Caught, Cancelled or Re-marked? How CDACC Handles Malpractice, Re-marking Requests and Appeals

6 min read

Results day at a training centre is never quiet. Some trainees celebrate. Some stare at a “Not Yet Competent” and feel sure the assessor got it wrong. And every series, a few find their results simply missing, cancelled for a malpractice they may or may not understand.

What happens next depends on one thing most trainees don’t know: CDACC runs three separate processes, and choosing the wrong one, or missing its deadline, ends your case before it starts.

In June 2025, TVET CDACC approved a new Assessment Malpractices, Remarking and Appeals Procedure. With the November/December series under way, here is what it says, in plain language.

Three processes, three different questions

The key distinction is between re-marking and appeal. Re-marking is about accuracy: you believe the marks don’t reflect what you wrote or did. An appeal is about fairness: you believe the procedure was not followed, you were treated unfairly, an administrative error affected you, or your results were cancelled.

Part 1: What counts as malpractice

The procedure lists common malpractices:

• having unauthorised materials, including phones and other electronic devices;
• collusion or impersonation;
• copying, or getting help from unauthorised sources;
• disruptive behaviour during the assessment;
• falsifying or altering documents; and
• any other act or omission by a candidate or an assessor during assessment.

That last line matters. The rules apply to assessors too, not only candidates.

If you are caught at the assessment centre

1. Your script or the evidence is confiscated and handed to the Chief Assessor.
2. The Chief Assessor fills in an incident report, and you are asked to countersign it.
3. With the centre manager’s approval, you may be told to leave the centre.
4. The evidence goes to CDACC’s Committee on Assessment Malpractices and Irregularities.
5. The committee can cancel that one exam, or cancel all your remaining exams in the series.

A practical point for trainees: read the incident report before you sign it. Your signature confirms the report was made, and you have the right to know exactly what it says.

If malpractice is found during marking

Some cases surface only at the marking centre, for example identical answers across scripts. Then the marker’s team lead reports it, a Quality Assurance team reviews it, and an investigation committee deliberates. That committee includes the head of the marking centre, the Deputy Director of Assessment, assessment and quality assurance officers, and a legal officer. Its recommendation goes to the CEO and then to the Council for a final decision. You learn the outcome through your centre when results are released.

Part 2: How to request re-marking

If you believe your score is wrong, submit a request through your assessment centre within 14 days of receiving your results. Attach:

• a completed Form RE-01;
• your ID and assessment details (centre code, course, unit code, series);
• a written statement explaining why you want re-marking; and
• proof of payment of the re-marking fee. The procedure does not state the amount, so ask your centre.

CDACC then gives your script to an independent assessor, who marks it strictly against the official assessor’s guide. The revised result should reach your centre within 14 days of CDACC receiving the request.

Three things every candidate must understand before applying:

• Your score can go up, stay the same, or go down.
• The re-marking decision is final. There is no appeal against it.
• A request that arrives after the 14 days will not be considered.

So re-mark when you have a real reason, not just disappointment. Ask your trainer to go through the unit with you first. If they agree something looks wrong, apply.

Part 3: How to appeal

You can appeal on four grounds:

1. Procedural irregularities: the assessment did not follow the set procedures.
2. Unfair treatment, discrimination or bias.
3. Administrative errors that affected your outcome.
4. Cancellation of your results.

The Form AA-01 also has a box for candidates with special needs to describe challenges they faced during assessment, an important route if reasonable support was not provided.

Submit through your centre within 14 days of receiving results, with Form AA-01, your details, a written statement and the prescribed fee. Your centre manager must endorse and stamp the form.

CDACC’s Assessment Department compiles the evidence: assessment reports, minutes and the reasons behind any cancellation. An Appeals Committee, always an odd number of members, examines it. The committee is led by the Director of Technical Services and includes the Deputy Director of Assessment, a legal officer and a quality assurance officer. Its report goes to the CEO, who communicates the decision within three months.

The outcome is either upheld, with corrections or a reassessment, or dismissed, so the original decision stands. Once the CEO approves it, the decision is final and binding.

The procedure also protects you: no candidate shall be penalised for submitting a genuine appeal, and every case is handled confidentially.

The timeline that matters

CDACC’s Service Charter commits to releasing results within 8 weeks of the last paper. From the day you receive yours, the 14-day clock starts for both re-marking and appeals. Two weeks pass quickly over a holiday break, so plan ahead:

• Collect your results as soon as they are released.
• Meet your trainer within the first week to review any unit you doubt.
• Submit before day 14, keeping copies and a payment receipt.

Advice for centre managers

• Brief candidates before the series on what counts as malpractice. The rule is about possession: a phone in a pocket counts, even if it is never used.
• Keep Forms RE-01 and AA-01 at the front office, and tell trainees the 14-day rule the day results come out.
• Forward requests to CDACC the same week they arrive. A late forward from the centre can sink a trainee’s valid case.
• Handle incident reports carefully. A clear, factual report protects both the candidate and the centre.

The bottom line

Malpractice can cost you a whole series. A re-marking request can cost you marks. An appeal can fix a real injustice, but only if you file it on the right grounds and on time. Know which process fits your situation, keep to the 14 days, and get your trainer’s honest opinion before you pay.

Key takeaways

• CDACC runs three separate processes: malpractice handling, re-marking, and appeals.
• Re-marking (Form RE-01) is about score accuracy; appeals (Form AA-01) are about fairness, procedure and cancellations.
• Both must be filed through your centre within 14 days of receiving results; late requests are not considered.
• Re-marked scores can go up or down, and the result is final.
• Malpractice can lead to cancellation of one exam or all remaining exams in the series.
• Appeal decisions come within three months and are final once approved by the CEO.

Source: TVET CDACC Assessment Malpractices, Remarking and Appeals Procedure (approved June 2025), Forms RE-01 and AA-01, and the TVET CDACC Customer Service Charter. Also read: RPL assessment under CDACC: rules, deadlines and pass marks.