Purpose
- to ensure the planning and management of exams is conducted efficiently and in the best interests of learners.
- to ensure the operation of an efficient exams system with clear guidelines for all relevant staff.
It is the responsibility of everyone involved in the centre’s exam processes to read, understand and implement this policy. The exams policy will be reviewed by the Business Manager and Exams Officer, every two years.
Where references are made to JCQ regulations/guidelines, further details can be found at www.jcq.org.uk.
Exam Responsibilities
The head of centre: (senior manager)
- has overall responsibility for the Adult Learning Services as an exams centre and advises on appeals and re-marks.
- is responsible for reporting all suspected or actual incidents of malpractice
The exams officer:
- manages the administration of ALS exams.
- advises programme managers and class tutors, and other relevant support staff on ALS processes.
- informs tutors and programme managers of exam slots.
- maintains systems and processes to support the timely entry of candidates for their exams.
- informs programme managers of absent learners at exams
- receives, checks and stores securely all exam papers and dispatches them as required by awarding body guidelines.
- administers access arrangements and makes applications for special consideration following the regulations in the JCQ publication A guide to the special consideration process.
- recruits, trains, and manages the team of invigilators responsible for the conduct of exams.
- stores and tracks coursework / portfolios.
- arranges the dissemination of exam results and certificates to candidates.
Programme Managers are responsible for:
- ensuring all current staff involved with the delivery of external awards are registered with awarding bodies and the exams officer is updated of any changes
- checking that staff involved in assessment (and internal verification) have the qualifications and experience in accordance with awarding bodies criteria.
- applying and gain approval for new qualifications.
- ensuring that candidates are registered with awarding bodies.
- checking that coursework / controlled assessment marks/ end tests and other documents are submitted correctly and on schedule.
- guidance and pastoral oversight of learners who are unsure about exams entries or amendments to entries.
- requesting exam slots when tutors have assessed the learner’s ability and commitment to undertake the qualification.
Tutors are responsible for:
- issuing qualification registration forms to learners, ensuring all learners receive our malpractice summary prior to exams.
- identifying learners’ requirements for access arrangements. Notifying the exams officer when returning the forms and supplying the relevant paperwork, so that they can put in place exam day arrangements.
- marking coursework, overseeing controlled assessments and end tests.
- undertaking all assessment activity in accordance with the requirements of NTCALS, awarding bodies and JCQ.
- reminding learners that they must provide photographic ID on the day of their exam
- reminding learners to bring equipment required to exams, for example a pen, dictionary etc.
- working with the exams officer to provide the access arrangements required by candidates in exams rooms.
Invigilators are responsible for:
- assisting the exams officer in the efficient running of exams according to JCQ regulations and the ALS process
- setting up the exam room in line with JCQ guidelines at the time and date advertised
- collection of exam papers and other materials from the exam office before the start of the exam.
- Distribution, management and collection of all exam papers in the correct order at the end of the exam and ensuring their return to the exams office.
- ‘supervision’ of clash learners between exams
Learners are responsible for:
- confirmation of their work and signing of entries/evidence.
- understanding coursework requirements and any controlled assessment regulations.
- reading the malpractice summary before signing a declaration that authenticates the coursework as their own.
- understanding and signing the appeals procedure
- ensuring they conduct themselves in all exams according to the JCQ regulations.
- bringing acceptable photographic identification for exams
- turning up on time for exams
- ensure their contact details are kept up to date to ensure any correspondence/results/certificates are posted to the correct address.
Qualifications offered
The qualifications offered at this centre are decided by NTCALS programme management team. The service offers both accredited and non-accredited programmes.
The subjects offered in any academic year may be found on the centre’s website, flyers and/or similar documents for that year. Any change of qualification specification for the next year must be discussed with the programme manager for quality, exams officer and learner records.
Decisions on whether a learner should be entered for a particular subject will be taken by tutors in consultation with their programme manager.
Exams
Exams are scheduled when and as agreed with programme managers and the exams officer. External GCSE exams are scheduled in May and June.
The centre does offer exams on an on-demand basis. If offered, on-demand assessments can be scheduled in windows agreed between the programme manager and exams officer.
The centre acts as an exams centre for other organisations.
Appeals and re-sits
- GCSE – appeals paid for by learner
- British Sign Language re-sits – 1 per unit (appeals to be paid for by learner)
- Functional skills – re-sits are at the discretion of the programme manager
- CSCS tests – re-sits for fails and non-attendance are at the discretion of the programme manager
Exam fees
Exam fees are published on the website and discussed with learners when they enrol and register for exams.
Exam days
The exams officer will book all exam rooms after liaising with other users and make the question papers, other exam stationery and materials available for the invigilator.
All learners must bring approved ID. The three options are:
- Photographic ID i.e. driving licence, passport, work id
- Staff identification – verbal
- Photograph taken and approved by tutor and sent to learner records team (LRT) in advance of their exam
Subject staff may be present at the start of the exam to assist with identification of candidates.
