FAQs

New to CLTI

Which STEP/CLTI qualification should I take?

STEP Certificates are open entry qualifications, designed for professionals in the early stages of their career who are looking for an introduction to a specialist topic, or experienced professionals wanting to develop a broader knowledge. All qualifications are standalone and may provide credits towards membership of STEP. These are set at level 4 on the UK qualifications framework.

STEP Advanced Certificates are qualifications with an entry criteria. They are designed for practitioners with more experience and 60 Entry Level credits, who would like to expand their knowledge of a specific subject and/or work towards obtaining a Diploma level qualification. 

The STEP Diploma is for those who wish to complete four STEP Advanced Certificate papers and obtain the knowledge that STEP would require a Full STEP Member to have. 

The STEP Postgraduate Diploma is for experienced practitioners and senior leaders looking to widen their business portfolio and expand their client base, as well as ambitious professionals in the early to mid-stages of their career who aspire to become business leaders and develop their strategic understanding and risk assessment ability.

CPD Learning are open entry courses for those who are looking for on-demand learning which focuses on technical and non-technical subjects across all practice areas.

 

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How are STEP/CLTI qualifications recognised?

STEP/CLTI qualifications are recognised, benchmarked qualifications used by regulators and education authorities. 

STEP qualifications are awarded at:
Certificate level (assessed at level 4)
Advanced Certificate and Diploma level (assessed at level 6)
Professional Postgraduate level (assessed at level 7) 

CLTI qualifications are awarded at:
Certificate level (assessed at level 3)
Advanced Certificate and Diploma level (assessed at level 4)

STEP are the awarding body for the STEP qualifications and many of the qualifications are awarded in association with Alliance Manchester Business School, the University of Manchester. 

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How much do STEP/CLTI qualifications cost?

To find out our course fees, please visit the course finder and select the course you are interested in. The course fee will be displayed there.  


We accept payment in GBP and also HKD and SGD for specific courses.

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How can I pay my course fees?

When enrolling onto the course online, you will be given the option to pay the fee upon the submission of your application. If your employer is funding your studies, you will be given the option for your employer to be invoiced for the fee. Your employer will then have 30 days to make payment upon receipt of the invoice. There are several payment methods available to your employer, such as using the PayNow link provided on the invoice where a card payment can be made, BACS transfer, or payment over the telephone with a card. 

If you are self-funding your studies, you will be able to set up an instalment plan where you can spread the payments over a few months, depending on the course fee. The first payment would be made upon enrolment, and the remaining payments would be automatically taken on the dates specified on your invoice. 

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What if I change my mind?

You will have 10 working days after enrolling to change your mind and receive a full refund.  

If you change your mind, please contact our Learning Support team as soon as possible. Please refer to the booking terms and conditions for further details.

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Can I still enrol once the course has commenced?

There is some flexibility with accepting late enrolment applications and we would accept up to four weeks after the course start date has commenced, provided that no live teaching has taken place. Students would be expected to make up the missed study time. 

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Do CLTI/STEP courses contribute towards my CPD hours?

You will be able to obtain CPD hours from studying on the courses, for the live teaching sessions attended, and the examination.

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How do I enrol if my employer is paying for my course?

If your employer is funding your studies, please select this option on the online enrolment application and provide your employer's name, full address, authoriser's name and email address, as well as the finance contact's name and email address.

Please also provide a purchase order number if this is required by your employer and the VAT registration number. Once enrolled onto the course, the invoice will be sent to the finance contact and they will have 30 days to make payment using any of the various methods detailed on the invoice, such as card payment and BACS transfer. 

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How many intakes of courses do you have per year?

The majority of the courses have two sittings per year, starting in January, assessed in May, and starting in July, assessed in November. However, some courses fall outside of these sittings, such as the International Trust Management courses and Postgraduate Diploma.

For more information on the intakes, please go to the webpage for the course that you are interested in and view the course timetables, which will provide the specific dates for that course. 

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How do I pay my STEP membership?

Please contact STEP directly and they will be pleased to assist you further in paying your STEP membership fees.

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Do I need to have any formal qualifications to become a STEP member?

In order to become a STEP Student Member, previous formal qualifications are not required. Students just need to be enrolled onto a STEP Certificate qualification and STEP will contact them directly regarding membership within 6-8 weeks after the enrolment application has been processed.

