The start of a new academic year is always a challenge for the exams officer community.
Whilst experienced exams officers are still dealing with post-results enquiries from the summer series, they are also attempting to understand and implement regulation changes for the new academic year…which may require an update to procedures, processes and key documentation such as exams-related policies. In addition to this, new exams officers have the added challenge of completing a range of tasks as they come to terms with their new role (e.g. completing an induction, understanding the exam cycle, being aware of/familiar with exams-related terminology and processes etc.).
However, the start of an academic year is also a time to consider the issues and lessons learnt from the previous academic year and to look ahead to the issues – and possibilities – which may occur during the new academic year.
2023/2024 academic year
JCQ inspections
The main issues raised during general inspections conducted in the 2023/2024 academic year were:
- Contingency plan
- The name and details of the alternative site and the impact of a cyber-attack must be included in the contingency plan
- Invigilator training
- Invigilators used for the November exam series must be trained/updated in the updated regulations before the series starts
- All invigilators/facilitators who support access arrangements must be trained
- Invigilators must not read the question paper or use their mobile phone (other than to contact the exams officer)
- Handling secure materials
- All required logs are retained and are made available for inspection
- If required, the splitting of question papers must be undertaken in the secure room
- Policies and Procedures
- Policies and procedures required for inspection are updated where required
- The exam room
- The exam room must be set-up in accordance with JCQ requirements, with pre-exam checks carried out on all exam rooms being used for that particular session
Of the 6045 general inspections conducted, issues were identified in 55% of centres, whilst 67% of access arrangements inspections identified at least one issue in the 677 centres inspected.
Other issues raised during/areas to note from the 2023/2024 academic year include:
Invigilator training
The standard of invigilation is returning to the very high standards witnessed prior to Covid. Despite a large number of experienced invigilators deciding not to return to centres, centres are using online and face-to-face training to ensure that invigilators – and facilitators of access arrangements – are aware of JCQ regulations and how to deal with situations which may arise during an examination.
The NAEO recommends the use of The Exams Office’s certificated invigilator training and assessment modules. We are very encouraged that over 85,000 invigilators successfully engaged with these assessments to prove their knowledge and understanding of JCQ regulations. However, not all centres are aware that any online invigilator training must be supplemented with a training/briefing/update session to cover centre-specific arrangements and processes and to provide the centre’s invigilators with the opportunity to ask questions about or clarify areas of JCQ regulations and requirements.
Senior leader – role and responsibilities
The 2023 Exams Officer survey revealed the following statistics which suggest that in a significant number of centres, the relevant head of centre/senior leader is not managing examinations and assessments within their centres as required:
- 26% of exams officers do not receive an annual appraisal
- 20% of exams officers do not feel well/actively supported and valued by their line manager/relevant senior leader
- 44% of senior leader(s) with overall responsibility for examinations and assessments within their centre do not receive appropriate training and support to facilitate the effective delivery of examinations and assessments, and ensure compliance with the published JCQ regulations
- 39% of heads of centres/relevant member(s) of the senior leadership team fail to read/refer to/familiarise themselves with the entire contents of the relevant JCQ publications (particularly the General Regulations for Approved Centres, Instructions for conducting examinations, Access Arrangements and Reasonable Adjustments)
- 39% of heads of centres/senior leaders/line managers believe that the exams officer role is only required/busy when exams are taking place
- 31% of centres do not have adequate contingency in place if their exams officer was absent during a critical period (e.g. entry deadline, during an exam series, results day etc.)
- 29% of heads of centres/senior leaders do not possess a good working knowledge of the examination system
Unfortunately, the above statistics reveal that in too many centres senior leaders are unable to support their exams officer and provide answers to exams-related questions and issues. This increases the dependence placed upon the JCQ, awarding organisations and The Exams Office to offer the sole source of support and supervision for exams officers.
Access arrangements
Although the NAEO recognises the work of JCQ in recent years in clarifying/defining the role of the SENCo, exams officers are still feeling the impact of the number of access arrangements candidates upon their role.
Managing the rooming, timetabling and seating arrangements for access arrangement candidates in addition to the training of invigilators and facilitators and administering emergency access arrangements is adding considerable pressure upon many exams officers – particularly the 54% of exams officers who also have an additional role to undertake within their centre.
Looking ahead to the 2024/2025 academic year
The coming academic year provides several challenges – and opportunities – for the exams officer community. These include:
Professional development
The exams officer community has an opportunity to engage in a free-to-access professional development programme – the Exams Officer Professional Standards.
