When the JCQ inspector knocks

Over the years the list of directives, rules and regulations in the JCQ’s booklet ‘Instructions for conducting exams’ seems to grow year-on-year as they try to respond to a variety of changes and influences on the exam environment.

 

Some of those booklet changes are in direct response to changes to various exam specifications and/or assessment models from awarding bodies and government level. Everyone will be familiar with for example, the criteria applied to the distribution of pre-exam materials to subject staff or for the arrangements needed delivering online testing in their centre. 

 

Other references in the JCQ’s booklet ‘Instructions for conducting exams’ refer to security both before during and after a live exam period. The basis for such references are always couched in terms of providing the same opportunity to all students where ever they are in the country. One would like to think that every single member of any exam’s office staff would make that a priority in their centre.

 

However, in the most recent publication of the JCQ booklet on page 5 & 6 a greater emphasis has been directed at centres on their secure storage for all confidential material related to exams. Again talking to members this all sounds quite simple and sensible to implement but what seems to have been missed is that Awarding Bodies have announced the reintroduction of their own stationary which will change the storage requirements for centres, already under pressure from space. AQA did this last year and others are about to follow suit.

 

Secondly, many exams office staff share open plan rooms and their secure storage is often a long way from their office. The general view of the membership is that everything is under control and we have all the systems in place to fulfil the JCQ rules. However, the view from some awarding bodies is that some centres do not. If this is the case why do they not deal with these centres appropriately, as the rules state and stop handing out global directives, often after the horse has bolted which only further undermine the good practice in so many good centres.

 

Thirdly, many exams office staff do not have a big enough area to layout and prepare the exam papers on a day-to-day basis within their secure storage area. The directive coming down from awarding bodies via the JCQ talks about a box within a box and how everything must take place within those constraints. Had this wording been looked at by EOA members the JCQ would have in place rules and regulations that fully reflect the reality in centres which everyone can sign up to and make successfully work. 

  

The message back from members is that the JCQ booklet continues to become more and more distance from the reality in centres as more and more directives seem less and less achievable. The down side one might suggest is that because of the constant lack of communication on this document with practitioners, ie. exams office staff who have to implement these rules and regulations, many may feel these directives are becoming more unrealistic and then end up being seemingly ignored by certain centre personnel. 

 

Until last year the JCQ booklet ‘Instructions for conducting exams’ had never been shared with the EOA membership (when a contribution was accepted and a change made on your behalf) but there was no approach this year on the most recent publication. The EOA prompts the obvious question that it is in no ones interest to compromise the exams system but surely there should be a greater engagement with the community who have to ‘police these rules and regulations’ on behalf of awarding bodies via the JCQ. It would avoid so much stress and anguish within centres and give awarding bodies more confidence in having their directives implemented successfully, in everyone’s interest. 

 

If you have views the role of the JCQ and its various documents please contact us now – fran.atkinson@examofficers.org.uk –title ‘Future JCQ engagement’