Compulsory questions to stay on BII NCPLH

Compulsory questions are to stay as part of England and Wales' most popular exam for licensees - despite the BII losing its battle over the specifications for the National Certificate for Personal Licence Holders (NCPLH).

A revamped BII NCPLH, launched today (Thursday), reduces the number of compulsory questions from eight to five to create what BII Awarding Body director Cathie Smith describes as "a less intimidating examination".

But, following research among training centres and worries that certain local authorities and police forces would withdraw their preference for the BII qualification over its rivals, the mandatory section of the paper, on which candidates must get 100 per cent right or fail, stays.

The BII has always claimed that the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority's (QCA) original specifications for the NCPLH, on which its exam is based, insisted on compulsory questions to cover the key legal demands on licensees of the 2003 Licensing Act.

After two rival awarding bodies, the Confederation of Professional Licensees and the Graded Qualifications Alliance, had their exams cleared by the QCA despite not having compulsory sections the BII fought to clarify the rules in its favour.

But last autumn, when the QCA's review approved the way the NCPLH was working, the BII abandoned its battle.

"You could say we have come to terms with the situation," said Ms Smith.

There was the possibility, she admitted, that the BII would fall into line and ditch the compulsory section. "But our research has shown that trainers see it as a positive when they are marketing our exam.

"It supports due diligence and duty of care, most pubcos require new licensees to take the BII qualification and police and local authorities are, overall, in favour of compulsory questions."

In the BII's revised NCPLH exam three of the five compulsory questions will cover underage sales, underage alcohol consumption and sales to drunks while the other two will home in on issues around the licensing objectives and other key areas.

Some 180,000 people have passed the BII NCPLH, amounting to around 85 per cent of the market.

- The BII has also launched a new six-month provisional membership grade for anyone who passes its NCPLH exam.