Exams Officer Update
28 January 2025 |
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Welcome to this week’s Exams Officer Update.
As always, our essential information guide is available for you to access and utilise throughout the academic year. The article is designed to aid you with frequently asked questions and various processes that you might require assistance with in your day-to-day activities. |
| Pearson Development Hub and upcoming live EO events |
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Our dedicated space for Exams Officer training has been created as part of our commitment to you, to offer enhanced support and training in 2024/2025 and beyond.
Features
You can access our library of interactive modules alongside live training, curated support articles, and the most useful documents from our website. We have brought everything you need to one place to save time when you need to upskill or refresh yourself on a topic.
- Pause interactive modules and return to them later
- Make notes in the notepad that you can refer to and download later
- Receive email alerts when new content is released.
- Follow curated learning paths for a particular qualification or process
Exams Officer Update live sessions
Why not join us for our next live online event, taking place on Thursday 13 February, 2pm - 3pm.
As with last year's events, we will go through news, updates and processes for the coming weeks and give you the opportunity to ask any general questions.
Click the links below to register for this and upcoming events. |
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Date |
Description |
| 31 January |
Deadline to submit your BTEC Cohort Declaration - 2024/2025 cohort |
| 31 January |
Deadline to request modified papers - BTEC Firsts, Nationals, Tech Awards and Technicals - Summer 2025 |
| 3 February |
Deadline to submit special consideration requests - BTEC Firsts and Nationals - January 2025 |
| 21 February* |
Deadline to make external assessment entries - BTEC Tech Awards (2022) - Summer 2025 |
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*Learners who sat BTEC assessments in the January 2025 series can be re-entered for June exams after January results have been issued, and no late fees will be charged. the entry deadline for these learners is 28 March. |
We wanted to remind you that we are here to help you complete your cohort declaration by 31 January 2025. We understand that January is a busy time for many of you, so please get in touch if there is anything we can do to help you complete your cohort declaration by the deadline.
We’ll keep in touch with regular reminders, sharing any information we think will help you complete this activity, including FAQs.
Read our cohort declaration FAQs
You can also join us on our last cohort declaration Q&A event that we will be hosting prior to the deadline. |
You should have now received standard and modified question papers and attendance registers for the BTEC February series.
The Yellow Label Service will be in place for this series for centres in England to return scripts.
You can expect to start receiving question papers for the March series from Monday 10 February with attendance registers, labels and learner cards also from 10 February.
A reminder, if you discover any printing issues with any of your question papers on the day of the exam, please do not return with the rest of your scripts.
If you require tracking information, please contact us through the Pearson support portal. |
- Morning exams will be available from 8 am (GMT)
- Afternoon exams will be available from 12.30 pm (GMT)
As a centre you are required to have entries for the paper you trying to access, and these need to have been made at least 24 hours in advance. The person accessing the paper also needs to be in an authorised role such as Exams Officer and have SDS access on their profile.
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| Date |
Description |
| 31 January |
Deadline to submit Special Consideration requests – Edexcel Award, Project Qualfications -
January 2025 |
| 31 January |
Deadline to request modified papers – International GCSE, GCSE, AS/A level, PLSC, Mathematics in Context, Level 2 Extended Mathematics Certificate -
Summer 2025 |
| 21 Februrary |
Deadline to make exam entries – GCSE, AS/A level, AEA, Mathematics in Context (Level 3 Core Maths) and Level 2 Extended Mathematics Certificate, Entry Level Certificate-
Summer 2025 |
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Please be reminded that, as published on our website, the deadline to submit requests for modified papers for the summer series is 31 January 2025. This deadline is the same every year.
To order modified papers please select ‘ Access Arrangements Online’ on Edexcel Online.
Then select the relevant portal depending on the qualification.
Access Arrangements Online – GCSE, GCE, Edexcel Award, L3C, PLSC
Pearson Access Arrangements Online – BTEC, International A Level, International GCSE
Models for use with summer 2025 Mathematics modified papers
Please be aware that we no longer automatically supply 3D models with the modified large print Maths papers.
Please note: these will still come as standard with all orders for UEB Grade 1 and Grade 2 braille. You do not need to order these if your candidate uses braille.
If your centre has placed an order for modified large print papers for GCSE, International GCSE, A Level Maths or Edexcel Award Number & Measure, and your student requires 3D models, please complete this form to order these.
