Revalidation
What is revalidation and why is it important?
It is recognised as good practice to remain up to date with the latest policies, advice and techniques. Revalidation encourages Animal Health Paraprofessionals and Certifying Officers to refresh their knowledge on a regular basis in response to legislation and procedures that are constantly changing.
Online training
The revalidation training can be accessed via your Personal Training Dashboard once you have logged in and enrolled on your revalidation course.
You must complete a short pre-course self-evaluation and will then have unrestricted access to the course materials on Moodle (the learning management system), even when you have completed the course and passed the exam. You may access the training in your own time and it does not have to be completed in one go.
The online course supplies the most up-to-date information, alongside a number of quizzes and exercises to complete. Links to useful websites and documents are provided to enhance your learning further through extra reading.
Support is available for any candidate who needs it – either email your query to enquiries@improve-ahp.com or phone the Improve team on 0330 202 0380 and we will be happy to help.
Everyone studies at their own pace, but the ATT revalidation course, the CSO revalidation course and the FCCO revalidation course each equate to six hours of CPD.
Online exam
Once you have completed the online training, you must the complete a short post-course self-evaluation and nominate an invigilator before proceeding to the online exam. The post-course self-evaluation, invigilator nomination and link to the online exam can all be found on your Personal Training Dashboard.
- Your invigilator for the ATT revalidation exam must be a vet, a doctor or a lawyer.
- For the CSO revalidation exam your invigilator must be a vet, a doctor, a lawyer or a Food Competent Certifying Officer (FCCO).
- For the FCCO revalidation exam, your invigilator must be an FCCO, a vet, a doctor or a lawyer.
Both the candidate and invigilator will be required to sign the disclaimer and give their professional membership number before the online exam takes place.
Your online exam can be taken at a time that is convenient for both you and your invigilator. It will comprise of ten multiple choice questions, to be answered within 30 minutes.
Please click here for information on remote invigilation via screenshare.
If you fail the exam, you have two opportunities to retake it. The retake fee is £49 + VAT. Two weeks are allowed for further study; you will not have access to resit the exam until after these two weeks have passed. If you fail the exam three times, your status will be revoked and you will have to take and pass the full course (including the Practical Assessment in the case of the OCQ(AHP) - ATT) to regain your status.
Final declarations
At the end of the process, when all other sections on your training details page are marked as ‘No action required’, you are required to tick the ‘Final declarations’ to complete your revalidation.
For ATT revalidation, you will be asked to confirm that:
| ✅ | You have tested at least 30 cattle in the current revalidation cycle. |
| ✅ | You have successfully passed a TB testing audit by either a VDP auditor or an APHA vet in this revalidation cycle. (If this is your first revalidation, this must be in addition to the six-month on-farm audit by your AVS.) |
| ✅ | You have checked that your personal contact details, including your unique email address, are up to date and that you have been receiving AHP communications. |
| ✅ | The details of your AVS and their deputies are up to date on your Personal Training Dashboard and that you will continue to update this information when required. |
| ✅ | Your signature is uploaded and is both clear and correct. (You can check your signature by downloading a certificate of authorisation. If you need to update your signature you can replace the one you originally uploaded by going to the 'update details' section when logged in.) |
| ✅ | You undertake to notify APHA of any changes in your circumstances that may compromise your role as an ATT. |
For CSO revalidation, you will be asked to confirm that:
| ✅ | You have checked that your personal contact details, including your unique email address, are up to date and you are receiving email communications related to your qualification. |
| ✅ | Your signature is uploaded and is both clear and correct. (You can check your signature by downloading a certificate of authorisation. If you need to update your signature you can replace the one you originally uploaded by going to the 'Update details' section.) |
| ✅ | You undertake to notify APHA of any changes in your circumstances that may compromise your role as a CSO. |
| ✅ | You consider that your knowledge of your legal and professional responsibilities is current. |
For FCCO revalidation, you will be asked to confirm that:
| ✅ | You have checked that your personal contact details, including your unique email address, are up to date and you are receiving email communications related to your qualification. |
| ✅ | Your signature is uploaded and is both clear and correct. (You can check your signature by downloading a certificate of authorisation. If you need to update your signature you can replace the one you originally uploaded by going to the 'Update details' section.) |
| ✅ | You undertake to notify APHA of any changes in your circumstances that may compromise your role as an FCCO. |
| ✅ | You consider that your knowledge of your legal and professional responsibilities is current. |
Frequently Asked Questions
Will Improve send me reminders so I know when my revalidation is due?
Yes, we will send all AHPs and COs regular reminder emails about revalidation, starting six months before the revalidation due date. It is your responsibility to ensure that all your registered information is kept up to date, including your unique personal email address, in order to receive the reminders. Please monitor your email address and check that emails from enquiries@improve-ahp.com are not being diverted to your spam folder. You will also receive status updates every six months. These will tell you when each of your qualifications is due for revalidation.