Any staff present must be in accordance with the rules defined by JCQ concerning who is allowed in the exam room and what they can do. Exam papers must not be read by subject teachers or removed from the exam room before the end of a session
After an exam, the exams officer will arrange for the safe dispatch of completed examination scripts to awarding bodies, working in conjunction with the business support team.
The invigilator will start and finish all exams in accordance with JCQ guidelines.
Learners
Learners must accurately complete a qualification registration form.
In the exam room learners will not have access to items other than those clearly allowed in the instructions on the question paper, the stationery list, or the specification for that subject. This is particularly true of mobile phones, watches and other electronic communication or storage devices with text or digital facilities. Any precluded items must not be taken into an exam room.
Disruptive learners are dealt with in accordance with JCQ guidelines. Any learner who leaves an exam room temporarily must be always accompanied by an appropriate member of staff. Learners who have finished their exam early may leave the exam room without causing disruption to the other learners an exception to this is GCSE exams where a learner must stay under exam conditions for 1 hour.
Learners who are more than 15 minutes late will not be admitted to the exam.
Learners who book an individual exam who do not arrive for the programmed exam may be charged the exam fee for a further appointment, this is at the discretion of the programme manager.
It is the Learners responsibility to ensure their contact details are kept up to date to ensure any correspondence/results/certificates are posted to the correct address.
Internal assessment
It is the duty of programme managers and tutors to ensure that all internal assessment is ready for an External Quality Assurer visit or for dispatch if required. Marks for all internally assessed work are provided to the exams officer who will hold them securely. The exams officer will assist by keeping a record of any dispatch, including the recipient details and the date and time sent.
The exams officer will inform staff of the date when appeals against internal assessments must be made by. Any appeals will be dealt with in accordance with the centre’s Internal Appeals Procedure.
Malpractice
The head of centre in consultation with the programme manager for quality is responsible for investigating suspected malpractice.
Equality Legislation
All exam centre staff must ensure that they meet the requirements of any equality legislation.
The centre will comply with the legislation, including making reasonable adjustments to the service that they provide to learners in accordance with requirements defined by legislation, awarding bodies, and JCQ. This is the responsibility of the Head of Service / Quality programme manager.
Access arrangements
The Business Support Team (BST) will inform tutors of learners with special educational needs and any special arrangements that individual learners will need during the course and in any assessments/exams.
A learner’s access arrangements are determined by the learner, tutor, and carer/parent (if applicable). Submitting completed access arrangement applications to the awarding bodies is the responsibility of the exams officer.
The room, invigilation, and support for access arrangements, as defined in the JCQ access arrangements regulations, will be organised by the exams officer and business manager.
Special consideration
Should a learner be unable to attend an exam because of illness, suffers bereavement or other trauma, be ill or otherwise disadvantaged or disturbed during an exam, then it is the learner’s responsibility to alert their tutor and/or the exams officer to that effect.
The learner must complete any special consideration claim form with appropriate evidence and submit it to the exams officer within the timeframe required by the awarding body.
Contingency planning
The contingency plan will ensure there is a consistent and effective response in the event of major disruption to the examination system. The overall outcome of the plan is to ensure that the interests of learners are safeguarded while maintaining the integrity of the examination system and qualification standards.
There are three specific outcomes the plan seeks to achieve:
- delivering assessments to timetables
- delivering results to timetables
- complying with regulatory requirements in relation to assessment, marking and standards of awarding bodies
The plan will be triggered in the event of a major disruption to the examination system affecting candidates across awarding bodies.
This could include severe weather, widespread illness, travel disruption, fires, logistical problems or system failures.
Any actions taken will be subject to the advice of the official agencies dealing with the specific circumstances being faced, for example the police, Environment Agency or Health Protection Agency.
Communication is an important factor in ensuring an effective and consistent response across the agencies involved. This includes communications between the organisations involved in the response, and communications to stakeholders such as centres, learners, parents or carers and the public.
The ALS contingency plan is available and in line with the guidance provided by Ofqual, JCQ and awarding organisations.
Results
Learners will receive:
- GCSE results – in person at the centre with ID followed by their certificate
- Their qualification certificate by post to their home address
Enquiries about Results (EAR)
EARs may be requested by centre staff or the learner following the release of results. A request for a re-mark or clerical check requires the written consent of the learner, a request for a re-moderation of internally assessed work may be submitted without the consent of the group of learners.
The cost of EARs will be paid by the learner. All decisions on whether to make an application for an EAR will be made by the learner after a discussion with their tutor.
If a learners request for an EAR is not supported, the learner may appeal, and the centre will respond by following the process in its internal Appeals Procedure.
All processing of EARs will be the responsibility of the exams officer following the JCQ guidance.
Access to Scripts (ATS)
After the release of results, learners may ask the exam officer to request the return of written exam papers within five working days of the receipt of results.
Centre staff may also request scripts for teaching purposes (five working days) or for investigation. For the latter, the consent of learners must be obtained.
An enquiry about results (EAR) cannot be applied for once an original script has been returned.
Processing of requests for ATS will be the responsibility of the exams officer.
Certificates
Learners will receive their certificates by post to their home address.