Exams Officer Newsletter
April 2026 |
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Welcome to your monthly Exams Officer newsletter |
Welcome back after the Easter break.
As we move into the busy exam season, now is a great time to check key dates, finalise preparations, and make sure everyone involved feels confident about the series ahead.
This update brings together key reminders to help you stay on track, alongside practical updates to support delivery, assessment and results.
As always, we are here. If you need further support, reach out to us through the Pearson support portal.
Best wishes,
Pearson Communications |
This month's news and updates |
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Activity |
| 21 April |
High late fee deadline
Last date that withdrawn entries will be refunded and process amendments without incurring additional fees.
AS/A level, GCSE, International GCSE, AEA, ELC(A), Edexcel Award, Mathematics in Context, Level 2 Extended Mathematics Certificate, Project qualifications |
| 22 April |
Amendment and high late entry fees will be charged from this date.
AS/A level, GCSE, International GCSE, AEA, ELC(A), Edexcel Award, Mathematics in Context, Level 2 Extended Mathematics Certificate, Project qualifications |
| 22 April |
High late fees will be charged from this date.
BTEC Nationals, BTEC First, BTEC Technicals and BTEC Tech Awards (from 2022) |
| 1 May |
Cohort reconfirmation: our second termtime checkpoint, where we've asked some centres to reconfirm which learners are expecting a qualification result on Level 2 or Level 3 results days in August 2026 |
| 15 May |
Deadline to submit centre marks and moderation samples (the exceptions to this deadline are GCSE and A level Art and Design – these marks do not need to be submitted until 48 hours before your moderator visit).
International GCSE, GCSE, IAL, AS/A level, ELC(A), Project qualifications |
| 15 May |
Deadline to submit learner work and marks for BTEC Tech Award summer internally assessed components. |
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Spring and summer: essential information |
To help prepare you for the May/June exams, we've put together this essential information article containing important knowledge on upcoming key dates, events, assessments, and available resources. |
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On 16 April, we brought our Pearson Exams Officer Support Facebook page together with the wider Pearson community on the main Pearson page.
If you already follow our page, you’ll be moved over automatically, there’s nothing you need to do. You’ll continue to receive the same high level of support who are here to help.
Join our new community group. |
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Join us on our 'Bitesize' webinars
If you're a new exams officer or just new to Pearson qualifications, you might have questions about the administration of these. We are running a series of interactive, engaging live events which are dedicated to specific admin processes, providing in depth guidance and include demonstrations on the completion of the process specified.
Why not join us for our next VQ Bitesize event: |
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Making Claims
9 June 2026
11:00-12:00 (GMT) 1 hour |
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Eligibility
23 June 2026
11:00-12:00 (GMT) 1 hour |
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Don't worry if you missed any! You can always watch the recording of past events on our support article. |
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Question paper security and handling |
Maintaining question paper security is key to upholding the integrity of qualifications and ensuring exams are fair for all candidates.
The below are some reminders which we hope you’ll find useful:
- Ensure that your colleagues who work where question papers will be delivered are familiar with the process for receiving packages and informing the Exams Office staff.
- Check there is a JCQ Exam Materials Receipt Log Point of Delivery document and colleagues know how to complete this
- Make sure colleagues know to report any issues relating to the security of question papers and packages to the awarding body immediately.
- Your Exams Office team know to complete the JCQ Exam Materials Receipt Log.
- Question paper packs are individually checked and placed in secure storage in date order.
- Any damaged or missing question paper packs are reported immediately.
We recently held an online session on exam admin and question paper security – you can access the recording via the Pearson Development Hub. |
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Second pair of eyes checks |
During exam series, there are so many things happening simultaneously that mistakes can happen all too easily. To avoid a mistake involving opening the wrong question paper packet, JCQ now requires that a second pair of eyes check is conducted before each packet is opened and to complete a second pair of eyes check form (JCQ ICE sections 2.8 and 5.2-5.5).
This must take place immediately before each question paper packet is opened in the designated examination room.
If the question paper packet needs to be split for different rooms on one or more sites or for an access arrangement, the check must take place in the secure room.
JCQ recommends that centres take an ‘eyes and ears’ approach to the second pair of eyes check, in which one person reads the information on the front of the question paper pack to the second person. This should help ensure that any issues with the information on a pack are more likely to be identified.
If you find that a question paper packet has been opened by mistake, contact us immediately.
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The JCQ website also contains the following useful documents:
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Mobiles phones and other devices |
Did you know that in the summer 2025 exam series, there were over 2,200 candidate malpractice cases where sanctions were issued because candidates were in possession of mobile phones and other communication devices?
Candidates often don’t want to part with their devices, even for exams.
Make sure your candidates and their parents/carers are fully aware of the rules relating to phones and other devices. Just being in possession of a device will result in 0 marks for that exam.
Think about the measures your centre can take to help prevent this malpractice.
- Does your centre have lockers that could be used by candidates to store their devices?
- Could all devices be collected in sealed containers and placed in a visible location before the start of the exam?
- Has your centre asked your students what would work in your centre?
