Articles

Exams

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  • 28 Jun 2026

    Initial feedback from the summer 2026 exam series

    Please download this article if you would like to share it with your senior leadership team/line manager

    As the summer examination series has now concluded, we are beginning to review how examinations were managed, administered and conducted over recent weeks.

    While further information and analysis will become available over the coming months, initial feedback indicates that the Summer 2026 series was, overall, successful, with no major widespread issues reported. However, this should not detract from the operational challenges that many exams managers and officers experienced and which now need to be addressed.

    This initial feedback will be shared with key stakeholders, including the Department for Education (DfE), Ofqual, JCQ and the major awarding bodies.

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  • 21 May 2026

    Why JCQ ask for a senior designated contact…and why this should not be the exams manager/officer

    Please download this article if you would like to share it with your senior leadership team/line manager

    Most queries from awarding bodies can be handled during term time using the centre’s usual contact details. However, during the summer holidays, an awarding body may occasionally need to contact the centre with an urgent request to resolve a results related issue so that students receive their results on the designated results day. If the issue is not resolved quickly, there is a risk that a student’s results could be delayed.

    For this reason, and in line with JCQ’s General Regulations for Approved Centres, every centre must provide the details of one or more senior designated contacts who can be reached outside term time to deal with any urgent results-related issues. This helps awarding bodies release students’ results on time.

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  • 27 Apr 2026

    Sharing examination results: Key responsibilities and guidance

    Please download this article if you would like to share it with your senior leadership team/line manager

    Although current attention is understandably focused on the forthcoming examination series, senior leaders with responsibility for examinations and exams managers/officers must also ensure they understand both external regulations and the centre’s internal arrangements for sharing examination results. This includes clarity on when and how candidates may access their examination results, who is permitted to collect or receive results, how examination information may be shared with third parties and the rights of parents, or those with parental responsibility, to access their child’s examination information and results.

    This information should be communicated to students in good time, ideally before the examination series begins, reinforced during the exam period, and published on the centre’s website so it remains accessible to students and parents up to results day(s) and beyond as a point of reference.

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  • 23 Mar 2026

    AI/Smart glasses - What are they and training invigilators in identifying them in the examination room

    Please download this article if you would like to share it with your senior leadership team/line manager

    AI glasses – often called smart glasses – pose a threat to the integrity and security of the examination system as they use artificial intelligence to provide hands‑free access to digital information and useful features. Unauthorised use of these glasses would allow candidates to potentially engage in malpractice by interacting with technology without needing to look at a phone or use their hands.

    In this article we consider the main factors which will support exams managers/officers and invigilators in identifying candidates who may be wearing a pair of AI glasses in an examination.

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  • 12 Mar 2026

    Why every centre should appoint an exams assistant ahead of the summer exam series

    Please download this article if you would like to share it with your senior leadership team/line manager

    The 2025 Exams Officer survey highlighted several key areas where additional support is needed to help exams managers/officers carry out their duties effectively and to uphold the integrity and security of the examination system within centres.

    The findings showed that many exams managers/officers require greater support to perform their role effectively and work efficiently. 

    This article outlines three key reasons why every centre should appoint an exams assistant - at a minimum - before the summer exam series.

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Legal Services

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  • 01 May 2023

    Disability Rights

    Many of the cases we see and advise on involve individuals with disabilities. This could involve clients who have developed health issues or who have been employed with long-standing health issues, but need support in their roles.

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  • 31 Mar 2023

    Tribunal claims and their time limits

    Litigation should be a last resort. Most issues that arise during employment can be resolved, either informally, or by using a more formal grievance process and appeal process.  However, it is important to understand that time limits apply to Employment Tribunal claims regardless of how long internal procedures are taking.

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  • 01 Mar 2023

    What to expect from an annual appraisal?

    Annual appraisals (also known as performance reviews) are part of the employer’s performance review strategy. The purpose of an annual appraisal is to inform decisions around pay and promotions, to encourage professional development and to help with target setting.

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  • 01 Dec 2022

    The Dos and Don'ts of Disciplinary and Grievance Procedures

    Raising a grievance or being subjected to a disciplinary process can be a stressful process and they are not always easy to navigate. We hope you find some of these do’s and don’ts useful, should you ever have to experience either of these processes.

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  • 31 Oct 2022

    Managing your invigilators: How to approach holiday pay

    Holiday pay for part-time, term-time workers or those with irregular hours is not typically straightforward. Each holiday pay case will be different and so will require a careful examination of all the circumstances.

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