What are the BCI Good Practice Guidelines (GPG)?

It is the online exam that follows the CBCI 7.0 Certification Course. Passing it is what earns the Certificate of the BCI (CBCI), the CBCI post-nominals and BCI membership at CBCI grade. The BCI sets, runs and marks the exam. ADVOX delivers the course that prepares you for it.

The BCI designs the course and exam for professionals building strong foundations in business continuity and resilience, practitioners who want a recognised certification alongside their experience, and anyone whose role touches resilience, business continuity, crisis management or risk. To be eligible you must complete the whole CBCI course. The BCI does not allow candidates who miss part of it to sit the exam.

The exam is one paper of 90 multiple-choice questions in 90 minutes, and each question has one correct answer out of four. All six Professional Practices of the Good Practice Guidelines 7.0 are assessed, with equal marks for each. You need at least 63 correct answers to pass, and 77 or more to pass with merit. On the day, the proctor’s identity and workspace checks come first, so allow extra time before the 90 minutes begin.

You book it directly with the BCI, as the course and the exam are separate. After the BCI registers you, you receive an email from the exam provider and choose your own date and time in your exam account. You have 60 days from registration to take the exam, and that period cannot normally be extended. You can reschedule up to 48 hours before at no extra cost within the 60 days. The BCI does not cancel an exam once it is purchased. Rules and fees are the BCI’s, so its own listing prevails.

A desktop or laptop with a working webcam and a stable internet connection. The BCI does not support tablets or mobile phones. The exam is closed book and supervised live by a proctor, who checks your photo ID and your room. You sit it alone in a quiet private room, with no phone, second screen or headset in reach. Check your equipment well before the day with the provider’s own system requirements, because they take priority over any summary.

The BCI says you receive your result by email within about 30 minutes of finishing. It is not final until the BCI has verified it, which should take up to 4 weeks. If you pass, you receive an electronic PDF certificate and 12 months of free BCI membership at CBCI grade. You can then apply to move up to AMBCI, MBCI or FBCI, subject to evidence of your experience.

The BCI allows a re-sit after 30 days, and its learning team guides you through the re-sit and any fee. If you think your paper was scored wrongly, the BCI has an appeals process with a short deadline. Contact the BCI as soon as you receive your result, and read its Candidate Information Pack for the current rules.

The BCI’s Good Practice Guidelines (GPG) 7.0 is the study reference. The older 2018 edition is not enough. You study it on the course, then revise the six Professional Practices until you feel ready. The BCI also sells a 90-question Mock Exam for the CBCI 7.0 exam, with instant scoring, which you can retake as often as you like. How to get the GPG is covered in the FAQs.

ADVOX delivers the BCI’s CBCI 7.0 Certification Course as a 4-day online course, led by Nasim Choudhry, a BCI approved instructor. The course works through the six Professional Practices that the exam assesses, using the GPG 7.0. We recommend sitting the exam soon after the course, while the learning is fresh. The course supports your preparation but does not guarantee a result.

No. The CBCI exam fee is shown separately from the course price in the course listing above, and the exam is booked with the BCI. The BCI sets and may change its exam fees and arrangements, so its own listing prevails. If you are unsure how to register for your cohort, contact ADVOX before you book.

There are 90 multiple-choice questions in 90 minutes, which works out at about one minute per question. Each question has four options and one correct answer. Allow extra time before the 90 minutes begin for the proctor’s identity and room checks.

Yes. A PDF-based mock exam with 90 questions and answers is shared with delegates during the CBCI courses, so you can practise the exam format and check your knowledge before the real exam.

Yes. An online, automated 90-question Mock Exam for CBCI 7.0 is available to purchase directly from the BCI website: Mock Exam 7.0 - English | BCI. You have 90 minutes to complete it, you get an instant result showing whether you would have passed or failed, and you can pause or restart it at any time. Use the Good Practice Guidelines Edition 7.0 as the reference textbook. For further CBCI exam information, see Take the CBCI Exam - Get the credential to boost your business continuity and resilience career. | BCI.

The mock exam holds a bank of 90 questions, and you sit all 90 each time you attempt it. The order of the questions is randomised every time.

Yes. You receive a mark out of 90 each time you take the test.

At the end of the test you see the list of questions and whether each answer was correct or incorrect. The correct answers are not shown, so you are encouraged to study the Good Practice Guidelines Edition 7.0 to build your knowledge.

You will not be scored if you exit the mock exam before finishing it. You can pause or restart it at any time.

The BCI makes reasonable adjustments for disabled candidates and gives special consideration to candidates affected by events beyond their control. If you think this applies to you, contact the BCI early, before you book your exam slot.

Candidates can show the CBCI credential through the BCI Digital Badge system, which you can use on professional profiles and in your email signature.

No. ADVOX’s course prepares you thoroughly for the exam, but the BCI sets, runs and marks the exam, and the result depends on you. The course supports your preparation and does not guarantee a result.

Our suggestions: revise each of the six Professional Practices of GPG 7.0, take the BCI mock exam to practise the format and pace, and read each question carefully, because only one of the four options is correct. Check your webcam, internet connection and photo ID well before the day, and choose a quiet, private room.