To become a STEP Affiliate, Associate or Full Member, formal qualifications would be required. These qualifications could be prior qualifications, or beginning with STEP Certificates in order to obtain Entry Level credits.

To find out more about STEP Membership visit STEP's Website

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If I'm a STEP member, do I get a discount on courses/qualifications?

Discounts for Full STEP Members are available on a selection of the courses, including all STEP CPD courses, the STEP Certificate in Anti-Money Laundering and a selection of the STEP Advanced Certificate papers, including the Family Business Suite, Advising Vulnerable Clients, Cross-Border Estates and Trust Disputes.

Please see the course webpages that you are interested in to see if a Full STEP Member discount applies.

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Am I eligible to study?

CLTI and STEP CPD and Certificate courses are open-entry and therefore anyone is eligible to study.

CLTI Certificate in Funds and CLTI Advanced Certificate in Funds are open-entry and therefore anyone is eligible to study.

There is entry criteria for STEP Advanced Certificates, The STEP Diploma and STEP Postgraduate Diploma in Private Wealth Advice. Please visit our entry requirements page to find out more about what qualifications and experience you need in order to study for these qualifications.

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What is an enrolment window?

An enrolment window is the specific period during where you can enrol onto your chosen course, . Once this window closes, there may be some flexibility in joining the current course but typically you will be referred onto the next cohort. This window ensures that all participants have at least 6 weeks* before the scheduled tuition classes and then examination. 

The phrase "course content can be accessed from"* refers to the date and time when the materials and resources for the course become available to enrolled students. This includes all readings, assignments, discussion boards, and other learning resources. After this date, students can log in to the course platform and start engaging with the material.

*study hours are on the onus of the individual. 

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Learning with CLTI

What are the recommended study times for each course/qualification?

The recommended study time is four to six hours per week for the duration of the course, not including attendance to live teaching.

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What is the duration of the course?

CLTI Certificate: duration is three months, although students have 12 months' access to the course material, and can sit the examination at any point during this period. 

CLTI Advanced Certificate: duration is four months.

STEP Certificate and Advanced Certificate: duration is four months, with the exception of the STEP Advanced Certificate in Advising Vulnerable Clients, which is six months as delivered as two parts. The final intake for this paper will be the 2024 sitting.  

STEP Postgraduate Diploma: duration is six months. 

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How long do I have to complete the STEP Diploma?

Students have five years to complete the STEP Diploma and two years to complete each STEP Advanced Certificate paper. When studying continuously through the papers, students can complete within two years, and when studying multiple papers at a time, this can be even quicker. 

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Can I change my registered email address?

Yes, please email cltinternational@centlaw.com and we will change your registered email address for you.

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How can I download or print an accessible version of my course content?

Most courses have a screen-reader friendly, accessible PDF for you to download and print. Go to the 'Course Manual' section within 'My Courses' to download or print your course manual.

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What should I do to prepare for my live teaching session?

For the best experience, we recommend logging into your online learning platform, reading through the course modules, and referring to the guidance documents ahead of attending live teaching.
We would strongly recommend that you test your equipment to make sure you can log in to avoid any delays in accessing the session on the day. Check your device audio and microphone are working well and are enabled during the live session for the best experience.
Below is the link to a support video for the main software that we use.
Zoom user support video (Link: https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/201362283-Testing-computer-or-device-audio)

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What happens if I can’t attend one of my virtual classrooms?

We strongly recommend you attend all live teaching sessions to maximise your learning experience. If you are unable to attend, a recording of the session will be available on your course page within 24-48 hours.

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Can I contact my tutor for support or to get help with my assignment?

Yes, you can bring up queries in teaching sessions or send queries via email and they will be passed on. However please note that if you submit queries less than one week before the assessment, a response cannot be guaranteed ahead of the assessment.

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How should I format my assessment?

Assessments must be submitted in PDF or a compatible format. Assignments submitted in other formats (e.g., word submissions) will not be marked.

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Can I use Latin terms in my assessment?

Only use Latin terms where there is no real alternative as they are a ‘proper’ name or they convey a special meaning, e.g. donatio mortis causa, sui juris.

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When should I include a reference in my assignment?

You should include a citation (reference) whenever you use someone else’s work or ideas, and
when you paraphrase, quote, summarise or otherwise refer to or draw upon someone else’s work.
The main purpose of referencing is to identify the source you are relying on. This means the author, text, date and page number should be included. If this is a Web reference the date of access should also be included. Show the marker clearly where you found the source and include the date and time you accessed the source.