How do I revalidate?
Please log in to your Personal Training Dashboard, then you can either click on the 'Revalidation' link on the left, or scroll down to the relevant course and click 'Enrolment for revalidation and revalidation information'. Once you pay you will gain access to course materials. (Please note that in order to enrol on the FCCO revalidation course, you will need an enrolment code from APHA. Please see Briefing Note 02/22, points 15 and 16 for further information.)
How much is it to revalidate?
Each OCQ(AHP) costs £99 plus VAT to revalidate. There is currently no charge for FCCO revalidation but FCCOs must contact APHA for an enrolment code. Please see Briefing Note 02/22, points 15 and 16 for further information.
What is the earliest date I can start the training?
You may enrol to revalidate at any time. You can complete your revalidation up to six months before the revalidation due date without changing your future revalidation date.
You will need to ensure you have enough time to complete ALL the requirements before your revalidation due date.
I am worried that I might forget to return to the course to complete the declarations. Will I still get reminders?
Yes. Revalidation reminders will continue until you have completed the final declarations.
Do I need to book time off work to do my revalidation?
Not necessarily. The training will all be online and can be accessed and studied at any time from anywhere; all you need is a computer with internet access.
How long is the revalidation training?
Whilst everyone studies at their own pace, the revalidation training is equivalent to six hours of CPD.
Why do I have to revalidate?
For these AHP and CO roles, the revalidation process is vital to support you and ensure that you are confident that your knowledge is up to date when you carry out an official function. The revalidation requirement also provides assurance that AHPs and COs are maintaining and continuously improving their competence and applying the same to their work.
What happens if I do not revalidate?
If you do not complete revalidation before your revalidation due date, your status will be automatically suspended. If this happens, you will be informed by email and you will then have six months to complete your revalidation before you are expired. You will not be allowed to use your qualification while suspended.
If you do not complete revalidation within the six months after your revalidation due date, your status will be expired. If this is the case, you will need to enrol on and pass the full course to regain it. If you wish to appeal against your status being expired, GB candidates should contact the CSC One Health OV Team (APHA) and NI candidates tradecertificationstandards@daera-ni.gov.uk, as the final decision rests with APHA/DAERA. If you are aware of any exceptional or mitigating circumstances, it is worth contacting APHA/DAERA as soon as possible to avoid the necessity to retrain.
I have decided not to revalidate my AHP qualification. How do I stop the reminders?
If you have decided not to revalidate, please follow the below instructions:
- Log in to your Personal Training Dashboard
- Find the relevant course on the 'Overview' page and click 'Details'
- On the 'Training details' page, locate the 'Revalidation' section
- Tick the box that is labelled 'If you DO NOT intend to revalidate this OCQ(AHP) when your revalidation is due, please check the box and click 'Update''
- Click the 'Update' button
This will stop the reminder emails and your AHP status for this qualification will be suspended and then expired once your revalidation due date has passed.
I have failed my revalidation exam. What happens now?
You have two opportunities to retake the exam. There is an enforced two-week study period between each exam/retake. If, during this time, your revalidation date has passed, you will be suspended until you pass the exam. Whilst suspended you must not use your qualification. If you fail on the third attempt, your status for your qualification will be revoked and you will be required to take and pass the full course to regain your authorisation. If you would like feedback from ISVPS before you retake the exam, please contact them via email: enquiries@isvps.org.
I was on my maternity leave/outside the UK during my revalidation due date. What do I do now?
Please contact APHA on 0208 026 1094 or via email CSC One Health OV Team (APHA) or tradecertificationstandards@daera-ni.gov.uk to discuss further actions.
I am going on maternity leave/will be working outside Great Britain over my revalidation due date. What do I do now?
There is nothing to stop you from doing your revalidation from outside the country or from home. Courses are easy to access; all you need is internet connection to complete your online learning. Provided you can fulfil all the requirements you can also enrol and revalidate early.
What if I’m late revalidating?
If you do not complete your revalidation by the due date, your status will be automatically suspended. You will then have six months to complete the revalidation course, online exam and all other requirements. While your status is suspended, you must not carry out any work for which the qualification is required. If your revalidation is not completed within six months of the missed deadline, your status will be expired and you will be required to complete the full course if you wish to regain your authorisation.
Can I appeal if my status is expired?
Yes, there will be an appeals process for those candidates who have a valid reason for not completing their revalidation.
Do I need to upload a certificate to confirm an APHA or VDP audit?
No, you are not required to upload a certificate. However, you will be asked to tick a declaration to confirm that an audit has taken place.
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