Commercial Examinations

 The Society offers low cost examinations for students in developing countries. For further information, please contact Mrs Kathleen McKenzie: admin@commercialeducation.com.au

For overseas colleges interested in offering these exams, please find the necessary forms attached below.  Please view the file titled 'OFFICIAL EXAMINATION TIMETABLE 2021' and follow the steps listed.

CESA examinations are graded to provide for students at all stages up to Level 4. The Society also offers qualifying examinations for teachers. The details of Teachers' Diploma examinations are published in a separate handbook. The subjects dealt with here are at the student levels. They are:

- Business Financial

- Communication

- Keyboarding

- Database

- Spreadsheets

- Word Processing

- Office Practice

All examinations include Workplace Health & Safety. 

For further content information, please contact cesaus@bigpond.com 

These may consist of practical exercises, written short answers, structured questions, and case studies. In addition, supervisors will be required to report on each candidate's observance of occupational health and safety practices, the methods adopted by each candidate to minimise paper usage and, for computer operators, computer file management. For some subjects, supervisors will be required to observe and report on additional matters. Details of those additional matters appear in the separate syllabuses for the subjects concerned. The Society will send supervisors copies of the forms to be used for these reports. A separate report is to be completed for each candidate and attached to that candidate's worked papers before they are returned for assessment.

An examination schedule is prepared at the beginning of each academic year, and posted onto the Website. Copies are also available to any interested person upon request to the Society's office. The schedule will offer examinations progressively at various stages in grades likely to meet the standard reached by most students at that time of the year. Examinations must be held on the dates specified in the examination schedule.

Students who wish to sit for an examination at times other than those shown on the Society's examination schedule may apply to sit on a date of their own choosing. These are known as 'On Demand' examinations. At least twenty-one (21) days' notice must be given to the Society prior to conducting such examinations. On Demand examinations are subject to the same rules as ordinary examinations. The Society will co-operate in the provision of On Demand examinations in any reasonable circumstances.

Specifications are issued for all exams and may be obtained upon request to the Society's office or on the Website.

Generally, students may prepare for examination by studying any combination of resource materials relevant to the syllabus. The Society does make recommendations, but in view of the rapid changes in the availability of some books, and the production of new ones, it now publishes the list separately. This reference list is published on the Society's website, which contains details of useful websites giving access to relevant training resources. The website also contains Examination Specifications.

Teachers and trainers who wish to enter students for independent assessment should order the examinations they require on Form A containing the current prescribed fees and which is available from the Society or on the Website. The minimum order accepted is 10 papers for each subject and payment must be made at the time of ordering.

Names of candidates are not required when ordering papers. Candidates may not enter themselves for examination. The entry form must be signed and lodged by the person who agrees to act as a local examinations secretary, and accepts responsibility for conducting the examination.

Overseas entries may be paid for by bank draft in Australian currency or e-banking at Commonwealth Bank  BSB 062-005, Account Number 0000 1925. Local entries may be paid for by cheque or e-banking.

Entries close two (2) weeks before the advertised date of each examination except for Level 4 and On Demand examinations, of which 21 days' notice must be given.

For student-grade examinations, the Society has a no-refund policy, however requests for refunds may be considered by the council in extenuating circumstances.

Examinations are held at the school, college or other establishment from which the candidate is entered. The school, college or other establishment is then referred to as a CESA examination centre. The Society does not pay accommodation charges.

Each centre arranges its own supervision. Adult candidates studying privately may be required to provide their own venue. The examinations must be supervised by a person of standing, approved by the Society. That person must agree to act as the local examinations secretary for the receipt, custody and dispatch of the examination papers. The Society does not pay supervision or other fees to such persons. The Society reserves the right to send its own representative to participate in the supervision of any examination.

To expedite the delivery of examination papers, particularly overseas, one copy of the examination and all associated documents are sent by email where possible. The recipient then photocopies the required number of papers.

The Society may accept papers submitted by candidates who were not entered and paid for originally, but only if they are accompanied by payment when they are returned with the rest of the papers from the centre concerned.

• The examination environment shall be reasonably comfortable to allow candidates to perform at the best level possible, free from distraction. The room in which the examination is conducted shall be adequately lighted and ventilated, and desks shall be large enough to accommodate the candidate's equipment.
• Examination papers are to be opened in the presence of the candidates.
• Candidates are to put their full names in block letters on the top right-hand corner of each page, underlining their surname. The Society does not use examination numbers.
• When the time allowed for the examination expires, all work must cease except where printing is permitted after the end of the examination.
• The supervisor is to:
  
  1. instruct candidates to assemble their worked papers in correct numerical sequence
  2. enter the names of those candidates in alphabetical order on Form B
  3. sort the worked examination papers to match the list on Form B
  4. As Form B is used in the preparation of certificates, the information given must be clear and accurate.

• The supervisor is to complete the second page of Form B attesting to the proper conduct of the examination, and stating the date of the examination.
• The supervisor or local secretary of the examination must forward the worked papers and the completed two pages of Form B to the Society by the first post after the examination. The Society reserves the right to decline to mark any papers that are not posted by the first possible mail after the examination, that are not accompanied by a satisfactory attestation from the supervisor, or that do not comply with any of these by-laws.
• Requests for an Examiner's report must be forwarded with the worked papers and accompanied by the prescribed additional fee of $20.00 - see Form J.
• A photocopy of Form B, showing the Examiner's mark will be sent to the centre as soon as the results are received by the Society.
• Certificates will be prepared and forwarded to the centre.
• Applications for re-assessment, if required, must be made in the prescribed manner and lodged direct with the Examinations Administration Board.

Teachers may apply for a detailed report from the Examiner on the standard of the work submitted by their candidates, as a group. Teachers must apply when sending back the papers for assessment. Such applications must be accompanied by the prescribed fee of $20.00 - see Form J.

All successful candidates are awarded a certificate as evidence of their knowledge and proficiency in the subject of the examination. The results are usually available in one month or less from the date on which the papers are received for marking. Certificates are available at the earliest possible time after the results are issued, and usually in time for presentation at school or college prize-giving functions and speech nights. If certificates are required by a specific date, advice of this needs to be submitted to CESA at the time of sending the worked papers for marking. Results and certificates are sent only to the person who entered the candidates for examination and not to candidates.

Teachers may apply for a detailed report from the Examiner on the standard of the work submitted by their candidates as a group. Teachers must apply when sending back the papers for assessment. Such applications must be accompanied by the prescribed fee of $20.00 — see Form J.

Teachers or candidates who are dissatisfied with an assessment may lodge a request for a reconsideration of the result recorded. A separate fee of $20.00 is payable for this service — see Form H. Such requests are forwarded to the Examinations Administration Board, which will call upon the Examiner to re-mark the paper or papers and submit a report. The Board will then make a decision on the matter. Applications for re-assessment may be made after twenty-one (21) days from the date of the previous examination but no later than three (3) months after that date.