01 Feb 2022
It takes an individual with a specific skillset to successfully undertake the exams officer role. These skills are often developed over time, even whilst in post, however, once they are acquired, they are transferrable and very much sought after - within and outside the education sector. It is important that exams officers appreciate the skills they possess and how these can be utilised across a wide range of roles, presenting an ideal opportunity for career progression in a variety of professional sectors and settings.
In many centres, however, the possession of these skills is not recognised, and most disappointingly, many exams officers themselves fail to recognise and promote the value of the skills they possess.
Before we consider the skills required by an exams officer, we should also emphasise the discipline and commitment required to work within a regulatory framework as set by the JCQ for examinations, particularly where you are the sole individual with responsibility for ensuring that the rules are adhered to and, when necessary, enforced.
Consequently, it should not come as a surprise that those with a background in sectors where there are regulatory requirements - such as banking and finance, the law/legal practice, human resources, health care etc. - are the type of individuals who progress to become effective exams officers, to the extent that very often they are soon transferred to more prominent roles within a centre.
Key skills
To identify the skills required to become an effective exams officer, we need to consider the key aspects of the role. This is outlined in the ‘exam cycle’ which defines the exams management and administration process that needs to be undertaken by an exams officer for each exam series. This useful illustration groups the relevant tasks which need to be undertaken before, during and after the exam series into five stages:
- Planning
- Entries
- Pre-exams
- Exam time
- Results and post-results
Let us consider the key skills required to successfully complete each stage of it.
Planning
During the planning stage, exams officers are creating documents such as an annual exams plan, gathering information from teaching staff/SENCo (or the equivalent member of staff within a FE college), sharing updated JCQ and awarding body information with colleagues and candidates, and forward planning for upcoming exam series’.
This is also a time when research is undertaken to identify regulation changes/updates, exams-related policies are reviewed/updated, and candidates, staff and parents/carers are briefed on exam regulations. This may also be a time when invigilators - new and existing - may be trained to ensure familiarity with the regulations or receive an updated meeting to highlight changes in regulations.
To fulfil the above, exams officers need to show a wide range of skills, including presentation skills when conducting training, interpreting, and conveying regulatory information to colleagues and candidates and effective policy/document writing. There is also a need to reflect upon the actions taken and assess how processes can be refined and improved for future years.
Entries
One of the key tasks undertaken by an exams officer is to submit examination entries for every candidate to the relevant awarding organisation(s).
It is at this time that exams officers are required to collect, collate, check, and process data and information and submit final entries to meet clearly published deadlines.
To undertake the above tasks, exams officers need to possess a range of skills. They need to be well organised, and clearly communicate the information they require - and the deadlines by which this must be submitted - to teaching staff. There is a requirement for good communication skills, and the possibility of having to engage in difficult conversations with those members of teaching staff who do not meet the deadline set by the exams officer.
Exams officers will need to manage their time to ensure that there is sufficient time for them collate and process information from a range of teachers/teaching departments to meet the awarding bodies’ entry deadline and prioritise tasks in the weeks leading up to final entry submission to ensure that all key tasks - in addition to submitting entries - are completed.
Adequate contingency planning will also need to be in place to mitigate against any emerging situations which prevent entries being submitted to deadline(s) - for example, the absence of the exams officer or the failure of IT systems.
Pre-exams
A very significant stage within the cycle, which is often overlooked but is pivotal to ensuring a successful exam series, is the pre-exams stage - the time when preparation for exams takes place.
During this period, exams officers will be involved in tasks such as:
- Rooming - confirming the rooms which will be used on each exam day and issues such as where candidates’ belongings (e.g. bags) will be placed
- Timetabling - a centre (master) exams timetable will need to be produced for the entire exam period (series), from which individual candidate timetables will need to be devised and disseminated to each candidate. It is also recommended that site/premises staff are provided with a copy of the centre timetable to ensure exam rooms are set up as and when required, and so it is recognised that any planned fire drills or outside work that might affect the noise in exam rooms etc. can be avoided
- Seating plans - for each examination room showing the exact position of each candidate in the room
- Candidates taking exams elsewhere or under joint teaching arrangements - managing alternative site, centre consortium and transferred candidate arrangements where these may be applicable to any candidate(s)
- Access arrangements/reasonable adjustments and modified papers - making approval applications/ordering modified papers for candidates with specific needs, and ensuring that the relevant JCQ requirements/regulations are communicated to candidates
- Confidential materials - starting to receive confidential examination material from the awarding bodies which must be handled strictly in accordance with JCQ regulations, as failure to do so may result in the centre being held to account for engaging in malpractice
- Resolving timetable clashes - providing solutions for candidates who may be taking two or more exams which are timetabled at the same time
- Invigilation arrangements - confirming the availability of invigilators, arranging their timetables, ensuring contingency in the event of invigilator absence, and disseminating JCQ information - for example, the Checklist for invigilators
- Candidates - notifying candidates of/distributing information as directed by JCQ, including:
- their exam entries and the dates and times of their exams/assessments
- JCQ Information for candidates documents (coursework, non-examination assessments, on-screen tests, social media, and written examinations)
- JCQ Unauthorised items and Warning to candidates posters
- the procedures for dealing with candidates’ requests for post-results services
- the accessibility of senior members of staff immediately after the publication of results
The above is only some of the tasks which exams officers will be undertaking in the pre-exams period. A specific set of skills are required to deliver these tasks, particularly as many have to be performed in line with strict requirements as set out by the JCQ. Exams officers will need to engage in and manage several tasks at the same time and ensure attention to detail to meet JCQ regulations.
