Exams Officer

**Job Title: EXAMS OFFICER**

**Responsible to: Headmaster (Head of Centre) & Bursar**

**Reporting to: Deputy Head (Academic) (DHA) & Assistant Director of Studies (ADoS)**

**Department**:Support - Teaching

**Hours per week**:37.5 hours per week - Monday to Friday. Working hours are ideally 8.30am to 5pm with one hour for lunch.

Any additional hours worked - Saturday mornings or during exam season for example, should be taken as time off in lieu as soon as possible and within the academic year the time is accrued.

**Annual Leave**:20 days + bank holidays. Any bank holidays worked (usually May Day) to be taken in lieu by the end of the holiday year.

**Purpose**

The Examinations Officer is responsible for the administration and organisation of all aspects of external and internal examinations in accordance with JCQ and awarding bodies regulations. They are required to liaise with Heads of Departments and the Senior Management Team for the planning and organisation of examinations, and communicate effectively with different stakeholders, including members of staff, pupils, parents as well as the awarding and regulatory bodies.
- 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) and/or awarding body rules for exams 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.
- The administration and invigilation arrangements for the conduct of all exams, including compiling timetables, ensuring rooms are allocated, arranging invigilators, receipt, safekeeping and security of examination stationary and papers.
- 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.

**Overall 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 exams plan)
- Communicate clear internal deadlines and processes for gathering/sharing exam-related information from/with relevant internal stakeholders
- Annually confirm 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 confidential question papers and examination material safely and securely at all times and for as long as required in accordance with the regulations
- Support the head of centre in managing potential conflicts of interest by informing the awarding bodies to timescale for each examination series 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/procedures as required by the regulations and accurately reflect working practices in the centre

**_Entries_**
- 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
- Verify the identity of all students that are entered for examinations/assessments
- Effectively use internal and external IT systems to submit and manage awarding body registration and entry data
- Liaise with Finance to ensu