26 Apr 2023
In recent weeks, we have received many enquiries from exams officers asking for advice and guidance on examinations which are to be taken in the candidate’s home.
In this article, we consider eight areas which an exams officer should consider – and implement – before any examination is conducted in the candidate’s home. This advice is intended to ensure that the examinations are conducted in line with JCQ regulations, whilst also ensuring the safety of centre staff, particularly invigilators, when they attend a candidate’s home.
1. Notifying JCQ
If it is intended that a candidate will take their exam(s) at home rather than at the centre’s registered address, the centre must notify the JCQ Centre Inspection Service of this intention and supply the candidate’s home address and the date(s) it is to be used. Reference should be made to JCQ’s Alternative site guidance notes and the JCQ Centre Inspection Service must be notified by submitting the JCQ Alternative Site form online, using the Centre Admin Portal (CAP), no later than six weeks before the start of the examination series.
However, in certain circumstances where it may not be possible to submit the notification six weeks in advance, a late submission should be made as soon as the details are known.
2. Conducting a pre-exams visit to the candidate’s home
It is imperative that a member of the senior leadership/pastoral team and/or the exams officer visit the candidate’s home ahead of the exam series to confirm the arrangements that will be in place at the time of the exam(s). The exams officer will need to discuss and confirm the required exam room and invigilation arrangements, whilst the pastoral lead (e.g. head of year/head of sixth form, etc. who is the link between school/college and home) will cover any other arrangements or issues. If an access arrangement has been approved for the candidate, then the SENCo (or equivalent member of centre staff) may also need to be present to explain how the access arrangement will be delivered.
3. Confirming exam room arrangements
Just like any room set up within the centre on an exam day, the room/area to be used within the candidate’s home must meet JCQ requirements by providing appropriate conditions for taking the exam, for example heating, lighting, ventilation and noise. The candidate and invigilator must also have access to suitable seating and a work surface. For more information, see JCQ’s Instructions for conducting examinations, section 11).
Although unlikely to be found in a candidate’s home, a check must also be undertaken for display material which might be helpful to the exam subject(s). If found, this must not be visible to the candidate and must be covered or removed prior to the exam taking place.
4. Confirming arrangements with the candidate
It must be made clear to any candidate (and their parent/carer) that:
- as soon as preparation for the exam begins, no other activity can take place in the room/area
- the candidate will not be allowed into the room/area until the preparation is complete and is invited to enter the room to start the exam which will be conducted in accordance with JCQ’s Instructions for conducting examinations
- the candidate will be under formal examination conditions from the point they enter the room/area until they are permitted by the invigilator to leave at the end of the exam
- no other person in the home will be permitted to enter the room up until the point when the candidate is permitted to leave and all exam materials have been removed from the room
- appropriate conditions for taking the exam must be maintained throughout the time the exam is in progress – this includes the level of noise (whether internal or external, intermittent or continuous)
- the risk of noise or disturbance caused by the use of television, radio, landline or mobile telephone, etc. should be avoided elsewhere in the home by any other member of the household during the time the exam is in progress
5. Maintaining the integrity and security of the examination system
Question papers must be kept under secure conditions at the centre’s registered address until taken to the candidate’s home address within the time permitted by the JCQ regulations (see Instructions for conducting examinations, section 11.3).
Question papers must be securely packaged and transported to the home address by a member of centre staff/the invigilator and kept under secure conditions at all times.
At the end of the exam, the invigilator must collect the candidate’s script/objective test sheet, question paper and any other materials before the candidate is allowed to leave the designated exam room.
The invigilator must securely return these to the exams officer at the centre where the script/objective test sheet will be securely dispatched for marking with those of the other candidates who have taken the same exam.
6. Invigilation arrangements
When arranging invigilation at a candidate’s home, exams officers should consider the safety of their invigilator(s) as well as adhering to JCQ regulations.
It will need to be decided if only one invigilator will be present (which meets the JCQ minimum requirement) or if it is the centre’s policy that an additional member of invigilator trained staff will also be in attendance and what their role is in addition to the invigilator (e.g. as a safeguarding measure/to act as emergency cover in the event of a health or other issue/as a health and safety measure), etc. See the risk assessment section below for further information.
The invigilator may have a mobile phone (set to silent mode) to use in case of emergency or needing help without having to leave the room or disturbing the candidate.
Arrangements will also need to be confirmed in the event of the candidate requesting to leave the room temporarily e.g. to visit the bathroom, etc.
It should also be noted, that despite the examination being conducted with only one candidate in the room, the invigilator is still required to give the same information and instructions as is required to be given to all candidates at the beginning of, during and at the end of the exam.
7. Access arrangements
Consideration will need to be given to any candidate who has been granted an access arrangement.
Regardless of the location of the examination, the access arrangement must be administered and facilitated in line with JCQ/awarding body regulations, and therefore, exams officers will need to meet with their SENCo (or equivalent member of centre staff) to confirm any arrangements which need to be put in place and how these will be managed and applied during the exam(s) in the candidate’s home.
8. Risk assessment
When sending an invigilator(s) into a candidate’s home, serious consideration must be given to the personal safety of the staff involved. Exams officers should seek guidance from the person in their centre responsible for the risk management policy to ensure that the relevant processes are in place to ensure that all areas regarding safeguarding have been covered.
The areas to consider could include, but are not limited to, examples such as:
- Do not enter the home alone to invigilate a child without the presence of parent/carer/appropriate adult
- Check in with your centre on arrival to, and departure from, the home
- Remain in the agreed designated room/area of the home from the start to the end of the visit
- Record any times where the candidate becomes upset or distressed including with their own parent/carer
- Report any concerns to the centre or where you feel unsafe or threatened as soon as possible
- Always have a mobile phone (on silent mode) charged and available
- Keep personal items, purse/wallet, car keys, etc. safe and secure
- Give an emergency contact name and number to your centre
- Record brief notes on the exam room incident log of other people present in the home and other relevant information e.g. issues with candidate and/or parent/carer/appropriate adult
Conclusion
Since the pandemic, there has been an increase in the number of candidates requiring to sit their examinations at their home address. Although JCQ regulations permit the candidate’s home to be utilised as an alternative site for examinations, this does require the exams officer to consider a range of factors – these include undertaking a pre-exams visit to the candidate’s home, adhering to JCQ regulations and ensuring the safety of their invigilator(s).
The Exams Office provides a template to support exams officers in confirming the arrangements for conducting exams in the candidate’s home to ensure that exams are conducted successfully. However, exams officers must also rely on support and guidance from staff within their centre to manage this ‘unique’ situation (e.g.. pastoral, safeguarding and SEN staff) and not assume that it is their responsibility alone to deliver examinations within a candidate’s home.