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What practices should I avoid in my assessment?

The following is a list of common errors found in assessment answers that should be avoided.
  • Typing the question out, or repeating the question
  • Long introductions
  • Irrelevance or ambiguity
  • Absence of authority, too much authority or irrelevant authority
  • Telling too much of the story of the cases you use for authority
  • Jumping to a conclusion
  • No conclusion or inappropriate conclusion
  • Illogical order, repeating information
  • Incoherent /lack of paragraphs or sentences
  • Inaccurate grammar – splitting infinitives; mixing singular and plural
  • Inappropriate tone, use of slang or jargon
  • Abbreviations without a full definition

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I don’t think that I can convert documents to .pdf format on my device. What should I do?

There are many different software options that you can choose from to create a .pdf file. If you have not already got .pdf converter software, you can obtain this free of charge online. We strongly recommend that you organise this prior to your assessment

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Can I decide to defer once I have seen the assessment paper?

No, once the assessment paper has been published you cannot defer to a future sitting.if you choose not to attempt the assessment or not submit your answer, you will be awarded a mark of 0 and your next attempt (provided you are within the permitted number) will be classed as a resit.

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How do I insert footnote references?

Microsoft Word has an inbuilt system that will allow you to insert footnotes.
  • Click where you want to include a reference (footnote) i.e., after the text that is a quote or paraphrase of someone else’s work.
  • On the ‘References’ tab select ‘Insert Footnote’
  • Enter the relevant information in the footnote.

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What is the maximum word count and is there a penalty for exceeding the word count?

The word count limit for your assignment is 3,500 words with a maximum of 4,000 words. 

Assignments that are less than 3,000 words are unlikely to contain sufficient details, and candidates are advised to take this into account before they submit. 

Penalties will be applied for exceeding the maximum word count:
* 1% to 50% over the specified word limit – 10% deduction.
* 50% over the specified word limit – the work will not be marked and a mark of zero will be recorded.

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When is the earliest I can submit my assignment?

The submission portal will be opened once the assignment is published, which is usually two months before the submission deadline.

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What is the deadline time for assignment submission?

The deadline is 23:55 UK time on the scheduled date for submission (submission deadline). Penalties for late submission will be imposed.
Answers submitted up to 5 days after the submission deadline will incur a 5% deduction penalty.
Answers submitted between 6-10 days after the submission deadline will incur an additional 2% deduction penalty per day.
Answers submitted more than 10 days after the submission deadline will not be accepted.

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What is a clerical check of result?

A clerical check of the mark awarded can be carried out on request. This involves a check of all procedures leading to the issue of the result, including a review of the candidate’s answer script to ensure the result issued is accurate and reflects the marks awarded by the examiner on the script.
If there were mitigating circumstances, there will be a check that these were taken into consideration. The candidate will not receive any additional feedback on their performance as part of the check.
The request must be received within four weeks of the release of the result and is free of charge

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What material will be assessed?

The entire syllabus is examinable and assessment questions may be set on material contained in any of the course materials provided to you.
Assessment questions will not be set on law that is less than six months old. You will not be penalised for basing your answer on law that is out of date if it is presented as the current position in the course material. Equally, you will not be penalised for referring to new legislation not covered in the course material in your assessment answers.
If you have any queries in relation to this, please contact us at cltinternational@centlaw.com.

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What is the minimum pass mark for my assignment/assessment?

STEP qualifications
The minimum mark for each individual assignment or exam is 50%. Any learner who does not achieve 50% in an individual assignment or exam will be marked as a fail. The learner must resit this individual assignment or exam at the next available opportunity.

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When will I receive my results?

Results are released as soon as reasonably possible following marking, moderation and approval of the results by the Examination Board (approximately six - eight weeks after the date of the examination/assignment submission). An automated results email will be sent to students.

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Will I receive feedback on my assessment?

Although personalised feedback is not a feature of the course, if you are struggling to understand where you may have missed available marks, please contact us and speak to our learner support team who will be able to provide a breakdown of the marks allocated to each question.
Candidates’ examination scripts will not be returned under any circumstances.
Please note that for students who are unsuccessful in their examination attempt, we do not offer remarks or arrange for the examiner to look at your script again. All scripts go through a stringent marking and review process before results are released. We do have an appeal process, but please note that any application for appeal must be based on one of the three stipulated appeal grounds, information on which can be found in the Appeals Policy located in the Policy Hub on the home page. Appeals will not be accepted on the grounds of dissatisfaction with your mark.

