Examinations Officer

Key Duties and Responsibilities

The ideal candidate would be expected;

DATA:

• To manage and deliver the development, monitoring and updates of the school MIS system.

• Ensure the MIS system is fully populated and accurately kept up to date with student and house data information.

• Ensure effective utilisation of the MIS system’s full functionality including recording student details, attendance, assessment, and examinations.

• Oversee the data collection calendar and processes ensuring consistent and timely gathering of student data.

• To work with the Assessment Lead and Senior Leaders to support the assessment and reporting process.

• To work with the Access Arrangements administrator to support the provision of access arrangement data.

• To work with the Raising Standards Leaders to identify patterns and trends. • Keep records in accordance with data protection law, ensuring information is secure and confidential at all times.

EXAMS:

• To be responsible for managing the effective and efficient administration of external examinations in accordance with the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ) regulations (on behalf of the JCQ member awarding bodies[1 ]) and/or awarding body rules for exam administration in a consistent and secure fashion, thereby helping to maintain the integrity of the assessment process

• To support the Head of centre in ensuring that the centre is compliant with the JCQ regulations and awarding body requirements in order to ensure the security and integrity of the examinations/assessments at all times

•To act on behalf of, and be the main point of contact for, the centre in matters relating to the general administration of awarding body examinations and assessments

• To closely liaise with key stakeholders (external and internal) to ensure exams administration processes are strictly followed and key deadlines met

• To ensure examinations are conducted in accordance with the regulations

• Through taking an ethical approach and working proactively to avoid malpractice among students and staff, supports the Head of centre in taking all reasonable steps to prevent the occurrence of any malpractice/maladministration before, during the course of and after examinations have taken place

Principle Responsibilities:

Before examinations:

Planning

• Maintain and develop systems to manage and coordinate all aspects of the exams administration process

• Research and understand qualifications and how they are assessed

• Identify and access relevant support available from external stakeholders (Awarding bodies/JCQ/Network group/The Exams Office etc.)

• Comply with JCQ and awarding body regulations, guidance and instructions and keep abreast of developments/changes/updates

• Effectively use JCQ and awarding body online tools where required (e.g. the Centre Admin Portal (CAP), secure extranet sites)

• Oversee (as the main administrator) and manage appropriate access rights for relevant internal stakeholders using JCQ and awarding body online tools

• Manage own time effectively to ensure key tasks are undertaken and external key dates and deadlines are met (achieved by creating and working to an annual exam plan)

• Communicate clear internal deadlines and processes for gathering/sharing exam-related information from/with relevant internal stakeholders

• Brief candidates/staff/parents/carers on examination regulations and requirements

• Actively support the Head of centre in co-operating with the JCQ Centre Inspection Service, an awarding body or a regulatory authority when subject to an inspection, an investigation or an unannounced visit

• Annually confirms the information required by the National Centre Number Register (as administered by OCR on behalf of the JCQ) and informs of any changes to centre status

• Manage arrangements to receive, check and store question papers and examination material safely and securely at all times and for as long as required in accordance with the regulations

• Supports the Head of centre in managing Conflicts of Interest by informing the awarding bodies to timescale and recording the measures taken to mitigate any potential risk to the integrity of the qualifications affected.

• Contribute to the creation/review/update of exam-related policies as required by the regulations and accurately reflecting working practices in the centre

• Support the Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCo) (or equivalent role) in implementing examination access arrangements or reasonable adjustments for eligible candidates (processing approval applications and requesting modified papers by the published deadlines)

Entries

• Observe the awarding bodies’ published terms, conditions and processes for the registration or entry and withdrawal of candidates for their examinations and assessments

•Register or enter candidates for an examination or assessment in accordance with the awarding bodies’ published procedures and published deadline for that qualification

• Implement processes and liaise with relevant internal stakeholders to gather correct entry information to internal deadlines implementing strategies to avoid late (or other penalty) fees

• Maintain required identifiers for each candidate entered for an examination or assessment and enter candidates who are on roll at the centre as internal candidates

• Verify the identity of all students that are entered for examinations or assessments

• Effectively use internal and external IT systems to submit and manage awarding body registration and entry data

• Liaise with Finance to ensure fees are paid as instructed and at the time specified by the awarding bodies

• Submit any applications for transferred candidate arrangements in accordance with the awarding body requirements

• Liaise with relevant internal stakeholders to ensure final entries/registrations that have been submitted to an awarding body are regularly monitored, submitting timely changes (amendments/withdrawals) to ensure candidates take the correct papers at the correct time and enabling awarding bodies’ to deliver accurate results to the centre

Pre-exams

• Recruit, train, update and manage a team of invigilators

• Manage the arrangements for the timetabling, rooming, seating, resourcing and invigilation of examinations in accordance with the regulations

• Effectively resolve exam timetable clashes and manage overnight supervision arrangements (where arrangements may be required after all other options have been explored) in accordance with the regulations

• Ensure all candidates are notified of their examination entries and the dates and times of their examinations/assessments in accordance with the regulations

• Ensure all candidates are aware of the JCQ and awarding body information and regulations regarding the conduct of their examinations/assessments in advance of these taking place

• Confirm relevant internal stakeholders complete administrative tasks associated with centre assessed work in an accurate and timely manner in accordance with the requirements of awarding bodies and moderators

• Support the Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCo) (or equivalent role) in implementing examination access arrangements or reasonable adjustments for eligible candidates (appropriate arrangements for rooming, resourcing, facilitation, invigilation etc.)

Please see attached Job Description and Person Spec for additional information.