Fifa’s faulty online exam costs wannabe football agents a one-year delay in qualifying

The online exam suffered technical problems that have meant delays of up to 12 months before applicants can qualify

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Those wanting to qualify as football agents are being subjected to delays of up to 12 months due to technical problems with Fifa’s online exam.

Rather than attend an exam in person, regulations introduced at the start of 2025 mean candidates must now complete a test consisting of 20 multiple choice questions.

Candidates pay $100 (or its equivalent in Euros or Sterling) to take the test, with the changes brought in to ensure more consistency in cost.

The Guardian has been contacted by a number of candidates from a range of countries, including the United Kingdom, who have complained that they’ve not been able to complete the test due to technical issues.

Candidates are reported to have been asked to download software prior to their test but problems with the software meant they were short on time to answer the questions or found that some of the answers had not even been recorded.

A letter from a Niger-based candidate to Fifa claimed that the candidate had tried to disconnect and reconnect to resolve the issue but that the process had taken over 25 minutes to complete.

“Once I was allowed to resume, there were only about 10 minutes remaining on the exam,” the candidate revealed.

“On July 3, 2025, I received my results and was surprised to see that I had failed with a score of 11 out of 20. However, among the nine questions marked as incorrect, seven were shown as blank, even though I clearly remember answering them before submission, one displayed a choice that I am certain I never selected, and it does not match the answer I intended to choose.”

It is reported that some candidates were able to resit the exam on 30 June but that many will have to wait until next year, with no right to appeal.

A UK candidate, who had paid the full fee and suffered the technical glitch, said: “It is particularly frustrating to now see my application rejected without any clarification, despite having fulfilled all requirements, acted diligently, and paid the full registration fee.

“This disparity raises serious concerns regarding consistency and equal treatment.”