A newly appointed exams officer – regardless of whether they have previously undertaken the role at another centre – should have access to an induction
Visit The Exams Office website to access its online, certificated new exams officer induction and assessment module.
The content of an induction will depend upon:
- Your expectations
- The level of experience which your exams officer possesses
- Processes within your centre which the exams officer may be unfamiliar with, including awarding bodies/qualifications and a Management Information System with which they may not have previously engaged
If an individual has no previous experience of the exams officer role, their induction should contain information on the following:
Internal information
- Centre specific information (e.g. key centre dates, exam series, mock/internal examinations)
- Key staff and communication channels (e.g. Heads of departments, SENCo, site manager, IT staff, reception staff and invigilators – list of invigilators, contact details, recruitment, training etc.)
- Training requirements (e.g. MIS, A2C, new exams officer training, local network group)
- Exam facilities/Equipment (e.g. exams officer’s office/desk, computer, phone, printer, secure exam room and secure storage facility location and access)
- Exam information (e.g. hard copy/electronically held information, qualifications taken at the centre, exam-related centre procedures, annual exams and qualification plans, examination information within the centre’s internal network/intranet site and public website, information for teaching staff)
- Exam rooms (e.g. main exam room(s), alternative rooming, process for booking/timetabling rooms for exams, communication with invigilators/the exam room during an exam)
- Exam budget (e.g. procedures, liaison with finance team, reporting to SLT etc.)
- Exam policies (e.g. existing policies, updating policies including production and reviewing, role of the exams officer etc.)
External information
- Key stakeholders (e.g. DfE, Ofqual, JCQ, awarding organisations, National Association of Examinations Officers (NAEO), The Exams Office etc.)
- Key stakeholder online and hard copy information
- Awarding organisations information including contact details, secure websites, specific processes/tasks and deadlines
Exam processes
If the newly appointed exams officer has no previous knowledge of managing, administering, and conducting examinations, they will also need to be made aware of the following:
- The exam cycle – this guides an exams officer through the exam year detailing the tasks which need to be undertaken and completed, and any relevant deadlines
- Key exam dates – these include exams administration dates and deadlines provided to centres by the awarding organisations
- Understanding qualifications and assessment – different types, how they are structured, assessed and graded/marked
If your newly appointed exams officer has previously undertaken the role at another centre, they will still require an induction. This will include centre-specific ways of working, MIS training (if the exams officer is not familiar with the system used at your centre) and information relating to qualifications which the exams officer has not previously managed, administered or conducted.