We have received a communication from DCLG which describes the major changes that are being made to the content and format of the Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) for domestic buildings. Additional training requirements will be introduced shortly for Domestic Energy Assessors. April 2012 will see a change to RDSAP 9.91, a new style EPC certificate and most importantly, the need for all DEAs to have passed a top up qualification before you are able to offer the new style EPC.  The DEA top up qualification will be known as the ABBE Level 3 Award in Domestic Energy Assessment Professional Development. The qualification is designed to cover the additional knowledge and understanding that DEAs will need to produce the 2012 version of the Energy Performance Certificate. It will furthermore ensure DEAs have an adequate understanding of the role and purpose of the EPC within the wider context of the Government’s Green Deal Initiative. DCLG has specified that all DEAs will need to achieve this qualification in order to continue to practice from 1 April 2012. In other words, you will not be able to produce EPCs after the 1st April deadline if you have not obtained the DEA upgrade. Further, if you have not obtained the upgrade by October 2012, you will lose your DEA qualification altogether. Surveyor Training will run a series of one day, face to face training workshops as well as 2, two hour on line distance learning modules.  The proposed cost of all training is intended to be £70, there will be no VAT to pay if you train with Surveyor Training. All training providers will be using the same training material, supplied by Asset Skills, so there is no need to pay more than this. The figure of £70 is less than the cost of the ABBE fee for re-sitting the exam. How do I gain the qualification?  In order to gain the qualification, all DEAs will need to pass an exam. The exam will consist of 40 multiple choice questions and can be taken at one of ABBE’s national examination venues. Candidates will have 60 minutes to complete the exam and each question will consist of the question and 4 possible answers. ABBE has advised that there will be a cost of £90 plus VAT to register for the exam which includes ONE attempt at the exam. Subsequent attempts will be charged at the standard ABBE fee of £60 plus VAT. The recommended reading list for this qualification is: • DCLG Scheme Operating Requirements • Energy Performance of Buildings Directive • The Standard Assessment Procedure for Energy Rating of Dwellings: SAP/RdSAP 9.91 • Energy Performance Certificate (April 2012 version) • The Domestic Energy Assessors Handbook, Parnham and Russen • Understanding Housing Defects, D Marshall, D Worthing & R Heath You will need to register with an ABBE assessment centre such as Surveyor Training in order to take the exam and we are able to register requests with ABBE from 3 January 2012 onwards. ABBE has advised us that the exam will not be available until February 2012 and we will confirm the exact start date as soon as we can. Asset Skills has been tasked with writing training material for training providers which will be made available to us in January. As soon as this has been made available, we will write to you again with further details of the training we are putting in place. We would advise that you start looking at the RDSAP 9.91 online modules provided by your accreditation bodies and also look at the ABBE Level 3 Award in Domestic Energy Assessment Professional Development handbook, which is available on the Surveyor Training website. You may also wish to register with us now to avoid any delays next year.  We aim to make this process as quick and easy for you as is possible. Please feel free to contact us on 0203 178 7101 or by email at  info@surveyortraining.org.uk Forthcoming changes to RDsap 9.91 and the mandatory DEA top up qualification The following links are all related to the Up-Skill exam Sample exam Question.  Up-Skill Exam specification.  Up-Skill training registration form.        2011 Surveyor Training Ltd  Suite 6 43 Bedford Street Covent Garden London WC2E 9HA  0203 303 0812  e  info@surveyortraining.org.uk