If you require any further information regarding this, please contact the Modified Formats Team at additional_requirements@pearson.com
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The DfE has confirmed that students will not need to memorise formulae and equations for GCSE Maths, Physics and Combined Science (physics) for June 2025, 2026 and 2027.
We will follow the same approach for our International GCSE Physics, Science Double Award and Single Award (physics papers) for all series.
Pearson will continue to provide students with support materials in the form of a formulae sheet for International GCSE Physics, Science Double Award and Single Award (Physics) in 2025, 2026 and 2027. We will provide clean copies with their 2025, 2026 and 2027 exam papers.
This means the formulae sheet to be used in the 2025 exams will be the same as those used for exams in 2024. As such, students and teachers may access exam boards’ 2024 sheets for practice purposes, if they wish. |
The Provisional timetables for Summer 2026 will be available on our website from Monday 3 February. These can be found on provisional timetables webpage |
The Exams Office will be hosting a senior leader/line manager exams conference on Thursday 6 February in Coventry. The content of this event will be tailored specifically to meet the needs of senior leaders in managing exams and assessments within their centre and effectively supervising and supporting their exams officer.
If you have any members of your SLT who you feel would benefit from attending this event, please forward this on to them. |
If you are running examinations in the February or March 2025 series, it is important for you to stay up to date with the official exam regulations.
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If you choose to contact us via email to examsofficers@pearson.com, you'll notice that our responses are sent from 'customersupport.reply@pearson.com'. This is a response only email address, and allows any responses you send, by clicking 'reply/reply all', to be linked to the existing support case.
However, if you were to compose a brand new email and send to that reply email address, there is no case to link it to, so we do not receive your email and you will not receive a response. This should result in a bounce back email stating the address is invalid. |
We recently introduced our enhanced Qualifications Customer Support Portal, designed to make getting help quicker and easier than ever. Created with our customers in mind, new or enhanced features include:
- A new streamlined contact-us journey enables you to connect quickly with our support teams in the way that suits you; via live-chat for real-time assistance, our new webform, as well as traditional phone or email routes.
- You can use your Pearson Portal (Edexcel Online) credentials to access secure personalised support even faster, and view your existing cases.
- Our comprehensive support article library has also been restructured with sections specific to teachers, exams officers and quality nominees, as well as stronger search functions, to resolve your own queries quickly and easily.
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Cyber Security
Whether you’re a new or experienced Edexcel Online user, it's important that we are all aware of the possible threats to our collective data. We would encourage all exams staff, new and old, to visit our cyber security webpage and watch our short training video. |
Multi Factor Authentication
Multi Factor Authentication was successfully rolled out to nearly a quarter of a million Pearson Portal users last year. Although it has now become a standard way of accessing our systems, that we should all be familiar with, it can sometimes present challenges if a smart device is lost or replaced. You can read more information, see a quick start guide and access FAQs and troubleshooting for our authenticator app in our Pearson Portal Authenticator support article. |
There are multiple ways to contact the customer service teams at Pearson. The Customer Support Portal allows you to choose a method that best suits you.
- Support case – This is much like an email, but we will see all the information you have already populated. You can then log back in to the portal to track the progress of these cases.
- Live chat – A team of agents is waiting to answer these during normal working hours.
- Phone – If you would like to speak with us, we have a team of agents waiting to take your call.
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The likelihood is that Pearson won’t be the only awarding organisation that you or your centre work with, and this means that you will receive lots of different communications. Some of these may be more relevant to your role than others, so it’s important that you and your colleagues are signed up to receive the regular updates that matter to you. It's also important that Edexcel Online accounts are accurate as these are used to determine who needs to receive ad hoc communications.
As Exams Officers, you will be responsible for the creation and maintenance of Edexcel Online accounts for those in other roles, such as teachers or other curriculum staff. Whilst doing this you could also sign them up to receive the relevant subject advisor updates.
Here is a full list of all the regular updates we send, including an archive of previous editions and the sign-up forms.
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The JCQ published its latest update on 15 January, highlighting Term time checkpoints, the NAEO survey and more. |
If you are approved to offer JCQ awarding body qualifications, you will automatically receive the JCQ monthly updates. However, your colleagues can also subscribe to the updates via the JCQ website. |
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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. |
Sign up to receive these updates
If you would like to sign any of your colleagues up to receive these updates, you can do so here. You can view previous editions of the EO Update on our support portal. |
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