As the summer exams begin we wanted to make sure that you have everything you need to have a successful series.
With the advances in AI technology and increasing threats from malicious entities, the security of our assessments and data is as important as ever, and a lot of the guidance we offer is aimed at protecting both. |
| UK Exams Officer Update | live sessions |
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You can join us for our regular online webinar events throughout May and June, where we’ll be talking about the summer exam series and you can ask any questions you have. |
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We have made lots of enhancements in the past year or so, to increase the security of Pearson and centre data, and maintain the integrity of our qualifications and assessment materials. These have included a move to Multi-Factor Authentication and enforcing enhanced password requirements for all our platform users.
We created a new security page on our qualifications website, where we will share best practise as well as guidance on how to let us know if your centre becomes victim of a cyber attack.
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We should all now be familiar with the app based multi-factor authentication (MFA) enabled for Pearson systems, including Edexcel Online. Its important that anyone who needs to access assessment materials has MFA enabled as soon as possible, to ensure the smooth delivery of assessments.
We would ask that you take the following steps to ensure any non-exam staff are prepared:
- Anyone who needs to access Edexcel Online, Secure Download Service (SDS), silver/gold padlocked material, has a smart device with our MFA app installed, and they have registered an account.
- Any existing MFA app users have checked that their current device is registered. Where a new device is being used, an MFA reset is required in order to register that new device.
- Edexcel Online accounts are regularly reviewed and deleted where appropriate.
We understand that as Exams staff you may be the first port of call for others when they experience problems, and we want to reduce this burden as much as possible. Secure call backs are required as part of some of our troubleshooting and want to avoid having to complete these on an exam day.
Taking these steps now will help reduce the need for these. |
If electronic copies of question papers are required (for late entries or printing onto coloured paper), you can access these through Secure Download Service (SDS)(for general qualifications ) or the BTEC and T Level assessment download page (for other BTEC qualifications ). We will only send question papers to you through Secure File Transfer (SFT) in extreme circumstances. We recommend that you make sure you can access Secure Download Service and have also registered for an Secure File Transfer account in advance as this does not happen automatically.
If you need an electronic copy of a question paper on the day of the exam, and you don’t have the required Secure Download Service access, you will need to call us, and then be available for a secure call-back to have this added. Completing these checks now will make your exam days run more smoothly. In some cases, we may refer you back to other colleagues who do already have the required access as this will be a significantly quicker option than arranging a secure callback.
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With Pearson and other awarding bodies now despatching question papers, make sure that your centre has designated members of staff who are available Monday to Friday, 8.30 am to 3.30 pm, to receive deliveries of confidential examination/assessment material.
Facilities staff and reception staff must know how to handle confidential examination material from the awarding bodies. They must always check if one of the approved key holders is on-site before accepting the delivery of confidential examination/assessment material.
If none of the approved key holders are on-site, then the delivery of confidential examination material must not be accepted.
Envelopes and boxes containing confidential materials must always be signed for. A log must be kept at the initial point of delivery. The JCQ has produced a log to help centres – Exams Materials Receipt Log – Point of Delivery. This can be found at: JCQ Instructions for Conducting Examinations
One of the nominated key holders must immediately transfer the envelopes/boxes containing confidential examination material into the secure storage facility until it can be checked. |
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Did you know?
For printing onto coloured paper, or enlarging to A3, where it is the learner’s normal way of working, you can access these yourselves without the need for a formal application. Pearson do not provide the different colours, but we do provide a non-interactive PDF version that you can print in centre within 60 minutes of the exam start time. These can be accessed via the Secure Download Service or the BTEC assessment download page, providing you have entries that have cleared at least five days before.
Interactive PDFs should only be ordered for use with read-and-write software and should not be ordered to be printed on coloured paper.
Where another type of modification is required, such as Braille or Enlarged font, an application must be submitted before these can be provided. If a late entry is made that requires a modified format, we still require an application to be submitted via AAO or PAAO. Once the application has been made and you have an application reference number, you should contact us and we will endeavour to make this this available for you.
