The National Association of Examinations Officers (NAEO) conducts a survey each year to ascertain the status of the exams officer community and issues which are causing concern and need to be addressed.
This annual survey is conducted during October each year, and results in action, not just reflection. As its founding principles state, the NAEO:
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Represents the views of, and issues faced by, the exams officer community
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Supports exams officers in their professional development and at centre level
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Influences educational decision-makers when devising policy which impacts upon the exams officer community
2024 Exams Officer Survey
The closing date to respond to the 2024 survey was Friday 1 November 2024
Click the link above to view the the results from the 2024 survey
2024 Exams Officer Survey summary
A summary of the results of the 2024 Exams Officer Survey are listed below.
A pdf version of the 2024 survey can also be downloaded here
The 2024 exams officer survey took place between 1 October and 4 November 2024, with 2,044 exams officers providing responses – compared to 1,841 who completed the exams officer survey in 2023, 1,489 in 2022 and 958 in 2021.
It should be noted that new exams officers are less likely to participate, and therefore, the feedback is more representative of those established within the role.
The main areas of concern amongst the exams officer community include:
- A significant number of exams officers do not have sufficient time to read and understand the regulations and perform their role
- A significant number of exams officers do not feel well supported and do not have access to a professional development programme or appraisal of their role and centre process
- A majority of exams officers do not receive any support/assistance in performing their role
- There is a lack of contingency planning in a significant number of centres
- There is a lack of succession planning in the majority of centres in the event of the absence of their exams officer at a critical stage of the exam cycle
- A significant number of senior leaders do not possess the necessary knowledge and understanding of the regulations to support and supervise their exams officer
- A significant number of heads of centre/senior leaders do not understand the scale of the exams officer role – there is a misconception that exams officers are only busy during an exams series
- Exams officers are spending an increasing amount of time in the administration, facilitation and invigilation of access arrangements
The main outcomes of the 2024 survey are:
Exams officer role
- 73.1% of exams officers spent more time working on implementing access arrangements during the 2023/2024 academic year than the previous year
- 53.4% of exams officers do not receive any support/assistance in performing/undertaking their role
- 51.3% of exams officers perform an additional role within their centre
- 24.5% of exams officers do not have access to an annual appraisal
- 19.6% of exams officers do not feel well/actively supported and valued by their senior leadership team/line manager
- 18.7% of exams officers do not receive appropriate training and support to facilitate the effective delivery of examinations and assessments, and ensure compliance with the published JCQ regulations
Senior leader role
- 60.1% of centres do not have adequate succession planning in place, and/or support for a new exams officer if the current exams officer were to decide to leave their role
- 40.8% of senior leader(s) with overall responsibility for examinations and assessments do not receive appropriate training and support to facilitate the effective delivery of examinations and assessments, and ensure compliance with the published JCQ regulations, within their centre
- 37.3% of senior leaders with responsibility for examination administration within their centre do not read/refer to/understand/familiarise themselves with the entire contents of the relevant JCQ documents (particularly the General Regulations for Approved Centres, Instructions for conducting examinations, Access Arrangements and Reasonable Adjustments)
- 37.3% of heads of centre/senior leaders/line managers believe that their exams officer is only required/busy when examinations are taking place
- 30.8% of centres do not have adequate contingency plans in place in the event of the absence of their exams officer during a critical stage of the exam cycle (e.g. entry deadline, during an exam series, results day etc.)
- 26.6% of senior leaders/line managers with responsibility for examinations within their centre do not possess a good working knowledge of the examination system