IAA announces changes to the competence assessment process
The new arrangements will better support advisers, strengthen assurance of competence, and improve the applicant experience.
Following a recent tender exercise, the Immigration Advice Authority (IAA) is progressing a new contract for its competence assessment service; designed to better support advisers and candidates, strengthen assurance of competence, and improve the overall assessment experience.
What’s changing?
Key changes to the competence assessment process will include:
- assessment questions based on revised syllabuses, ensuring assessments better reflect the knowledge, skills and competence required for practice
- an enhanced assessment that includes an additional component covering the Code of Standards, ethics and professional behaviours, recognising the importance of conduct alongside technical competence
- moving the competence assessment to the start of the adviser application journey
- more frequent assessment opportunities, giving candidates greater flexibility and reducing waiting times
- a new assessment platform, providing an improved user experience for candidates
- replacing the resource book with access to approved whitelisted websites during the assessment
Changes to the application journey
In future, candidates wishing to join an IAA-regulated organisation as an adviser will be required to complete and pass the competence assessment before they can be added to that organisation’s application. Individuals seeking to establish their own immigration advice organisation will be required to pass the competence assessment before submitting an application for regulation.
The revised approach will create a clearer and more efficient application journey, enabling individuals to demonstrate the required level of competence before investing time in completing the full application process. Candidates who successfully pass the assessment will then be able to proceed with greater confidence and progress more efficiently through registration. The revised sequencing is intended to reduce delays, provide earlier certainty for candidates and organisations, and improve the overall applicant experience.
Timescales
The online competence assessment has been temporarily paused while the new arrangements are being implemented. Subject to the completion of the necessary arrangements and a number of dependencies outside of the IAA’s control, assessments are anticipated to resume from November 2026. Details of upcoming assessment dates and the timings for the changes to the application journey will be published on the IAA website as soon as they are confirmed.
We recognise how important this information is to advisers, candidates and organisations across the sector, and are working at pace to finalise the arrangements and confirm details as soon as possible.
What do candidates need to do?
Candidates planning to take Level 1, Level 2 and/or Level 3 assessments should review the new syllabuses and familiarise themselves with the revised assessment arrangements, as all assessments will be delivered under the new arrangements when they resume. Candidates who have already submitted an application will be contacted directly about the options available to them.
Resources and support for advisers and candidates
The new syllabuses, together with summaries of the key changes, have been published on the IAA website to clearly explain the updates and help candidates prepare for the revised assessment arrangements.
A series of webinars will be held to explain the new process and answer questions, with dates and registration details to be announced shortly.
Supporting information has been published to help advisers and candidates understand the changes and navigate the new arrangements.
Further information, including upcoming assessment dates, will be published shortly.