Exams officers need to address the needs of individual students - for example, when producing candidate timetables, resolving exam timetable clashes, and supporting candidates with access arrangements - whilst also working with a range of staff within the centre and keeping them informed of relevant information. Some information may need to be shared with teaching staff - for example, pre-release materials - and the exams officer may also be involved in the conduct of non-examination assessments, all of which require exams officers to be adaptable and multi-task on a daily basis… whilst all time being aware of, and adhering to, JCQ regulations.
Exam time
Exam time is the period when exams take place. The preparation for exams is complete and the running and conducting of exams is the primary focus.
The exam series lasts from mid-May to the end of June, and therefore, exams officers need to be well organised to ensure that exams run smoothly on each day.
Examination papers and materials will need to be handled strictly in accordance with JCQ regulations and exams officers are very likely to be responsible for examinations taking place across multiple rooms. Each exam room must all be set up as detailed in JCQ regulations, and invigilators will need to be briefed and managed effectively to ensure that the security and integrity of exams is always maintained - before, during and after the examination.
Although there are a number of tasks which must be carried out on each exam day (for example, taking exam papers and materials out of secure storage to exam rooms, setting up exam rooms, managing access arrangement candidates, packing, and dispatching scripts etc.), exams officers also need to be prepared for a number of scenarios which may occur on an exam day. These include:
- A visit from the JCQ inspector
- Candidates arriving late
- Candidates arriving with broken limbs, illness etc
- An issue with the question paper
- The issuing of an erratum notice by an awarding body
- Dealing with emergencies, such as a fire alarm
- Dealing with instances of malpractice
Finally, exams officer will also need to ensure that there are contingency measures in place for a range of issues, including the absence of the exams officer or if there is an issue with an exam room (particularly the main exam room) or if the centre is unavailable.
It is evident from the above, that apart from strong organisational skills, exams officers have to ensure thorough planning, the completion of a number of set tasks at defined points during each day and have robust contingency measures in place to deal with a range of possible issues which, if not dealt with effectively, may have serious repercussions for the centre and candidates.
Results/Post-results
The final phase of the ‘exam cycle’ is the receipt and issuing of candidates’ results, dealing with post-results enquiries and any subsequent appeals
Exams officers have the day prior to the release of results to candidates to securely receive, collate and sort examination results and information received from the awarding bodies in preparation to release this to candidates. This requires a thorough knowledge of awarding body/examination IT systems and programmes, and the ability to deal effectively and efficiently with any result anomalies.
It is on this day - known as restricted release day - that exams officers will be working under considerable pressure as they are asked for information from senior leaders, and other members of staff approved by the head of centre… in addition to preparing results information for candidates.
Exams officers will have to be well organised and ensure clear communication with candidates to deliver examination results accurately and efficiently, with instructions of next steps for those candidates who may wish to seek advice or query their results.
The post-results services which candidates can access in the event of an enquiry about their result(s) requires the explanation of complex information and advice and guidance over what can be applied for and the relevant timelines.
Exams officers may also be involved in dealing with local authorities and the media who may want to access results information - in which case, there are strict JCQ guidelines which must be followed.
Conclusion
The brief overview of the exams officer role contained in this article helps to explain and confirm the complexity of the role and one which, if it is to be fulfilled effectively, must be undertaken by an individual who possesses a range of skills. Unlike many other non-teaching roles within centres, exams officers also have to operate within strict regulatory guidance as issued by the JCQ - failure to do so can have serious repercussions for the exams officer, centre, and the students.
In such a prominent role, it is imperative that the individual appointed as the exams officer is supported in acquiring and developing the skills which they require to undertake the role effectively. If exams officers receive the appropriate support within a centre to acquire and hone these skills, then not only can they become a very valuable member of staff, but there are also a range of career progression opportunities open to them after serving as an exams officer.
It is the aim of the NAEO to promote the acquisition and development of these skills and encourage exams officers to view their role as one which opens doors to a range of career opportunities. There are most definitely many organisations who would readily employ an individual who possessed the skills and experience listed in this article.