SCOPE AND PURPOSE

This policy gives details of the rules around exam invigilation and exam conduct that applies to all staff involved in preparing learners for exams and staff invigilating exams as well as all learners.

 

THE ROLE OF THE INVIGILATOR

The examination invigilator at Close Protection Academy Ltd. is the person in the examination room with responsibility for conducting a particular examination session in the presence of learners. Invigilators have a key role in upholding the integrity of the examination process.

 

The role of the invigilator is to ensure that examinations are conducted in accordance with regulatory requirements, in order to:

• Ensure that all learners have an equal opportunity to demonstrate their abilities,
• Ensure the security of the examination papers and completed response sheets, before, during and after the examination,
• Prevent possible candidate malpractice,
• Prevent possible administrative failures,
• Ensure that Awarding Organisation (Awarding Body) identify requirements are adhered to.

 

Invigilators must:

• Be appropriately trained in their duties,
• Be able to observe each candidate in the examination room at all times,
• Be fully conversant with Awarding Body requirements for confirming candidate identity,
• Inform the Centre Manager (Jillian Robertson) if they are suspicious about the security of examination papers, completed response sheets or any other issue that threatens the integrity of the examination process. (In such cases, the Centre Manager must inform Awarding Body immediately and send a full written report within five working days of the suspicion arising).

 

Invigilators must not:

• Carry out any other task (for example, reading a book) in the examination room.

 

WHO CAN INVIGILATE?

Approved Centres must ensure sure that invigilation is carried out by a person who has not prepared the learners for the examination. This means that the trainer cannot act as the exam invigilator and should not be present in the examination room. It is also inappropriate for invigilation to be carried out by a person related to a candidate sitting the examination.

 

It is the responsibility of the Quality Team to:

• Appoint exam invigilators, to make sure that the examination is conducted
• Make sure all invigilators are responsible adults, appropriately trained in their duties.
• Make sure at least one invigilator must be present for groups of up to 30 learners for written examinations. When only one invigilator is present, they must be able to summon help easily, without leaving the examination room, and without disturbing learners.

INVIGILATION REQUIREMENTS

 

Starting the examination:

Before the examination starts, the examination invigilator must:

• Ensure that all exam papers are transferred to the centre in original sealed packages and within locked storage boxes. Access to the boxes should be given to the invigilator only. Record of the invigilator details are to be kept by Close Protection Academy Ltd.
• Ensure the seating arrangements prevent all learners from overlooking (intentionally or otherwise) the work of others. The minimum distance in all directions from centre to centre of learners' chairs must be 1.25 metres,
• Ensure that all learners will face in the same direction,
• Ensure each candidate has a separate desk or table big enough to hold question papers and answer booklets. Learners who are not working at individual desks must be far enough apart so that their work cannot be seen by, and contact cannot be made with other learners.

 

Invigilators must ensure the following are prominently displayed:

• A poster advising learners that mobile phones should be switched off,
• Examination warning notice for learners,
• Centre Appeal Procedure Emergency/evacuation procedures,
• Examination in Progress’ notices outside of the examination room,
• Ensure a board/flipchart/whiteboard should be visible to all learners showing the centre number, subject / Unit title and paper number; and the actual starting and finishing times of each examination,
• Ensure a reliable clock is visible to each candidate in the examination room. The clock must be big enough for all learners to read clearly,
• Ensure all display material (such as maps, diagrams, wall charts and projected images etc.) which might be helpful to learners is not visible in the examination room,
• Check all learners have the required identity documents and photograph, in line with Awarding Body qualification examination requirements, and that the relevant section of the Candidate Information Sheet (where appropriate) has been completed,
• Advise learners who are unable to provide the required identity documents and photograph that they cannot sit the examination and that they must leave the examination room,
• Advise learners of emergency/evacuation procedure,
• Inform learners that they must follow the regulations of the examination,
• Ensure questions papers are never left unattended,
• Open the packets of examination papers, in the examination room in front of the learners, and distribute to learners,
• Check that learners have the correct paper,

 

The invigilator must advise learners that:

• They should write in blue or black ink,
• They should not use correction fluid,
• They should not make any marks on the examination paper,
• All mobile phones, or other electronic devices, should be switched off,
• They must not have access to items other than those stated in the instructions on the question paper, the stationery list or the specification for that subject in the examination room.

 

Mobile phones, electronic communication or storage devices are not permitted including:

• iPods,
• MP3/4 players,
• Wrist watches which have a data storage device,
• Any other products with text or digital facilities.

This means that:

• All unauthorised items are left outside of the examination room,
• Any pencil cases taken into the examination room must be see-through,
• Any unauthorised items that have been taken into the examination room must be placed out of reach of the learners (and not under their desks) before the examination starts. This would normally be at the front of the examination room or a similar arrangement that enables the invigilator to control access to the items,
• Any course material should be removed from desks and placed at the front of the room,
• They should not ask for, and will not be given, any explanation of the questions and answers
• If they leave the examination room, unaccompanied by a member of centre staff, they will not be able to return during the examination.

 

The invigilator must:

• Specify the length, start and finish time of the examination, and the earliest time that learners can leave the examination room,
• Read the Instructions on the front of response sheet to learners and demonstrate how to complete the response sheet and advise learners how to make changes to answers,
• Remind learners that they cannot communicate in any way with, ask for help from or give help to another candidate while they are in the examination room,
• Announce clearly to learners when they may begin,
• Be present in the examination room at all times.

