Qualification objective and structure

The route to Associate membership of the IAEA helps you develop a knowledge and understanding of key issues involved in vehicle damage assessment, including:

  • Basic insurance principles
  • Vehicle technical and repair issues
  • Application of consumer law and arbitration
  • Principles of law relating to rules of evidence
  • Principles of law relating to garaging and repairs
  • Vehicle repair methods and costings
  • Vehicle valuation and salvage categorisation.

To achieve Associate membership status of the IAEA you need to complete the following:

  • The IAEA oral examination or two of the IAEA written exams.
  • Has passed the Institute's Practical Examination within the last four years or hold a current ATA VDA certificate - see Bridging Exam.
  • Relevant training appropriate to the automotive sector such as an apprenticeship.

Who is Associate membership of the IAEA suitable for?

  • Anyone employed in an engineer assessing role within the motor vehicle repair industry wishing to gain a fundamental understanding of insurance and legal principles relevant to the industry.
  • Anyone employed in an engineer assessing role within the motor vehicle repair industry wishing to build on their job knowledge with sound understanding of insurance and legal principles relevant to the industry.
  • Anyone employed in an engineer assessing role within the motor vehicle repair industry wishing to begin or restart their studies towards a professional qualification.

Are there any specific skills or prior knowledge required to start studying towards Associate membership?

Relevant training appropriate to the automotive sector such as an apprenticeship.

How are the exams assessed?

Oral exam

The exam is 40 minutes and ten questions are asked by the assessors from across the syllabus. Candidates are required to answer all questions and will be assessed on their verbal response to each question. The pass mark is 60%.

There is salvage categorisation question which is mandatory, all candidates are required to achieve at least 60% of the available marks to be successful in the oral exam. The assessors will clearly identify this question during the exam.

The result and any feedback will be provided shortly after the exam.

Syllabus.

Practical exam

Candidates are required to complete two physical vehicle assessments using escribe. There will also be one image supported vehicle assessment. For the image based assessment: candidates will be provided with a pre-prepared and fully costed vehicle repair specification including supporting vehicle images and will be required to review the content of the assessment for accuracy.

The assessment will take place over a full day and the assessor will be present at all times. The learning outcomes assessed are:

  • Vehicle appraisal and valuation
  • Repair methods costings
  • Salvage knowledge application

Candidates are required to achieve 70% in all learning outcomes across the three vehicle assessments to pass the practical exam. Candidates including an unsafe repair specification in the repair methods costings will be unable to achieve a pass. An unsafe repair specification is one where a key structural panel/part has been omitted or repaired, or an SRS component has been omitted from the repair specification. In addition incorrect identification of factory fitted safety options fitted to the vehicle eg airbags TCS etc constitutes an unsafe repair specification.

The practical exam can be taken at Thatcham Automotive Academy or TUD Dublin, dates are routinely offered throughout the year. Details can be obtained and bookings made direct via the relevant site.

Bridging exam

The IAEA Vehicle Valuation and Salvage Categorisation Bridging Exam was introduced to align the three year ATA VDA qualification with the content of the IAEA practical and the original five year ATA VDA (pre April 2012) qualification.

Candidates who have a current ATA VDA are required to take the IAEA vehicle valuation and salvage categorisation bridging exam unless a five year ADA VDA (pre 2012) has previously been held. Candidates will be required to provide certification/documentation of the previous ATA VDA

The bridging exam can be taken at the oral exam centres, these are held in UK locations twice a year, additional sessions can be arranged subject to demand. The exam is taken online and has two parts.

Part 1 involves correctly categorising accident damaged vehicles and Part 2 requires correct valuation of three vehicles.

  • The learning outcomes assessed are:
  • Vehicle appraisal and valuation using GlassNet
  • Salvage knowledge application using the ABI Code of Practice.