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What are the overall grade boundaries for my course?

Score Grade
70+ Distinction
60-69 Merit
50-59 Pass
Below 50 Fail
The STEP Diploma can be awarded at Pass, Merit and Distinction level. In order to achieve a Merit overall, you must achieve an average of 60% or more across the four papers, and to achieve a Distinction overall you must achieve an average of 70% or more. If you are exempt from one or two of the Diploma papers, then you may be awarded a Merit if you achieve an average of 60% or more across the two/three papers taken, or a Distinction if you achieve an average of 70% or more across the two/three papers taken.

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What happens if I fail an assessment?

For all STEP qualifications, a resit fee of £150.00 + VAT (if applicable) will apply. Students are permitted a maximum of two resits (three attempts) per course. If students wish to re-attend live teaching, an additional fee will apply.
For students enrolled onto the Certificate in Fund Administration, you will have three attempts at the examination included within the course fee, and can attempt the examination in your own time without informing us that you plan to sit.

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Can I defer my studies to a later sitting?

You can apply to defer to a later sitting. Students are permitted two deferrals for each qualification and must complete the paper within two years of enrolment. Please note that if you defer less than four weeks before an event such as a live teaching session or assessment, a deferral fee would apply.

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Can I see the answers to my multiple choice assessment after I have taken it?

Unfortunately, we are unable to tell you which questions you scored incorrectly – this is to protect the integrity of the question bank.

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When will I receive my certificate?

A certificate shall be issued to you, both via soft and hard copy within four to six weeks of the result date. When you have completed the STEP Diploma, you will also receive an overall completion certificate which shall be posted within six weeks of the release of your final result.

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Can I order a replacement Certificate?

There is a charge of £50 (+VAT where applicable) for this service. 

You should expect to receive your replacement certificate within approximately 21 working days of your payment (please allow extra time for delivery to an address outside the United Kingdom).

CLTI reserve the right to decline the issue of a replacement certificate. Should your application for a replacement certificate be declined the fee will be refunded in full to the card used for this transaction.

Order your replacement certificate

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Can I use a Chatbot?

Chatbots are a form of artificial intelligence (AI) that can generate detailed responses to requests for information. CLTi permits the use of chatbots only when used as a part of Learner research. However, chatbots can be unreliable, biased and may generate irrational responses. Therefore, extreme caution should be exercised if a chatbot is used as a research tool, and it is unacceptable to use a chatbot to attempt to generate the text for your assignment(s).
If any part of the text generated by a chatbot is used in any way, in work submitted to CLTi, it must be fully and correctly referenced. Be warned that a key part of your learning experience with CLTi is the requirement that you present your own original work in assessments. Large amounts of text, taken from any source, even if correctly referenced, will attract penalties since this provides no evidence of original work on your part.

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I do not want my details to show in the Membership Directory.

Please contact STEP directly at step@step.org and they will be pleased to assist you with your request to not show on their directory.

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Can I add my Membership Badge to my email signature or share on social media?

Yes, you will be able to add this provided that your STEP Membership is live.

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How do I renew my membership?

Please contact STEP directly at step@step.org and they will be pleased to assist you with your request to renew your STEP Membership.

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How many credits do I need to enrol onto the course?

STEP Certificate courses are open entry and no credits are required to enrol. Successful completion of a STEP Certificate course will result in 30 Entry Level credits.
STEP Advanced Certificates require applicants either to have obtained 60 Entry Level credits, or to be an existing Affiliate/Associate/Full Member of STEP.
Entry Level credits may be obtained by:
• completing one or more of STEP’s Entry Level Certificate(s), and/or
• applying for Accreditation of Prior Learning (APL). APL awards credits for your relevant prior qualification(s) and/or professional experience.

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How do I enrol onto the course?

To enrol, please select the webpage of the course that you wish to enrol onto, go to 'Book Course' and select the intake that you wish to enrol onto, add to your cart and then vew your cart. Once happy with the selection, proceed to checkout and create an account to enrol onto the course. Enter your details, how the course will be paid, and submit your application. Within a couple of days you will receive your booking confirmation email with access to the online learning hub, where the course materials will be found by the course start date.

