Online Test/Certification FAQ

Your questions answered

The first thing to check is that you are logged in: You will need to be logged in as a full member, certified non-member or registered user to be able to view the training slides and take the tests. If you've forgotten your details you can request a user name/password reminder via the login/register page (top right of screen). If you belong to a BHBIA member/certified non-member company but don't have a login you need to register to join your company's membership. If you DO NOT belong to a BHBIA member or certified non-member company you can register as a non-member registered user - however this will only give you access to the training slides, not the tests. Or, to see information about joining the BHBIA visit the Membership page (in the About Us section). If you are logged in and can see the slides but can't access the tests: If you have viewed all the slides and still can't access the test, and you belong to a BHBIA member company, please contact us - admin@bhbia.org.uk and we will advise. Have you viewed ALL the slides? The 'Start Test' button will only appear once you have viewed all the slides in a given training programme.

Everyone needs to view the slides, whether they are renewing or taking a course for the first time.

It's important for the credibility of the BHBIA certification that everyone refreshes themselves on the content of the training slides each year (and often there will have been some changes, even if these are small). We will point out any new content, and you can of course move quickly through any sections that you are familiar with.

Yes. Your certificates are held in the My BHBIA section of the website (you will need to log in). You can access your account to view/download your certificate at any time, but we recommend that you download and save a copy now, so that you have it to hand when needed. (Also, this will prevent any delays in accessing your certificate if you were to move companies).

Yes. We will be able to locate your account and transfer it. Please email us - admin@bhbia.org.uk with your new details and we will explain next steps.

The certificate expiry date for all tests taken on or after 1st September in any given year will automatically be updated to read 31st October of the following year when your company pays their BHBIA subscription (please allow 2 business days from payment for our system to be updated)

Your certificates will no longer be valid once their expiry date is reached. You can still retake the tests at any time, and as soon as you do so, the expiry date will be updated to 31st October of the year ahead (regardless of when during the coming year you retake the tests), as long as your company has paid their subscription.

After 31st October, your certificate will no longer be valid, and if your company has still not paid, your company’s membership will become ‘lapsed’ and you will no longer have access to the online tests or be able to download your certificates. However, if your company subsequently pays, your access will be re-activated and your certificates will update to the new expiry date - 31st October of the year ahead (Note: payments can take up to 2 business days to process)

We recognise that this process may inconvenience some members who have joined part way through the membership year, so may have to retake the tests after less than 12 months; however this will be a one-off process to align you to the standard timings. Thank you for your understanding.

No. You will always need to produce a certificate showing a current date. Without a valid expiry date there is no way for a client to distinguish between an ‘old’ certificate, taken before renewals opened in September and a ‘new’ certificate, taken on or after 1st September. So you need to ensure that your company pays their subs so that you can download a new copy of your certificate with the future expiry date.

No. The EphMRA partial tests are hosted on the EphMRA website and are independent of the timings for BHBIA certification. Your EphMRA partial certificate will have 12 months validity from the date you take it, regardless of when this may be.

The BHBIA does NOT impose upon its members any requirement to take the tests. Members are required to adhere to the 3 sets of guidelines (Legal & Ethical - MR, Legal & Ethical - Analytics and Adverse Event Reporting), and the online training and tests are designed to help with this by raising your knowledge and understanding of the guidance. However it is your choice (or a matter of your own company policy or client requirements) whether or not you choose to take them. The BHBIA is responding to industry needs, as many pharma companies do require some form of proof of competency from their agencies. Our hope is that increasing numbers of pharma companies will recognise and accept the BHBIA tests instead of requiring company-specific training, so that there is more consistency across the industry. The alignment of online certification renewals with the BHBIA membership year makes it simpler for member companies to keep track and ensure that all their staff take the online training and become certified, thus helping to raise the standards of ethics/compliance across the industry. The other benefit is that certification can be linked more closely to the payment of membership fees, helping the BHBIA to collect these on time, which improves the financial management of the organisation for the benefit of members.