Trainee solicitors – including those who have been furloughed – are now able to qualify in full, digitally. This is the first time individuals can qualify for the PSC entirely online, supported by the online FSB exam.
Legal training provider, BARBRI Altior has announced the launch of its online Financial and Business Skills (FBS) exam for the very first time today.
This compulsory Professional Skills Course (PSC) written exam was previously only available in face-to-face environments for security and regulatory reasons. However, BARBRI Altior has been working alongside the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) in recent weeks to identify an effective alternative for this exam during the coronavirus pandemic and beyond.
Following on from its successful pilot scheme in April, the training provider will be including the FBS exam via an online proctoring system. This means trainees will be able to fully qualify for the PSC digitally with Altior for the very first time.
Jody Tranter, head of BARBRI Altior said:
“We’re thrilled to be able to announce the launch of our online FBS exam. We’ve been working closely with the SRA over the past few weeks to identify the most secure and effective way to introduce this digitally, whilst maintaining the integrity and security of the assessment and the experience for the delegate.
“Given our experience with online delivery to date, digitising this exam was a natural development for us and ensures that delegates can complete all of their PSC training and assessment as planned and in line with their training contract deadlines.”
Launched in 2018, BARBRI Altior’s Live Online platform has supported over 250 firms to take their learning online. The platform offers technical functionality to ensure that learners are fully supported, including the ability to ask questions and revisit course materials and recordings at any time. By taking all of its courses online in the height of the coronavirus pandemic where more professionals are working remotely than ever before, demand has increased for online learning and is likely continue to grow.
This will be welcome news for firms and individuals looking to complete their training contracts during lockdown, especially trainees solicitors who are currently in furlough. As Tranter explained:
“For trainee solicitors that have been furloughed, it seemed like a very real possibility that progress would be halted during this time.
“However, with Government legislation stating that furloughed employees are able to undertake training, we encourage those in this position to reconsider an online approach – where possible and financially viable – to ensure qualification in their ideal timeframe.”
BARBRI Altior has a number of exam dates scheduled in the coming weeks/months and is working closely with its clients and delegates to ensure that training is not compromised due to any financial constraints at this time.
For more information, please visit the BARBRI Altior website.
