The FIA Qualifications Scheme consists of five Levels, with Levels I, II and III being broadly equivalent to the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) Levels 1, 2 and 3 respectively. The FIA Levels IV and V have not been mapped to the new NQF levels, but the FIA regard these as high level awards.

A key feature of the FIA award system is the flexibility to adapt to the relevant skills required for a job function within the fibre-optics and cabling industries. In other words your job should not prevent you from achieving a FIA Award at any level, and you should not have to undertake any irrelevant training in order to achieve such an award. The qualification adapts and maps to your job.

The table below provides an indication of the guided learning time requirements for an FIA Award. A training-day is typically regarded as providing 7 hours of guided learning, but the FIA understands that some courses will have shorter days and some may be more intensive with longer days. The minimum guided learning hours is the shortest training programme that can be accredited under the FIA QS, whilst the typical guided learning hours indicates the normal expected duration of the training programme. There is no maximum duration.

An Approved Training Provider can submit an application for an FIA accredited award based on FIA approved 'units' providing adequate learning hours as indicated above.

It is important that both learners and trainers recognise the inherent flexibility of the Scheme. The qualifications listed below are a selection of what are expected to be the more popular FIA awards.

One or more of the following FIA Approved Core Unit awards:
City & Guilds 3466-01
City & Guilds 3466-02
City & Guilds 3466-03
City & Guilds 3466-04
City & Guilds 3666-02
City & Guilds 3666-03
City & Guilds 3666-04

A Level I award plus the following FIA Approved Unit awards:
a recognised industry award including manufacturers awards
(click here for listing)
and
an Approved Health & Safety award such as:
ECA: Health & Safety Assessment
NEBOSH Health & Safety Diploma Part One
Health & Safety Award (NVQ Level III)
SELECT: Safe Working in the Electro-Technical Industry
AMICUS: Working Safely Together in the Electro-Technical
Industry
IOSH: SPA Passport Course
CCNSG: Safety Passport
CITB: Health and Safety Assessment

A Level II award plus the following FIA Approved Unit award:
an'Advanced' NQF Level 3 Award such as:
- for CDS
City & Guilds 3663
- for CMS
Advanced OTDR Testing
Advanced CD & PMD Testing

A Level III award plus a combinations of FIA Approved Unit awards leading to one of the following:
'Advanced' education in the communications industry to Level IV
(click here for listing)
'Advanced' training courses of a duration twice the length of a
Level III award

See below for details.

An FIA Level III Award requires a minimum of 70 hours of tutor-led training. The basis for the FIA Level IV award is to recognise that learners having undertaken further appropriate training at NQF Levels 2 and 3 are better qualified than any one individual award would indicate. Effectively the breadth of knowledge/skills gained equating to a higher overall skill level (in-depth subject knowledge).

This requires that the learner has undertaken considerably more training than is required for the FIA Level III award, and so a minimum of 140 hours tutor-led training leading to awards from UK awarding bodies, with at least 42 hours of this training leading to NQF Level 3 awards with the remaining 98 hours at a minimum of NQF Level 2.

The FIA may at their discretion recognise a significantly longer duration of NQF Level 1 award training days in lieu of up to 14 hourss of NQF Level 2 training.

Option One
Achieve a Level IV Award and then submit a technical thesis or report (5,000 words minimum – 10,000 words maximum) on a fibre optic or cabling topic at least 2 weeks prior to the date specified by the FIA Level V Award Examination Panel. The candidate can select their own report/thesis topic, or may request a short list of appropriate topic titles from the FIA.

The report/thesis shall be well laid out, clear and technically correct, with any conclusions appropriately judged. The Level V Award will be judged on the thesis itself and an oral examination based on the thesis and any Units taken as part of the FIA Qualification Scheme. The purpose of the oral session is to establish that the thesis is the candidates own work and that the candidate has retained a good proportion of the knowledge imparted during earlier course units.

The examination is in three parts:
presentation of the candidates report or thesis;
panel questions on the presented work;
panel questions on technical issues relevant to the areas of fibre optic cabling that the candidate works in or has studied.

The candidate is assessed by the panel on:
report writing skills;
presentation skills;
knowledge of presented materials;
depth of subject knowledge.

Candidates will need to score well in all of these assessment areas in order to succeed.

Option Two
Learners who have achieved two Level IV Awards are able to submit to an oral examination based on the content of the Units taken. The purpose of the oral session is to establish that the candidate has retained a good proportion of the knowledge imparted during earlier course units.

The examination by the Examination Panel will comprise questions on technical issues relevant to the areas of fibre optic cabling that the candidate works in or has studied.

The candidate is assessed by the panel on:
presentation skills;
depth of subject knowledge.

The FIA Level V Award Examination Panel comprises between two and five ‘interviewers. One panel member will be a University representative, and one panel member/interviewer will be an FIA director. It is important that the panel members have a good understanding of the subject matter of the course units undertaken and/or the thesis/report submitted, hence additional panel members/interviewers with such subject knowledge may be in attendance. Additional panel members will normally be selected from Certified Level V Award holders or otherwise acknowledged industry experts.

The FIA Level V Award Examination Panel will award the candidate with one of three possible outcomes:
Pass: the candidate displayed a good level of knowledge and a sound grasp of the issues and technologies from both the course unit syllabi and, where appropriate, the thesis/report.
Merit Re-Test: the candidate displayed a good level of knowledge in most areas, but was weak in one or two areas, or produced a report/thesis that requires additional (significant but not major) work. In this outcome, the candidate has come close to passing, but the FIA is inviting an early re-test with only a limited level of further work or revision required by the candidate. The panel will advise of the area(s) where the candidate should revise or study further.
Requires More Work: the candidate was poor in several areas and will need to revise these areas or take more training courses to update knowledge levels, or the candidate submitted a thesis/report that was poor or requires significant re-work. This situation will arise either because a candidate is eager to achieve Level V status and applies in haste, or in situations where the lower level training course units were taken over a longer period of time and knowledge has been forgotten or out-dated. The panel will provide a general guide to the areas of weakness. The FIA are determined to maintain the highest standards for the Level V Award, and so it will not be unusual for candidates to be asked to apply for a re-test, rather than passing first time. Candidates are encouraged to view the first oral examination as part of the learning process that will equip them to be more confident and better prepared if a re-test is required.

There is no limit to the number or re-tests (oral examinations) a candidate can take, but a thesis or report can only be used twice, and for further re-sits a new thesis/report would be required, where this option was the chosen route to expert status.