiple Answers
- Drag and Drop
- Drop down.
The Theory Examination rules
During this part of the examination, you must abide by the Theory Examination rules.
You must:
- follow the reasonable instructions of the Assessor;
- only converse with the Assessor or translator regarding the examination.
You must not:
- become involved in any misconduct, unfair or dishonest practice relating to the examination;
- sit an examination in the name of another candidate;
- have unauthorised material, personal items or aids in the examination room: mobile phones, ear phones, laptops and hand-held computers, and other; electronic devices, pagers, bags, books, revision notes, course materials, dictionaries, notepaper, pens and smart watches;
- have any unauthorised equipment in the examination which might give you an unfair advantage;
- talk to, attempt to communicate with or disturb other candidates once the theory examination has started;
- leave the examination room until dismissed by the Assessor;
- copy or remove any examination content or materials;
- disclose any information about the content of the examination, other than to IRATA or your Assessor.
Detailed rules are in the Guid, P.8
Level 1 and 2 Candidates, your Assessor will seek that you demonstrate an awareness of rope access principles and ask you questions that are relevant to your Assessment during the Practical Assessment.
Step 4: Practical Assessment
The practical part of the Assessment runs for all levels of technicians simultaneously, for Level 3 Candidates if the Theory Exam was successful.
During this part of the examination, you must abide by the next rules:
You must follow the reasonable instructions of the Assessor.
You must not:
- become involved in any misconduct, unfair or dishonest practice before, during or after the Assessment (see misconduct, below);
- perform the Assessment in the name of another candidate;
- unduly communicate with or disturb other candidates during the Assessment.
Before your practical Assessment starts you will be required to:
- Prepare and inspect your equipment;
- complete a buddy check;
- complete a series of practical manoeuvres to demonstrate your competency of required syllabus items;
- answer questions that are relevant to your Assessment.
Step 5: Notifying Candidates about the Assessment outcome
The outcome of your Assessment is dependent on your performance during the theory knowledge test (Levels 1 and 2), the theory examination (Level 3 only), and the practical Assessment (Levels 1, 2, and 3). Pass and fail criteria are described in the ‘TACS’, Section 9.3.6.
When you have completed the Assessment, the Assessor will conduct a debrief with you regarding your performance and your Assessment outcome. This may be carried out collectively as a group exercise or on an individual basis.
The debrief will include (where applicable):
- Your pass/fail outcome;
- if failed, an explanation of the reason(s);
- requirements and timeframe for Assessment at a lower level (e.g., downgrade);
- Re-Assessment requirements and timeframes;
- a response to technical queries you may have specifically regarding your Assessment.
Step 6: Receiving of TAF Yellow copy
You will be provided with a yellow copy of the completed ‘Technician Assessment Form’, which is an improvement to your Assessment results. It is valid for 60 days from the date of Assessment. During this period, you will receive your IRATA Certificate, ID card, and Logbook.
Useful links and extra opportunities
IRATA International gives you the opportunity to experience sitting the exam using the Demo Theory Examination (for Level 3 only). Following the link , you will find “Guide to Taking the Level 3 Technician Theory Exam” with exam details and rules, information about accessing the exam, question layout, demo questions, and even a summary of the attempt.
Candidate’s Guide to IRATA Assessments contains full details about the process, rules, and rights of Assessment Day. It is in the public domain through the following link: https://irata.org/downloads/21315.
THE NEW TACS V006 REVISION and Frequently Asked Questions you may read here.
Please contact us if you have any questions relating to assessment or training, or if you would like to complete the rope access technician training programme for IRATA Levels 1, 2 or 3.
