RAMA (SQP) Written and Oral Assessments, and supportive training
Online assessment
AMTRA assessments are now being done solely online. See below for the provisions relating to the written assessments, and for viva (oral) exams.
Written assessmentsOnline written assessments have been taking place since January 2021.
These bring major benefits for candidates and employers, including avoiding time away from home and work, avoiding travelling costs, and more flexibility about the way in which you sit your assessments, splitting modules to suit you and your work needs.
Full details of the process are in the "Candidate & Employer Guide to the Online AMTRA Assessments", but what follows summarises the key elements.
While the purpose and academic effort will be the same as a conventional exam, the way you prepare for and "sit" online assessments may be different to what you have experienced previously.
Each module assessment (Base, Companion Animal, Farm, Equine, Avian, Veterinary Nurse) will be made available on a specific date, at 10.30am. You will have to log in at that time and open the assessment. You will have a pre-defined time period during which to complete and upload your answer document.
When you take these open-book assessments, you should be sat alone in a room - at your home, or perhaps at work if it is a quiet environment. You will need to use an Internet-connected computer with Microsoft Word, and log in to the Harper Adams "Learning Hub", where you can view and upload your answers to the assessment. There will be a mix of multiple-choice questions, short-answer questions, essay-style questions, and problem-solving scenarios.
Written assessment dates
Each written module will take place on a particular day of the week, within each of the assessment weeks. See the full document "Candidate & Employer Guide to the Online AMTRA Assessments" if in any doubt.
Don’t forget that everyone needs to pass the viva (oral) exam as well as the written assessments relevant to their enrolment with AMTRA. See further down this page for more on the viva exams.
Assessment period
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Module(s) on this day
Base
Companion Animal and Veterinary Nurse
Equine
Farm Animal
Avian
Assessment period
1-5 March 2021
12-16 April 2021
24-28 May 2021
5-9 July 2021
Booking deadline
Deadline now passed
22 March 2021
4 May 2021
14 June 2021
Dates for the online vivas are given further down this page.
How to book your place
Please return the exam booking form to us.
On the form, make sure you include the date for each module you wish to book - don't forget to include the Base module as well as species module(s) if that's appropriate for you. And do include the viva (oral) exam if you're ready to book that too.
If you wish to spread out your modules over multiple assessment periods, that's fine, and there's no additional charge.
If you already know what you want to do when, you can book them all in one go even for different months, or you can book them individually as and when you're ready - it's up to you. Also, there's no requirement to do them in a particular order - whatever works best for you.
Online vivas
Online vivas are undertaken via Zoom, and can be booked now. There is no need to wait until the written exams - you can take the viva before the written exams and get it out of the way (or do it afterwards if you wish). Subject to certain conditions, the viva exam can be taken from home or work or any suitable location of your choosing.
To book your viva, please return the exam booking form.
Monday 8 March - now FULL
Monday 22 March - now FULL
Friday 9 April - now FULL
Tuesday 13 April - now FULL
Wednesday 14 April - now FULL
Monday 19 April - now FULL
Thursday 29 April (book by Wednesday 21 April)
Friday 21 May (book by Thursday 13 May)
Tuesday 1 June (book by Friday 21 May)
Friday 2 July (book by Thursday 24 June)
Monday 12 July (book by Friday 2 July)
Further dates will follow.
Demonstrating ongoing competency - CPD Asssessment
If you're looking for information about the "CPD Assessment" for those without enough CPD points, please see the CPD Assessment page.
Training providers
Note that AMTRA does not offer any assurances as to the quality or appropriateness of the training offered by any of the providers listed on this website: candidates should make their own checks. AMTRA welcomes feedback on the training providers, and reserves the right to remove a training provider from this website. Organisations or individuals wishing to be listed here should contact the AMTRA Secretary General.
Click here for Training ProvidersPlease also read our guidance on the qualification process for more information on exams.
In general exam bookings must be received by AMTRA an absolute minimum of 3 weeks prior to the exam date, but online vivas may be booked up to 6 business days before the exam (see booking deadlines, above).
Candidates with additional support needs who are seeking adjustments must notify Harper Adams at least 6 weeks in advance of the exam date.
The exam booking form can be found inside the front cover of your training manual, or on the forms page.
Exam timetables and available modules at each centre
The exams at each of the exam centres are timetabled in two ways, which may influence which modules you can sit:
Exam timetable 1Spread over two days: written exams are on the first afternoon and the second morning. The viva (oral) exams are in the afternoon of the second day. All modules including re-sits and upgrades are available at such venues.
Exam timetable 2A longer single day starting at 9am, with the Base, Equine and Companion modules normally to be sat. Alternatively the Veterinary Nurse module may be sat, along with one additional species module if wanted.
Because the written exams all take place in the morning, there is a practical time limit which restricts the possible modules that can be sat on the single-day timetable 2 - those wanting to become an R-RAMA or an EA-RAMA cannot sit all of their modules at such venues.
Re-sits and other mixtures of modules (including the farm animal module) are generally available but subject to a time restriction: please contact AMTRA to discuss if in any doubt. We will finalise the timetable 6 weeks in advance of an exam, and available options at your chosen venue may be reduced at that time - please book more than 6 weeks in advance if you can.
PLEASE NOTE that if no training course and/or exam is currently scheduled at a centre, then we hope to be able to announce a date at some point, but cannot guarantee that there will be a future date at that location. Training courses are organised by the col-2leges and partly driven by demand, so if you want to do a training course at a particular place, please contact them and let them know.
Individuals or businesses interested in training at other locations may also wish to contact Sally Harmer or Gill Williams - details at the bottom of this page.