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You should make sure you have your learners entered for the correct tier, to receive the correct paper. We will only despatch papers where that tier of entry has been made and other tiers will not be available to you via Secure Download Service. Failure to rectify this ahead of time means you will be required to request a secure call back to arrange an Secure File Transfer, on the morning or afternoon of that exam. Amending your entries in good time, means there’s a possibility of making them available to you via Secure Download Service (for entries that have cleared by seven working days) or at the very least you can arrange the secure call back for Secure File Transfer ahead of the exam.
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If learners have been entered incorrectly, it's important that these are amended as soon as possible.
Learner personal details – These can be amended by you via Edexcel Online. If your learner has already sat some of their exams, it's important to make sure that what-ever details they have used on their papers, match those on the entry/registration. You can read our articles to find out how to amend learner details on BTEC registrations.
If the student has sat all their exams before an error is identified, please make sure this is corrected prior to certification.
Entry/Option code amendments – You should amend the entries using Edexcel Online or where appropriate EDI base data. How you will then access the papers for these late amendments will vary depending on your circumstances.
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For an exam more than seven working days in the future, where you didn’t already have entries for that exam, the new entry will have cleared in enough time for us to make the paper available via Secure Download Service (SDS) (General Qualifications and Tech award 2022) or BTEC and T level assessment download. There is no need to request a Secure File Transfer (SFT) for these papers, as you as an Exams Officer, should be able to access these providing you have the required access.
If you did already have other learners entered for the correct exam, and these entries were made on time, the electronic version of the papers will be readily available to access via the Secure Download Service or BTEC and T level assessment download.
For an exam less than seven working days in the future, where you are making subject entries for the first time, we will need to arrange a Secure File Transfer of the paper in the hour before the published start time of that exam. Secure File Transfer requests require a secure call back to ensure the person requesting it are who they say they are.
If a late entry is being made or an existing entry is being amended to an exam that you already have entries for, and is less than seven working days in the future, there is no need to request an Secure File Transfer for this. If your existing subject entries were made on time, then we will make those papers available to you electronically via the Secure Download Service or BTEC and T level assessment download an hour before the exam is due to start.
In cases where an Secure File Transfer is requested, but the papers are available to your centre via either Secure Download Service or BTEC and T level assessment download, we may reject the Secure File Transfer request and point you in the direction of other staff members who can access these on your behalf.
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*Exclusions- Centres are on a dispatch block, papers for specific qualifications/subjects. In all cases you will have been notified separately if this applies to you. |
Many of our BTEC and General Qualification exam papers are now out for delivery, with more dispatches scheduled for exams taking place a little later. Here is a break down of our dispatch dates;
Standard formats
- BTEC Tech Awards taking place from 1 May and up until 9 May: from 23 April onwards
- BTEC exams taking place from 6 May and up until 3 June: from 23 April onwards
- BTEC exams taking place from 5 June onwards: from 19 May onwards
- T levels exams taking place from 3 June and up until 12 June: from 19 May onwards
- Edexcel Award exams: from 23 April onwards
- General qualification exams taking place from 6 May and up until 20 May: from 23 April onwards
- General qualification exams taking place from 25 May and up until 9 June: from 9 May onwards
- General qualification exams taking place from 10 June onwards: from 31 May onwards
If you require BTEC or Functional Skills paper tracking please contact us through the Pearson support portal, and a Customer Services Specialist will provide a delivery update to you within two working days.
Modified formats
- Not all papers will be despatched at the same time; they will be sent as soon as they are ready.
- If it is a late order, then they may not arrive until the day of the exam, or they will be sent electronically on the day of the exam.
Missing question papers
Question papers will only be delivered, providing entries have been made for a subject. Therefore, please check your entries first. If you are confident that your entries have been made in good time, and you have exhausted all other tracking methods, please contact a us via the Customer Support Portal
Attendance registers
Where entries are made on time, we will always endeavour to send you an up to date attendance register and returns label (where applicable). These are sent separately from your exam papers, and where entries are made late, it’s the exam papers that are prioritised.
You can expect to start receiving attendance registers and labels from 23 April onwards. Please note, for general qualifications there are multiple attendance register despatches ahead of and throughout the series, so you will receive your attendance registers in staggered exam date order, usually at least two weeks ahead of exam date. Each despatch may also contain registers for any late entries made since the previous despatch. Attendance registers for late entries may be delivered less than two weeks ahead of exam date.