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When will I receive access to course materials?

You will receive access to the course page once you have enrolled and the course materials will be live by your course start date for the intake that you have selected.

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What exemptions are available?

Exemptions are available for a maximum of two STEP Advanced Certificates studied as part of the STEP Diploma.  

An exemption may be available where you hold a qualification (or qualifications) that correlates very closely in both content and level to the STEP Advanced Certificate from which exemption is sought.

For more information about the criteria for exemptions and the application process, please read our Exemptions Policy.

The fee to apply for an exemption is £200 (plus local applicable taxes). 

To apply for an exemption please get in touch with us by completing the 'I am currently studying' contact form

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Can I purchase an academic transcript?

An academic transcript is an official record of a student's academic progress with CLTI

It will include details of all the units and modules you have taken and your results for each of the assessment elements.

There is a charge of £50 (+ local taxes where applicable) for this service for each programme you are requesting this for. If you require a transcript for more than one programme then you will be charged for each individual qualification.

Request an academic transcript 

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How do I request confirmation of my qualification or grade?

You can request proof of your STEP or CLTI qualification and grade. There is a charge of £50 (+VAT where applicable) for this service.

You will also need to complete a consent form when requesting this information.

Request confirmation of my qualification or grade

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How do I access my course for me/my team once I've paid?

If you have paid by credit/debit card or by invoice online and selected that you are the person studying, you will be automaically enrolled onto the course and will receive a welcome email with further details.

If you have been booked onto the course by someone else or have booked for several team members, you will need to self-enrol yourself/your colleagues within the learning platform by following the instructions here (you will also receive an email detailing these steps).

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Something wrong...

I can't access my live teaching session; what do I do?

All links to sessions can be found on your learning platform in the course area, in the relevant tab.
If you scroll down to the drop-down menu of the session that you are trying to find, for example 'Workshop 1', and open that drop-down menu, you will find the link to join the session. If you are still having trouble accessing your session, please try these access tips below:
Are you using a work device? Your work security software could be blocking the use of the Zoom website. Try logging in on a personal device. If you don't have a personal device, speak to your IT department and see if they can unblock our website or Zoom.
The recommended browser is Google Chrome – but our sessions will also work on Microsoft Edge or, if using a MacBook, Safari.
Use a laptop or desktop PC, preferably not a tablet or mobile device.
If possible, use a personal device to avoid any security software blocking the software.
Access the session outside of desktop virtualisation software such as Citrix, and without a VPN enabled.
Is your equipment working? Try watching the support video below to 'test your equipment':
Zoom user support video
If you are still having trouble, call the Learning Support team on +44 (0)121 362 7733.

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I am not happy with my result – can I appeal?

You can't automatically request for your assessment to be re-marked. If you wish to formally Appeal, you may do so in respect of the decisions of your final result and/or the feedback given on assessed work only; an Appeal may only be made within 20 working days of receipt of final grades for a qualification, and on grounds alleging one or more of the following:
1) That there exists, or existed, circumstances affecting the learner’s performance of which, for good reason, the Assessment Board may not have been made aware when the decision was taken, and which might have had a material effect on the decision. Learners who wish to appeal on such grounds must give credible and compelling reasons with supporting documentation explaining why this information was not made available prior to the decision being made.
2) That there had been a material administrative error or procedural irregularity in the assessment process or in putting into effect the regulations for the programme of study of such a nature as to cause significant doubt as to whether the decision might have been different if the error or irregularity had not occurred. Learners wishing to appeal on these grounds should present their appeal with evidence of the error or irregularity accompanying their claim.
3) That there is evidence of prejudice or bias or lack of proper assessment on the part of one or more of the examiners. Learners are not permitted to use these grounds simply because they are dissatisfied with their grade. Evidence of bias or lack of proper assessment must accompany their Appeal. An Appeal which questions the academic or professional judgement of those charged with the responsibility for assessing a learner’s academic performance or professional competence will not be permitted.
Should you wish to Appeal, it is important you read the full CLTi Appeal guidelines. All Appeals must be submitted using the Appeal form and appellants must make it clear which of the above grounds applies to their case. Appeals submitted without that information or supporting evidence will automatically be rejected.

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I wish to make a complaint

To make a complaint please contact us through this form: CLTI Contact us (cltint.com)

A member of staff will be in touch once the form has been received. 

You can review our complaints policy here 

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