We answer your most common concerns when it comes to studying with AAT

From results day queries to guidance on technical requirements for your assessments, here is how to tackle some of the common things that AAT students ask for support with.

By listening to our student community, we’ve put together a useful list of common problems that AAT students come to us with, and how you can overcome these issues to keep your journey moving in the right direction.

Don’t just rely on practice assessments

Some of our students will challenge questions from their actual live assessments as not being covered in the practice assessments. Please note practice assessments won’t cover all of the content in the qualifications specification. It is against our regulatory obligations to provide a test identical to the practice assessments.

Remember…

• The key role of a practice assessment is to help you get used to the format, structure and types of questions you will encounter in the real exam.
• It’s a chance for you to apply the knowledge you have learned throughout your studies to a realistic scenario presented, while working under exam-like conditions to recreate the environment you will work in.
• No matter what questions crop up, it’s important to have a good understanding of the whole course content so you can answer any question with confidence.

Get the right login details

All computer-based assessments take place on ATLAS Cloud, while practice assessments take place on the Lifelong Learning Portal in your MyAAT account. Some students can confuse these login details and cause themselves unnecessary stress and delays on assessment day.

Remember…

• Always check your emails from [email protected] where you can setup your ATLAS Cloud account.
• Remember, your username on ATLAS Cloud is always your AAT number.
• If you need to update your ATLAS Cloud password, please do this before the day of your assessment to avoid any delays.
• Keep all passwords safe and don’t confuse your MyAAT password with your ATLAS Cloud password.

How to overcome technical problems

From time to time some students can encounter technical issues during their studies, including not being able to access their assessments or revision tools. This is most commonly down to the student using an unsupported device. 

Remember…

• Devices to avoid when accessing AAT resources are a Chromebook laptop, tablet or detachable, a smartphone (iPhone or Android) or a tablet (iPad or Android). These devices are not supported.
• Always check well in advance of your assessment date that you have a suitable device to avoid delays on the day.
• If you have a supported device but are still experiencing technical issues, you can:
  • Try clearing your cache and cookies.
  • Try a different web browser.
  • Try an incognito or private web browser.
• For more information and support on what devices are suitable to access AAT resources, click here.

Try to be patient on results day

We understand how important results day is for you and the emotions that come with this. We know you just want to find out if you’ve passed so you can get the party started, but we need time to distribute all results to every student across every level.

Lots of students tend to phone us to find out their results, but these are always released online at different times for each student throughout the day up until 17:00 UK time.

Remember…

• All results are released at different times throughout the day. For example, Student A may receive their result at 10.00 UK time, and Student B might receive their result at 16.45.
• If you’re expecting multiple results on the same day, then please wait until 17.00 for all results to be released. You’ll receive a separate email for each result, and they might not come through at the same time.

If you need more help and support, call +44(0)20 3735 2468, email [email protected] or click here to go to our dedicated student support page.

Further reading

AAT students: what are chief examiner reports and how can they help you?

AAT success stories: swapping animal care for a career in finance

Top tips and ways of working for students with ADHD

Harry Rogers is AAT Comment’s news writer.