BTEC attendance registers for all on time bookings will be sent together from 23 April, with subsequent weekly despatches for any Late bookings made since previous despatch. Please note that attendance registers for BTEC Tech Awards (2022) on-time entries will be sent separately at least 2 weeks ahead of exam date. Attendance registers for late entries may be delivered less than 2 weeks ahead of exam date.
Did you know? BTEC Labels are sent with the attendance registers, but these are not attached. Please check the delivery bags for your labels before discarding them.
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Did you know that we have a dedicated website for ordering additional exam stationery, and you can do this in advance of the exam series?
- You will need to use activation code KEHSY and this is the same for all users.
- In case of emergencies you can use other AO's exam bags, just cross out their name.
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The stationery and materials list applies to our general qualification examinations in this series and provides guidance on what stationery and equipment is required for learners to complete each exam.
The list is provided as a spreadsheet which you can download and filter to your requirements.
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A level Maths (9MA0) papers aren't included with the dispatch of other summer question papers. If you are a centre that delivers this qualification, plans for how we will deliver these papers to your centre will be communicated in May.
A level Maths (9MA0) will also not be available to download from Secure Download Service (SDS). Centres with entries who require an electronic copy will be able to request a copy via Secure File Transfer (SFT).
Details on how you can request a Secure File Transfer for 9MA0 will be shared with you in the communication being sent in May. |
When a learner is unable to sit an examination at their centre due to exceptional circumstances - such as a serious medical condition, suspension or exclusions - they can be transferred to another centre to sit examinations.
The transferred candidate process covers the externally assessed, written components for A level, GCSE, International GCSE, International A Levels and externally-assessed BTEC units only.
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Candidates must be entered for one tier and sit all components within a subject at the same tier (Foundation or Higher). This covers GCSE Maths, International GCSE Maths, Single Sciences (Biology, Chemistry & Physics), Combined Science and Languages.
Mixed-tier entry is strictly prohibited. You should make sure that all candidates sit all components at the same tier, and this should be identical to the tier of entry. Irrespective of what tier the candidate/centre think is appropriate the candidate must continue to sit the remaining components at the tier of entry.
Read more about candidates sitting an incorrect tiered paper.
If a learner has sat a different awarding body's exam paper in error, then please apply for Special consideration. |
Overnight supervision arrangements should only be applied as a last resort and once all other options have been exhausted.
When candidates are entered for three or more examinations, timetabled for the same day and the total duration for those papers is:
a) more than six hours for GCE examinations (AS, A2, A-level), including approved extra time allowances and/or supervised rest breaks; or
b) more than five and a half hours for GCSE examinations, including approved extra time allowances and/or supervised rest breaks
candidates may, at the centre’s discretion, be allowed to take an examination scheduled for the afternoon session the following morning (including Saturdays).
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This is an internally conducted assessment which is externally assessed by Pearson. The assessment must be conducted within the prescribed speaking assessment period as set by Pearson and must be in a face-to-face setting.
The speaking assessment period was from Wednesday 9 April – Wednesday 14 May 2025.
The submission deadline for GCSE and GCE MFL candidate speaking recordings is two working days after the last speaking exam for that language has taken place in the centre. The final submission deadline is therefore Friday 16 May 2025.
Further information can be found in the admin support guides:
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Sound files for our listening exams are available to Exams Officers for download through our unique live materials Secure Download Service.
You can access the recordings no earlier than 24 hours before the published start time (or the Friday, if the exam is on a Monday) of the examination. Transcripts can only be accessed up to one hour beforehand.
We will not set up scheduled audio file deliveries via Secure File Transfer (SFT).
Our recommendation is that a minimum of two members of centre staff have Secure Download Service included in their Edexcel Online profile. If you need to get additional members of staff added, they will need to contact us, and be available to receive a secure call-back from our Customer Services Specialist on your centre's main telephone number. Once this call has been performed successfully, access to the Secure Download Service platform will be added to their account.
