Background
The main objective of the NAEO is to raise the profile and status of the exams officer role. Working towards this will ensure that exams officers have access to the best possible working conditions within their centre – including having the necessary time to undertake their roles, access to support and guidance when required, and being remunerated appropriately.
To help achieve this objective, the NAEO has developed a set of Exams Officer Professional Standards which set a baseline of expectations for the professional practice and conduct of exams officers. The standards ensure that exams officers are viewed in a professional capacity as the individual within a centre who is responsible for the management, administration and conducting of examinations and assessments, and completing the various tasks associated with the exams cycle. The standards also help exams officers to self-evaluate, reflect, and determine their professional development needs.
The standards identify the key requirements of the exams officer role (which help to set it aside from the current perception of it being a purely administrative role) and measure success and achievement which can be formally recognised during an annual appraisal.
The standards will also form part of the recruitment process when appointing an exams officer (with the creation of a 'national' job description and sample interview questions/tasks), and to inform discussions during annual appraisals or regarding professional development requirements.
Stakeholder recognition
Recognition for the Exams Officer Professional Standards has been acquired from the following educational/examination stakeholders:
- Department for Education: A message from the Minister of State (Education) – Rt. Hon. Nick Gibb
- Ofqual: 'Ofqual welcomes the steps being taken by the National Association of Examinations Officers to professionalise the role of the exams officer given the pivotal role they have in the effective running of the exam system'
- Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ): Statement to follow
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AQA: 'At AQA, our purpose is to advance education by providing high quality qualifications that help students realise their potential and equip them to succeed. We believe everyone has the potential to achieve, so we make sure our qualifications give all students the opportunity to show what they can do and progress to the next stage of their lives. This is why we support the new Exams Officer Professional Standards, from the National Association of Examinations Officers – to really acknowledge the importance of the exams officer role, the professionalism and expertise they bring, and to recognise the part they play in young people’s education journeys. We encourage all the exams officers we work with to take the opportunity to achieve the professional recognition they deserve'
The creation of the professional standards
Below is a summary of the key individuals who helped to create the Exams Officer Professional Standards and a timeline of steering group meetings.
In July 2022, we appointed the following exams officers to a steering group consisting of exams officers and key stakeholders to discuss and confirm the content for the Developing Key Skills and Values and Attributes elements of the standards:
- Lynne Smith
- Geraldine Jozefiak
- Julie Vine
- Samantha Burden
- Jenny Kavanagh
- Kerry Tweddle
- Angela Johnson
- Amber Patterson
They were joined by Marcia Woods and Jugjit Chima (Steering Group Chair).
See below for meeting agendas and minutes.
Following the decisions made by the Steering Group a range of online programmes will be devised to support exams officers in their day-to-day role – for example, an online key skills training and assessment programme to assess and improve the key skills as identified in the standards.
Finally, the standards are to be presented to the relevant authorities, organisations, and associations for formal recognition, to ensure that they are utilised as part of the exams officer recruitment, appointment, appraisal, and performance management process in all centres.
Steering group meetings
Meeting 1 - 26 July 2022 (12-2pm)
Agenda:
- Introductions
- Background - The reason for proposing the Standards
- The scope of the Steering Group - what we will look to achieve/propose and timelines
- Future meetings/attendance/minutes
- Focus area: The main tasks/responsibilities of the exams officer role
- Next meeting - confirm date and focus area (i.e. What should be included within the Standards?)
Meeting minutes can be found here
Meeting 2 - 31 August 2022 (12-2pm)
- Focus area: The knowledge required to successfully undertake the exams officer role
Meeting minutes can be found here
Meeting 3 - 21 September (11-12noon)
- Focus area: The skills required to successfully undertake the exams officer role
Meeting minutes can be found here
Meeting 4 - 31 October (11-12noon)
- Focus area: The values and attributes which must be displayed by every exams officer
Meeting minutes can be found here
Meeting 5 - 14 December (11-12noon) - This meeting includes the content which would have been discussed at the cancelled 28 November meeting
- Focus area: Final comments from the group members & presentation of the draft report for discussion