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One type of electronic communication device which is becoming more common is smart glasses. Smart glasses can be connected to a user’s phone or other device and can be used to access the internet, use AI tools, take photos, and access device data. These may have tiny speakers in the arm of the glasses and can also have video cameras in the corner of the lens.
As these are also becoming increasingly sophisticated and harder to spot, make sure you, your exam team and invigilators know how to identify these prohibited items and that you liaise with your colleagues to know which students routinely wear smart glasses, and that these students know they can’t wear them for exams. |
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Despatch and tracking assessment materials |
Looking ahead to the examination series, you can find all the dates which we will begin sending materials to your centre on our support article.
Please ensure that colleagues are aware of materials will be arriving shortly and the process to follow in securing them. In the event of an issue, please report any issues upon delivery to Pearson immediately. Attempts of delivery outside working hours must be refused and redelivered when the main reception is open. |
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Changes to the DfE Yellow Label Service collections process for summer 2026 series |
The yellow label service will be in place for this summer series for centres in England to return scripts. |
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Please note, the Parcelforce website for generating your own replacement yellow labels is no longer active. Centres requiring additional and/or replacement yellow labels to return scripts to us, can now submit an order and have labels emailed to them within 24 hours using our new Replacement labels order form. |
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Important update on Secure Download Service (SDS) |
We’ve made some important key changes to the Secure Download Service (SDS) that will significantly improve your experience when using this service for the forthcoming General Qualifications and BTEC Tech Award May/June 2026 exam series.
Read more for full details on the key changes and how they will make your use of the SDS service easier and smoother.
For standard and modified question papers (ordered through Access Arrangements Online), the release time of electronic question papers via SDS is 60 minutes before the published start time for each exam.
Audio files will be available 24 hours before the exam (or the Friday before, if the test is on a Monday), and transcripts will be available 1 hour before.
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Complete your cohort confirmation by 1 May |
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Your second term‑time checkpoint, the BTEC cohort confirmation, needs to be completed by 1 May.
You’ll only need to complete this if we’ve contacted you directly. |
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Not all centres are required to complete this checkpoint. We’ve only asked centres where we think something needs checking, for example you may have some missing entries.
This is a final check to confirm which students are expecting results in summer 2026, helping us issue results on time in August.
What you need to do
- Check summer tags are applied correctly in the VQ Learner Tracker
- Review missing entries and ensure all students with a summer tag have the required external assessment entries.
- Take extra care with BTEC National (AAQ) registrations.
- Submit your cohort confirmation using the banner at the top of the VQ Learner Tracker.
You don’t need to resolve any other actions at this stage.
Not ready yet?
You can pledge to complete on time by clicking the banner in the VQ Learner Tracker.
Need extra support? Join a live webinar |
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Introducing Digital Credentials for Vocational Qualifications |
This year, we’re introducing digital credentials for vocational qualifications – giving students a secure, online record of their achievement they can access and share whenever they need it.
Digital credentials provide a trusted, flexible way for learners to evidence what they’ve achieved when applying for further education, apprenticeships or employment. They can be shared online with employers and universities, or added to a CV or professional profile.
Digital credentials will be available to all schools and colleges, with a small number of training providers also taking part in a trial. For centres, they offer a future‑ready way to recognise achievement, support learner progression and reduce follow‑up requests after results day.
Read more about digital credentials |
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BTEC Tech Awards
Submitting cash-ins for the January series
If students sat their external assessment in January, you had until 16 April to submit a cash-in on Edexcel Online to claim their certification for that series. If you’ve missed this deadline, you should contact us through the Pearson support portal as soon as possible.
You won’t be able to submit a cash-in for these students for summer without students re-sitting their external assessment.
You can submit cash-ins for the summer series either alongside your external assessment entries, or you can submit them via EDI until 15 May and on Edexcel Online until 5 July.
Don't forget about the terminal rule
The terminal assessment rule means students have to take their external assessment at the end of their qualification; i.e., the same series in which they'll certificate. This means students must sit their internal assessments either before or in the same series as the external assessment.
Important change to mark submission for internally assessed and externally moderated work
From this summer, you’ll need to submit your centre marks before we release the list of students selected for the moderation sample. We’ve recently been in touch to share more information about how this will work including what’s changing in Edexcel Online.
New! Download your subject quick guides
We've put together quick 4-page guides covering summary of each BTEC Tech Award course, components, assessment, resources and the support available, so you’ve got everything you need to know about your course in one easy reference.
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UK webinar events
We will host a series of monthly online exams officer updates during 2025/2026. These live events go through news, updates and various areas to support you in the coming month. |
If you were unable to attend our event in March, you can access the recording on the support portal. |
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Find out everything you need to know to manage examinations and administer our qualifications.
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Our new dedicated space for exams officer training created to offer enhanced support.
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JCQ
Published on 16 April 2026.
Sign up to future updates.
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Ofqual
Keep up-to-date with the latest news and blogs.
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The Exams Office
Working in collaboration with Dfe, Ofqual, JCQ and awarding bodies.
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Social media
Join our Facebook community to stay up to date with news.
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