Did you know? Where additional time has been approved via an Access Arrangement application, these Audio files are included in the same folders as the standard files within the Secure Download Service.
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If you suspect that a member of staff has committed malpractice or that maladministration of the qualification may have occurred, you must let us know by emailing a completed JCQ M2 Form to pqsmalpractice@pearson.com. Our Investigations team will review the documentation that you provide and advise you on the next steps. |
Our Secure Download Service only supports the reformed BTEC Tech Award (2022) qualification and general qualifications.
For all other BTEC qualifications we have two alternative services available to access papers electronically.
Access electronic versions of any timetabled exam papers that we send out to you in hard copy. These are made available within 60 minutes of the published start time. This should be used when you need to print onto coloured paper.
Access assessments that we release electronically only, and you need to print. These are normally for the ‘set task’ type assessments. The release dates for these can vary and these can be found in the BTEC External assessment overview or relevant Admin Support Guide.
You can access both of the above webpages from our Qualification website homepage and selecting 'Secure Tests'. Alternatively, we have now added banners with quick links on each qualification subject page. |
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All learner work requiring digital submission, for both general and vocational qualifications, must be uploaded via the LWT platform (accessed via Edexcel Online). This will include samples for non-examined assessment moderation, BTEC moderated components and standards verification, plus BTEC external assessments.
Explore our dedicated support articles for detailed guidance. These can all be accessed via our Learner Work Transfer overview & index article. |
Should a candidate arrive to an examination late, a centre may start an examination up to 30 minutes after the official start time without having to let us know.
Any time after this and you must inform Pearson by submitting a very late arrival form. This form is submitted through the 'Centre Admin Portal (CAP), accessible through Edexcel Online.
A candidate will be considered very late if he/she arrives:
a) more than one hour after the awarding body’s published starting time for an examination which lasts one hour or more, i.e. after 10:00 am for a morning examination or after 2:30 pm for an afternoon examination.
b) after the awarding body’s published finishing time for an examination that lasts less than one hour
Where a candidate arrives very late for an examination, centres must:
a) send the script to the awarding body/examiner in the normal way.
b) submit Form JCQ/VLA-Report on candidate admitted very late to examination room online, using the Centre Admin Portal (CAP), within seven days of the examination having taken place.
c) warn the candidate that the awarding body may not accept their script.
Centres must provide the following information:
- the time the candidate came under centre staff supervision.
- the reason the candidate arrived late, including any details of special arrangements made for the candidate to reach the centre.
- the actual starting and finishing times of the examination.
- the time the candidate started the examination.
- the time the candidate finished the examination.
- any assurances that the candidate did not access and was not made aware of the paper’s content prior to sitting the exam.
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All efforts should be made to return completed scripts on the same day or the the day following the exam. If it is not possible to arrange a collection on the same day, these must be kept in secure storage until such time they are collected.
Before returning you should check that the following items are included in the parcels;
- All completed exam scripts
- Completed attendance registers
- Coversheets such as Scribe Cover Sheets
- Additional pages if used
- Diagram booklets
- Answer sheets that have been completed on a word processor.
Failure to provide all of this material may delay the issuing of results.
Please note that due to the May bank holiday, the following JCQ ICE guidance should be followed;
" 29.2 Centres should try to despatch scripts from the morning and afternoon sessions of Friday 23 May 2025 that afternoon. If this is not possible, scripts must be retained in the secure room and be despatched as early as possible on Tuesday 27 May 2025." |
Question papers, mark schemes and examiner reports for the most recent exam sessions (within the last 12 months) can be accessed only by registered centres.
Past papers and mark schemes accompanied by a padlock are not available for students, but only for teachers and exams officers of registered centres.
Exam papers for the current series will be uploaded to the website under padlock after the completion of all exams in the series.
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Please don’t include anything other than exam scripts, cover sheets, the
attendance register in the exam bags. We often receive unused question papers or other exam-related material which is scanned and then slows down the marking process.
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A candidate's examination performance can sometimes be affected by circumstances out of their control. Special consideration is a post-examination adjustment that compensates candidates who were suffering from a temporary illness or condition or who were otherwise disadvantaged at the time of the examination.
