Regulations

Introduction

The Diploma in Advanced Concrete Technology is the premier award in concrete technology. Holders of the Diploma are eligible for corporate Membership of the Institute of Concrete Technology which entitles them to use the designation MICT after their names. A holder of the Diploma should be able to deal with any aspect of concrete technology from specification and materials selection through production, placing, testing and control to the diagnosis and treatment of defects. These regulations and the syllabus for the Diploma course and examinations are determined by the Advanced Concrete Technology Examinations Committee of the Institute of Concrete Technology. Course Centres are required to ensure that the Regulations are available to candidates at or before the start of the course.

Course of study

The distance learning programme requires a minimum of 1000 hours study. An essential part of the course is the individual project which is normally conducted in the candidate's own time, with the approval and encouragement of his/her employer and the guidance of a supervisor. Alternatively, candidates undertake 4 individual assignments which will be examined by the ICT Examiners.

Entry to the course

The course is intended for concrete technologists who hold a qualification in an appropriate branch of technology or science and who have spent at least four years in a responsible position concerned with concrete: production, construction, testing or research and development. The qualification required should be in engineering, architecture, building, chemistry, physics or other allied discipline and should be one of the following: a degree; membership of a professional institution; a certificate or diploma at higher technician level. Other candidates may be accepted if they have had more extensive experience in a position of responsibility in the field of concrete technology or construction and obtained credit grades in both papers of the Concrete Technology and Construction examination set by The Concrete Society/ICT. In all cases, acceptance for the course is determined by the ACT Admissions Committee. In exceptional cases the Committee will consider for admission candidates with qualifications other than those stated above.

Examinations

The examinations are normally held once a year and are conducted simultaneously at the examination centres. There are two written papers, each of three hours, taken on successive days. The same two papers are set for all candidates regardless of where they attend the course. The examinations are conducted in the English language; allowances for deficiencies in grammar and spelling will be made for candidates whose first language is not English.

The first paper deals with the more theoretical aspects of the subject, the second is directed more to practical matters. Each paper normally contains seven questions, of which four have to be answered. All questions carry equal marks: where a question is sub-divided the marks for each part are shown. The examiners reserve the right to include a compulsory question in either or both of the papers and to divide a paper into sections and limit (or specify) the number of questions to be answered from a section. Questions are set against the published syllabus for the course and are chosen to ensure wide coverage of the syllabus.

Individual project/assignments

Between the start of the course and the final examinations the candidate is required to carry out either an individual project or a number of individual assignments.

Project work is carried out under the guidance of a supervisor appointed by the course organisers. Detailed guidance is given to candidates when they are accepted on the course. A report on the project investigation must be submitted by the due date, which is normally two or three weeks after the written examinations. A candidate whose work on the project has been delayed, for good reason, may apply for an extension of time to complete the work. This extension may or may not be granted at the discretion of the ICT Examinations Committee. One copy of the project report will be retained by the ICT and may be made available on loan to members of the Institute and other enquirers. If required by the candidate, a project report will be treated as confidential to the examiners and members of the ICT Examinations Committee. The copyright of the report remains the property of the candidate.

As an alternative to the project candidates can elect to undertake four individual assignments on selected topics. The topics will be related to the application of concrete to reflect current issues and practices and will be sufficiently broad for a number of titles to be offered in each topic. Titles suggested by candidates which may be of particular interest to an individual will also be considered. Satisfactory contributions towards group assignments will be a prerequisite for being allowed to take this alternative route.

Examination results

The two written examination papers constitute one component of the Diploma examination and the other component is the project report or, alternatively, the 4 individual assignments. A candidate must pass both components before the Diploma can be awarded. There is a pass mark for each of the examination papers and for the aggregated mark of the two papers. A candidate may be referred in one or other of the components and will be given the opportunity either to re-sit the examinations or re-take the project. A candidate who fails the project component may be permitted to amend and re-submit the report or may be asked to undertake another project investigation. Since all papers are moderated, appeals are taken only on the grounds of illness of the candidate or maladministration.

Pass with distinction

The award of a PASS WITH DISTINCTION will be made by The Concrete Society/ICT to recognise outstanding achievement in the Diploma examinations and the individual project/assignments. The award is open to all candidates from any examination centre. To be eligible for the award candidates must complete the written examinations and submit the project report or individual assignments before a stated deadline. The Institute may, at its discretion, award any number of distinctions (or none) for any one examination. The award will take the form of a special Diploma Certificate. Recipients of the award will normally be notified with the examination results.