How do I tell you if I am unhappy?

At ACCA we are committed to providing excellent customer service at every possible opportunity.

As with all organisations, there may be rare occasions when our service falls below an acceptable standard.If this happens, please provide ACCA with full details of your complaint by following the instructions below.

"A complaint is any expression of dissatisfaction that requires a response, including those not resolved at initial contact or submitted without any prior response"

Students

  1. Visit our knowledge article
  2. Read the article
  3. Select 'Contact us' to raise a case
  4. Submit the case

Affiliates

  1. Visit our knowledge article
  2. Read the article
  3. Select 'Contact us' to raise a case
  4. Submit the case

Members

  1. Visit our knowledge article
  2. Read the article
  3. Select 'Contact us' to raise a case
  4. Submit the case

Joint Exam Scheme partner

  1. Visit our knowledge article
  2. Read the article
  3. Select 'Contact us' to raise a case
  4. Submit the case

Learning provider

  1. Visit our knowledge article
  2. Read the article
  3. Select 'Contact us' to raise a case
  4. Submit the case

Employer partner

  1. Visit our knowledge article
  2. Read the article
  3. Select 'Contact us' to raise a case
  4. Submit the case

Exemption accreditation partner

  1. Visit our knowledge article
  2. Read the article
  3. Select 'Contact us' to raise a case
  4. Submit the case

OD CBE partner

  1. Visit our knowledge article
  2. Read the article
  3. Select 'Contact us' to raise a case
  4. Submit the case

Our ACCA team will review your complaint internally and provide a response.

Please provide your full name and ACCA registration number in your email.

If your enquiry relates to something other than a complaint, it will be re-routed to the appropriate department, which may lead to a delay in any response being provided.

Tell us about a privacy related problem

We want to make it as easy as possible for you to tell us if you have concerns about how your personal information has been handled. Contact the Privacy Office directly so we can review your situation and support you.

If something happens at the exam centre that affects my performance, can I make a complaint?

ACCA makes every effort to ensure that you sit the exams in the best conditions possible. However, should you need to make a complaint, please contact the exam supervisor during the exam in order that everything possible can be done to rectify the situation.

If you feel that the situation has affected your exam performance, please inform ACCA directly by submitting details of your complaint via your MyACCA portal.

You must complete your complaint on your myACCA account with relevant details by the deadline date for the exam session, in order for the situation to be investigated and taken into account in the results process.

How to submit an exam centre complaint from MyACCA

  • Video transcript

    [00:04]

    Welcome to this short video where we will take a look at centre complaints. In this video today, we will cover. Why you would submit a centre complaint. What the process involves and how to do it step by step.

    [00:11]

    We in ACCA make every effort to ensure you sit the exams in the best conditions possible.

    [00:21]

    We recommend that wherever possible, you speak to the centre's team on site to highlight any issues or concerns in the first instance.

    [00:27]

    If you feel that the conditions in which you have set your exam have affected your performance, you can let us know by submitting a centre complaint.

    [00:36]

    This must be submitted by the deadline, which you can find on our website.

    [00:50]

    You can submit your centre complaint through the my ACCA section of your portal. Please note that ACCA are not responsible for providing clocks or on site parking at the exam venue. Also, that your exam venue may change from a previous exam sitting.

    [01:07]

    ACCA reserves the right to make changes to the venue and location, each exam session as per the terms and conditions of exam entry.

    [01:17]

    Let's see what submitting a centre complaint would look like.

    [01:21]

    Once you've logged in to your My ACCA portal, scroll down and select help to access our knowledge base, where you'll find all the guidance you need.

    [01:33]

    Choose I'm a student

    [01:38]

    Then select exams.

    [01:42]

    Followed by exam experience. Next, choose exam venue complaint.

    [01:48]

    And then complaint about your exam centre.

    [01:52]

    Here you'll find all the information you need to raise a complaint about an exam centre.

    [01:58]

    Select the qualifications drop down menu, then choose qualification progress.

    [02:04]

    Scroll down to exam support.

    [02:08]

    Then choose centre complaints.

    [02:13]

    After reading the additional information, you can fill in the form.

    [02:19]

    Clicking on sitting will open up a drop down menu with all the exam papers you have sat that period.

    [02:25]

    From those, you can choose which of them you are referencing in your complaint.

    [02:31]

    Then you can proceed to fill out the complaint field with the details of your complaint. Ensure all key details and descriptions are included in your submission wherever possible, but please keep in mind that the character count on the form is 1000 characters.

    [02:46]

    You will only be able to submit the complaint if you are under the character limit. Then, clicking on the category field, will open up another dropdown menu. Here you can choose the category of your complaint, such as noise, temperature or lighting complaints, invigilator experiences, delays starting or during the exam, unforeseen experiences, exam environment related complaints, or other.

    [03:17]

    After you click on submit.

    [03:20]

    This is the confirmation message that you will see.

    [03:24]

    You'll also receive an acknowledgement within a few minutes.

    [03:32]

    The result of your centre complaint is final, and there is no appeal process. In this video today, we covered. Why you would submit a centre complaint, what the process involves, and how to do it, step by step.

    [03:44]

    Thank you for watching this video.

What happens if I have attended my examinations but it has been affected by illness or other factors, such as technical issues?

If you have experienced difficult circumstances that you feel have affected your exam performance, you can let us know by following the mitigating circumstances process. 

For more information on this, please visit our students FAQs on exams page.

Unhappy with your result?

ACCA undertakes many checks and controls during the marking process to ensure that all exam results are accurate.

A series of independent checks are carried out during the marking process to verify that data returned to ACCA by markers is correct.

Should I apply for an administrative review?

