28 Sep 2025
As exam officers, our role is often seen as logistical—making sure the right papers are in the right rooms, at the right time, with the right invigilators. But if you look a little wider, you’ll see something more: we’re also part of a much bigger mission—to help every student show what they’re capable of in the fairest possible conditions.
At this year's NAEO conference, I spoke about the rising number of requests for separate invigilation. Since covid, we’ve seen anxiety levels climb, and schools are doing what they can to adapt.
While JCQ guidelines allow us to offer separate rooms to those with identified medical needs, that doesn’t help the majority of requests made by those we call ‘The Anxious Generation’.
We all know that the real purpose behind our role goes deeper: to support students in having the best possible chance to succeed under pressure. Our job is to help create a level playing field. And that doesn’t just mean adjusting for physical or medical needs—it means recognising the emotional and mental challenges that are now part of the bigger exam picture.
If students can’t access what they’ve learned due to overwhelming stress, then their time in the classroom—and ours behind the scenes—risks being wasted. Our students’ inability to think clearly, manage their emotions, and stay steady under stress. is something that we, as exam officers, are seeing more and more.
If students rely solely on being removed from the main exam hall in order to cope, we haven’t given them the skills they need to manage pressure long-term. We’ve patched over the symptoms without addressing the root cause.
As exam officers we see the fallout and cost of this unmanaged stress—not just on students, but on staff and systems. Disruptions, disengagement, and a sense of helplessness can ripple through the school.
Students need more than knowledge —they need tools to help manage their minds. That includes:
- Knowing how to calm themselves when anxiety kicks in
- Being able to balance out emotions without spiralling into panic
- Using simple, reliable techniques to slow down their racing thoughts
While we aren’t expected to deliver these sessions, we are in a unique position to influence how schools respond to this.
We’re the ones who see the impact of stress play out during exam season. We know how it affects attendance, behaviour, and performance—and we know how often it falls to pastoral so pick up the pieces.
So, let’s speak up.
Talk to your senior leadership team. Let them know that it’s not just subject knowledge that needs to be taught—it’s thinking skills too. Recommend that they bring in outside help to run cpd or inset training for staff.
When teachers feel confident supporting anxious students, the whole school benefits.
Here’s what that could lead to:
- Students who can choose and use techniques to calm themselves
- Less intensive, 1:1support needed from your pastoral teams
- A sense of ownership among students over how they respond to pressure
- Higher confidence, which leads to stronger performance when it matters most
In the end, helping students succeed isn’t only about test papers and timetables—it’s about mindset.
In your role, you see what others don’t.
You see the build-up, the breakdowns, the pressure points. You hold an essential piece of the puzzle when it comes to improving exam outcomes—not just for compliance, but for student wellbeing.
Let’s work together to make sure our students have the thinking tools they need to meet the moment.
You’re not just managing exams — you’re shaping the conditions in which students rise to the challenge.
Your voice matters. Use it to shape a system that supports both what students know, and how they’re able to show it.
I work with schools to prepare their students for the mental challenge of exams I offer 1-day CPD workshops and insets Training for schools to help you build teacher and student resilience to exam stress.
Want me to work with your staff on exam stress and thinking skills? Download my cpd pack at www.geraldinejozefiak.com/cpd
Contact me at hello@geraldinejozefiak.com