Who are OGICA?
Tim Herrett, Bob Fagg, Christine Telford and Martin Gardner. 4 geoscientists with over 160 years combined operations experience who worked independently to create the skills assessment and continue to work to maintain and upgrade this.

OGICA is an LLP (limited liability partners) and works as a not-for-profit organisation.

Why should I take the assessment?
It is an objective test of your skills. It will highlight where you are skilled and identify skills gaps for potential further training and/or experience, if appropriate to your working life. The output can be added to your CV etc so that others can see where you are most skilled in an objective way.

It will also provide you with a skills level benchmark for future reference. With further experience and training your skill levels should increase.

What can I do with the assessment output?
The outputs can be used as part of your CV as an example of your objectively tested proficiency.

What is the digital badge?
This is a digital button that can be added to online CVs or social and business media posts to indicate the assessment has been successfully undertaken.

How much is the assessment?
£80 per attempt.

How do I take the assessment?
Click on the 'Take the Assessment' button and register on the assessment website.

How many times can I take the assessment?
As many times as you want to, there is no limit. There is no indication of the number of times taken on your results.

What happens if I fail?
There is no pass or fail with the assessment. The results give you a record of your skill levels in 10 key categories.

Who has access to my assessment results?
Only you. It is confidential to the candidate. OGICA do not have access to your records and all results are kept on a secure server.

Can I get several assessments for my staff and consultants?
The assessment can be taken by individuals or groups. If group personalisation is required to meet the client’s need this may be arranged but may incur extra cost. Contact us via LinkedIn.

I’d like to know more about the assessments, can I contact anyone to discuss?
Yes, contact us via LinkedIn and we will be happy to help.

Does everyone get the same assessment questions?
No. Questions are randomised for each candidate although every assessment has exactly the same number of level 1, 2,3 and 4 questions in each of the 10 categories category and results are calculated using the same algorithm. If you retake the assessment you may get a completely different set of questions.

Why are there 10 categories of questions?
These encompass the whole of the operational geoscientists work. When you complete the assessment you get a mark for each category which is used in the presentation of the spider plot and bar chart outputs.

Why are there levels of questions?
Questions are ranked from 1 to 4 based on the years of experience expected to be able to answer correctly. These cover entry into the industry to 15+ years’ experience to ensure the skills assessment is relevant to all.

What measurement units are referenced in the questions?
All questions with calculations have a drop-down menu of relevant unit conversions making them suitable for imperial and SI systems. Some questions use both main types of measurement unit. You will need pen and paper plus a calculator for some questions which you should source before you take the assessment.

What are the security features to prevent deception?
There are many confidential security features installed in the skills assessment by both OGICA and our software platform provider eCom Scotland. Two previously made public we will share with you ar:

• Questions are randomised from the database so no people will get the same assessment.
• All the questions are the application of theoretical knowledge, and these answers can’t be searched for.

Can I pause the assessment part way through?
No. Once the assessment is started the clock counts down from 90 minutes.
At the end of 90 minutes the assessment ends and the spider plot and bar chart outputs are automatically produced.

Can I go back to check answers?
Yes, within the 90 minute duration. Moving through the assessment can be done sequentially or not. The question numbers are shown on a navigation bar at the bottom of the page, and these can be clicked on to move forward or back.

Can I access the assessment on my phone?
The assessment is suitable for laptops, tablets and phones.

When can I access the assessment and get my results?
The assessment is available 24 hours a day and results are available immediately afterwards.

Will I need to write my own answers in the assessment?
No, all questions are single or multiple choice requiring you to click on one or several buttons.

Can I leave feedback on the assessment?
Yes, there is a link to a very short survey which you can access after completion of the survey. We would very much encourage you to leave some feedback that will allow us to improve the assessment.

Can I contribute questions myself?
Yes you can. Please contact us via LinkedIn and we will be in touch.