The quality controls applied at each stage of the marking process ensure the integrity of ACCA's results data. However, ACCA recognises that students may sometimes feel that their results do not reflect their perceived performance in the exam. In response to this, you can request an administrative review of your results if you:

  • receive an absent mark but you were present at the exam and submitted an exam paper
  • were not present at an exam but received a mark for your paper
  • feel that ACCA's quality controls have not been applied properly in arriving at your mark.

If you would like to request an administrative review you can submit your request and pay the relevant fee using our online service at myACCA.

See further information about the Administrative Review.

How long will it take to resolve my complaint?

ACCA aims to respond to all complaints within 10 working days. If your complaint is more complex, it may take more than 10 working days to resolve. If this happens, we will keep you informed throughout the entire process. Please note, these timescales do not apply to the Centre Complaints process. If submitting a Centre Complaint we will acknowledge your concerns via email advising of the next steps. 

If you have exhausted the ACCA complaints process and you are not satisfied with the outcome then you may escalate your complaint to the appropriate regulator. The role of our regulators is not to overturn decisions made by ACCA but to ensure that we have followed our policies and procedures when handling your complaint. 

ACCA is regulated by a number of regulatory authorities and the table below provides a summary of regulators and the ACCA qualifications they regulate.

Swipe to view table

Regulator Qualifications regulated Will consider complaints from
Financial Reporting Council ACCA Qualification – all levels All customers of the regulated qualifications
SQA Accreditation 

ACCA Qualification – all levels

Foundation-level qualifications

Professional Diploma in Sustainability

 All UK customers of qualifications accredited by SQA Accreditation
Ofqual

ACCA Qualification – applied knowledge level

Foundation-level qualifications

 All customers of the regulated qualifications (except those in Wales, Northern Ireland, and Scotland)
Qualification Wales

ACCA Qualification – applied knowledge level

Foundation-level qualifications

 All customers of the regulated qualifications in Wales 
CCEA Regulation

ACCA Qualification – applied knowledge level

Foundation-level qualifications

 All customers of the regulated qualifications in Northern Ireland

If you have exhausted the ACCA Complaints process and want to escalate your complaint, please refer to the regulator details below for how and when it is appropriate to do so.

Financial Reporting Council (FRC)

Complaints to FRC should only be raised when you have exhausted ACCA’s internal complaints process first. In event you contact FRC too early in the process, they will refer you back to ACCA, delaying the resolution of your issue.

ACCA is regulated by the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) in the UK. Customers who wish to contact the FRC regarding a complaint relating to the ACCA Qualification can do so using the following details:

Email: Complaints@frc.org.uk
Telephone: 020 7492 2497

Or in writing to:

13th Floor
1 Harbour Exchange Square
London
E14 9GE

Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) Accreditation

The ACCA Qualification and foundation-level qualifications are recognised on the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) and are regulated by SQA Accreditation. To be eligible for the ACCA Qualification and foundation-level qualifications accredited by SQA Accreditation, you must be resident in Scotland at any point prior to completion of the qualification. The Professional Diploma in Sustainability is recognised on the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) and is regulated by SQA Accreditation and to be eligible for the accredited qualification you must be resident in the UK when you register for the Professional Diploma in Sustainability exam. Customers who wish to contact SQA Accreditation regarding a complaint relating to these qualifications can do so using the following details:

Email: accreditation@sqa.org.uk
Telephone: 0345 213 5249
Fax: 0345 213 5011

Or in writing to:

SQA Accreditation
Scottish Qualifications Authority
The Optima Building
58 Robertson Street
Glasgow
G2 8DQ

Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual)

Our foundation-level qualifications are recognised on the Regulated Qualifications Framework (RQF) and regulated by Ofqual. Customers who wish to contact Ofqual regarding a complaint relating to a foundation-level qualification can do so using the following details:

Email: public.enquiries@ofqual.gov.uk
Telephone: 0300 303 3344 

Or in writing to:

Complaints
Ofqual
Earlsdon Park
53-55 Butts Lane
Coventry
CV1 3BH

The phone line is open on weekdays from 9am to 5pm.

Qualifications Wales

Our foundation-level qualifications are recognised on the Credit and Qualifications Framework for Wales and are regulated by Qualifications Wales. Customers who wish to contact Qualifications Wales regarding a complaint relating to a foundation-level qualification can do so using the following details:

Email the following address and title your email “Complaint”:

contact@qualificationswales.org

Or in writing to:

Qualifications Wales
Q2 Building
Pencarn Lane
Imperial Park
Coedkernew
Newport
NP10 8AR

Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment (CCEA) Regulation

Our foundation-level qualifications are recognised on the Regulated Qualifications Framework and regulated by CCEA Regulation. Customers who wish to contact CCEA Regulation regarding a complaint relating to a foundation-level qualification can do so using the following details:

Email: ccearegulation@ccea.org.uk
Telephone: 028 9026 1200

Or in writing to:

CCEA Regulation
29 Clarendon Road
Clarendon Dock
Belfast
BT1 3BG

Public Accountants and Auditors Board (PAAB)

In Zimbabwe, the Public Accountants and Auditors Act 1996 (as amended in 2015) authorises the Public Accountants and Auditors Board (PAAB) to be the regulatory and standard-setting body for all auditors and professional accountancy organisations (PAOs) that regulate auditors.

Any charges of improper conduct or complaints that relate to the regulation of the accountancy profession in Zimbabwe are dealt with by the PAAB.

Telephone: 00 263 4 301 063

Or in writing to:

Public Accountants and Auditors Board
72 Harare Drive
Northwood
Mt Pleasant
Harare
Zimbabwe
Website: www.paab.org.zw

Can I have guarantees this won’t happen again?

Your feedback helps us to identify opportunities to improve the service we provide. Steps will be put in place to ensure that you or any of our customers do not encounter a similar situation.