The NAEO encourages all exams officers to request their senior leader to register them onto the standards and to monitor their progress against the targets set in the three areas which make up the standards:
- Knowledge and understanding
- Key skills
- Values and attributes
Engagement with these standards will provide evidence of professional development and may support a request for increased remuneration.
Please read our September article which explains the reasons why every exams officer should have access to an effective professional development programme.
More information on the Exams Officer Professional Standards is available on the NAEO website.
Senior leaders - role and responsibilities
JCQ’s General Regulations for Approved Centres now clearly define the role and responsibilities of senior leaders in managing examinations and assessments within their centre.
In addition to the requirements placed upon senior leaders, the 2024/2025 academic year will also see additional support for those with overall management for examinations and assessments within centres.
JCQ and the awarding organisations will be providing additional advice and guidance on the responsibilities of senior leaders, and they will also be supporting The Exams Office in delivering their senior leader autumn and spring training, and the inaugural National Senior Leader/Line Manager Exams Conference which takes place in Coventry on 6 February.
Clarity on the role and responsibilities of the SENCo/ALNCo
The NAEO supports JCQ in providing further guidance over the role of the SENCo/ALNCo. This will support exams officers who are asked/required to engage in the access arrangements process when it is not their responsibility or expertise.
JCQ’s Access Arrangements and Reasonable Adjustments publication states the following:
- The head of centre must ensure that the SENCo has sufficient time to both manage the access arrangements process within the centre and familiarise themselves with the JCQ document Access Arrangements and Reasonable Adjustments. They must also ensure that the SENCo and the centre’s appointed assessor undertake regular CPD such as attending an annual update course on these regulations.
- The SENCo, or an equivalent member of staff within a FE college, fully supported by teaching staff and members of the senior leadership team, must lead on the access arrangements/reasonable adjustments process within their centre.
- Teaching staff and members of the senior leadership team must support the SENCo in identifying, determining and implementing appropriate and practicable access arrangements and reasonable adjustments.
- It is the responsibility of the SENCo to make appropriate and informed decisions based on the JCQ regulations.
- The SENCo must work with teaching staff, support staff (such as Learning Support Assistants and Teaching Assistants) and exams office personnel to ensure that approved access arrangements/reasonable adjustments are put in place for internal school tests, mock examinations and examinations.
The above regulations clearly state the responsibilities of the SENCo/ALNCo and should be quoted by exams officers if they are asked to engage beyond their role or in the management and administration of access arrangements/reasonable adjustments.
Resilience in the qualifications system
As applicable to their role in their centre, exams officers should be prepared to support the implementation of the resilience measures as required by Ofqual which will provide resilience in the exam system in the unlikely event that government determines that exams are not able to go ahead. The requirements relating to resilience arrangements are detailed in section 3.16 of JCQ’s General Regulations for Approved Centres.
Ofqual guidance recommends that assessments used meet resilience requirements should be taken in ‘exam like conditions’. The NAEO encourages centres to sit these assessments under formal exam conditions in line with JCQ regulations for the following reasons:
- To ensure candidate familiarity with the rules of the exam room (and reduce unintentional malpractice during an exam series)
- Provide training for invigilators in an exam room environment, and judge their competence under formal exam conditions
- Provide an opportunity to identify any issues in the conducting of examinations
- Evaluate measures such as the emergency evacuation of the exam room
Cyber security
The General Regulations for Approved Centres (section 3.21) now requires the head of centre to ensure that there are procedures in place to maintain the security of user accounts by:
- providing training for authorised staff on the importance of creating strong unique passwords and keeping all account details secret
- providing training for staff on awareness of all types of social engineering/phishing attempts
The NAEO, in conjunction with The Exams Office and the Learning and Skills Office, will be launching an online certificated cyber security training and assessment module in early 2025 to help exams officers meet their obligation regarding the security of exam-related information.
Exams officer remuneration
Although the NAEO is not a union, we will continue to promote and improve the status and profile of the exams officer role.
If – as detailed in the King’s Speech delivered on 17 July 2024 under the Employment Rights Bill – the new government re-instates the School Support Staff Negotiating Body (SSSNB), the NAEO will be at the forefront to ensure that the exams officer community is represented in any negotiations.
However, in order to have a strong voice in any negotiations, we require as many exams officers as possible to join the NAEO or renew their membership for the 2024/2025 academic year.
We thank The Exams Office and the awarding organisations in helping us to retain the membership fee at no cost to all serving exams officers.