Special Consideration applications may also be made where a learner has missed a unit or component of their qualification. In these cases, learners must have completed at least 15% (for summer 2025) of the total assessment to be considered for an aegrotat grade.
All applications for special consideration must be made within seven days of the last examination of the series.
We appreciate that each year there will be exceptional cases where a student is unable to sit any of the assessments for a qualification. If you are aware of students who you believe may find themselves in this situation, please contact us for advice. The earlier you are able to do this, the greater the possibility we may be able to assist.
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We are aware that in some instances disruption caused by industrial action or the weather may impact the running of exams. We would like to remind you that you should have a full contingency plan in place to ensure assessments can go ahead. You can read more about contingency planning on the JCQ website. If you’re concerned about any disruption, you can contact us through the Pearson support portal. |
We want to ensure you have all the help and support you need at your fingertips; that’s why we’ve got a library of support articles hosted on our Customer Support Portal. Each article contains answers, detailed information, step-by-step guides, instructional videos, and general advice. Articles require no special access, are easily searchable by keywords in their title, and are available 24/7, 365 days a year.
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Don't forget we have a dedicated Pearson Exams Officer Support page on Facebook. This provides you with a quick and convenient way to stay up to date with our latest news and live updates from the team.
Important and informative announcements will be posted on the page daily and messages will be monitored 8am to 5pm, Monday to Friday by Charlie, Emma and Seren; our dedicated Social Media Team. Message them with for help with your queries throughout your working day.
Please spread the word to your colleagues about this page as it can be a valuable source of support and information. |
We have recently launched our new Enhanced AI Virtual Assistant. For users who are logged in to customer support portal, this will replace the existing live chat functionality and provide you with the following benefits:
- 24/7 instant support for common, non centre/learner specific queries.
- Ability to view and track the status of existing open support cases.
- Be presented with customer support articles tailored to your role.
- You can attach relevant files to your live chat conversations, making transferring to a human agent more efficient.
- You can ask to be transferred to a person at any time during your live chat (between the hours of 8am and 5pm BST).
Unlike non AI driven chat services, one of the key benefits of this new service is that you can ask it any question*, in your own way and it will respond by accessing our vast library of support articles to find you an appropriate answer and reference the source material. This removes the need for you to locate the appropriate articles for your query, AI does the work for you.
*Answers are sourced from publicly accessible information, therefore it cannot answer any centre or learner specific queries.
What happens next
We will email you with further guidance in the coming days and weeks, but you can start to explore and use this service now. Please remember you can only use this and receive the other benefits mentioned above, if you are logged into the customer support portal. |
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Should you not find the answer to your query using our new AI Virtual Assistant, you can ask to be transferred to a human agent at any point during the conversation, simply by saying something like "please connect me to an agent". You will then be asked for a few additional details and be connected to an available agent.
We have extended our contact hours to 8 am - 5 pm BST and we have expanded our team to accommodate more live chat queries during the exam series.
We understand that sometimes our phoneline is the preferred contact to use in times of urgency, however we understand an Exams Officers time is precious and so we encourage you to use our new Virtual Assistant and live chat rather than calling, so you can continue about your other work.
You can contact our team via the live chat by logging into the Pearson Support portal. You will be greeted by a pop-up on the screen and can start chatting with our Virtual Assistant and then be connected with a human agent if additional support is required.
We look forward to chatting with you!
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As always, should you need us we are here to answer your calls for more urgent or complex queries. During the exam series however, we are making some changes to how we handle your calls.
Once timetabled examinations have begun, when you call through to your relevant customer service team you will hear an option for urgent queries related to exams taking place that day.
During the hours of 8 am BST to 9.30 am BST and 12 pm BST to 1.30 pm BST we will have a team of people dedicated specifically to answering those questions as quickly as possible (Option 9).
You can still call with other non-exam related queries, but you may experience a longer wait to be answered (Option 1). If you'd prefer you can raise those queries using the other channels available mentioned above and may receive a quicker response.
If you have a call relating to multi-factor authentication, such as needing an MFA account resetting, you can select option 0.
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We wish you all the best of luck with your exams. |
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