 

The invigilator must not:

• Make any comment where a candidate believes that there is an error or omission on the question paper.
• However, in this situation, the invigilator must refer the matter to the Quality Team, who should send a report to Awarding Body.
• Give any information to learners about possible mistakes in the question paper, unless there is an erratum notice, or permission has been given by Awarding Body
• Comment on the content of the question paper
• Offer any advice or comment on the work of a candidate.

 

During the examination:

Invigilators must supervise learners throughout the whole time that an examination is in progress.

 

This means that:                                                                                                                                                                           

• Invigilators must give complete attention to this duty at all times
• Invigilators must be vigilant and remain aware of emerging situations, looking out for cheating and malpractice or learners who may be feeling unwell. Any irregularities must be recorded.
• Invigilators must not carry out any other tasks in the examination room (for example doing other work or using a mobile phone)
• Invigilators are required to move around the examination room quietly and at frequent intervals
• Give regular time checks

 

Summoning help during an examination:

• When one invigilator is present in an examination, they must be able to summon help, in case of an emergency, without leaving the room or disturbing learners.
• A mobile phone may be used but must be switched to silent alert, so as not to disturb learners.

 

ID Checks:

• All learners must be able to confirm their identity by presenting the ID documents that are accepted by the SIA. A recent list of this ID can be found on the SIA website.
• Any learner wearing a veil for religious reasons and who chooses not to remove it in the examination room should be given the opportunity to show their face to an invigilator of the same sex in a discrete location nearby.
• If no suitable invigilator is available, contact Jillian Robertson, the centre manager.

Learners who arrive late:

• A candidate who arrives more than ten (10) minutes after the examination has started must not be allowed to enter the examination room. Arrangements will need to be made by the Centre to order examination papers for an alternative date.

 

Leaving the examination room:

• Learners are not permitted to leave the examination room until at least twenty minutes examination time has elapsed (other than in an emergency/medical situation) and may not leave in the last 10 minutes of the examination.
• Learners who are allowed to leave the examination room temporarily must be accompanied by a member of centre staff.
• Where learners have completed their examination and are permitted to leave before the finish time, they should be instructed to do so quietly, without causing undue distraction to others.
• The invigilator must ensure that all relevant sections of the examination response sheet (including the box indicating the number of changes made) are fully completed and signed before learners leave the room. Those learners must not be allowed back into the room.

 

Toilet Arrangements

• Learners who request a toilet visit during the examination should be accompanied by an Assistant Invigilator to the door of the nearest toilet (the location of which can be found on the Useful Information Sheet in each examination venue).
• Learners are not allowed to take any papers or notes out of the room during the examination. If the accompanying invigilator suspects a learner might have notes in their possession (e.g., if he or she is wearing a jacket with pockets), the learner should be asked to empty their pockets or to confirm they do not have any notes.
• Invigilators should not search or have any physical contact with the learner in this process.
• Toilets should be checked after each toilet break for written material which may benefit a learner using the toilets during the examination.

 

Ending the examination

When ending the examination, invigilators should give sufficient notice to learners. This is usually achieved by giving a fifteen minute and five-minute warning prior to the published finish time of the examination.

 

At the end of the examination the invigilator should:

• Tell the learners to stop working and remind them that they are still under examination conditions
• Collect all examination papers and examination response sheets to place in secure storage prior to submitting to Awarding Body for marking.
• Collect all the scripts/objective test sheets before learners are allowed to leave the examination room. Do not allow learners to keep the examination papers or response sheets.
• Learners and invigilator to confirm number of changes on response sheets. This MUST be entered in words and not numbers.
• At no point should any indication be given to the learners as to whether it is believed that they have passed or failed the examination. This information can ONLY be confirmed by the Awarding Body.
• The marking of examination papers by the approved trainer/examination invigilator to pre-empt awards is seen as malpractice and could result in the withdrawal of Centre Approval.

 

INVIGILATION ARRANGEMENTS FOR LEARNERS WITH ACCESS ARRANGEMENTS

• Those staff acting as an Oral Language Modifier, a practical assistant, a scribe or a Sign Language Interpreter are provided with the appropriate cover sheet prior to the examination commencing.
• Oral Language Modifier Learners who have difficulty with comprehension may be eligible for the help of an oral language modifier in the exams. The senior invigilator must listen carefully and observe the conduct of the Oral Language Modifier throughout the duration of the examination.
• The invigilator must countersign the cover sheet ensuring that it accurately reflects the actions of the Oral Language Modifier during the examination.
• Practical Assistant Learners using a practical assistant in externally set practical or written examinations may need to be accommodated separately, in which case a separate senior invigilator will be required.
• The invigilator must be made aware, prior to the examination, of the particular task(s) the practical assistant will be performing. Reader/Computer reader IC Training Centre responsible for ensuring that the learner and reader cannot be overheard by or distract other learners. (This will also apply if the learner uses a computer reader.)
• Where the learner and reader are accommodated separately, on a one to one basis, the invigilator may additionally act as the reader.
• Where learners require only occasional words or phrases to be read, three or four learners may share one reader.
• The learner will need to put up their hand or use a prompt card when he/she needs help with reading.
• If the group is accommodated separately a separate invigilator will be required.
• Sign Language Interpreter Learners requiring the use of a Sign Language Interpreter may need to be accommodated in another room, in which case a separate invigilator will be required.

 

Colour Blind

• Invigilators cannot provide information or explanation to a learner who is colour blind. If the learner has been using a colour chart, he or she will be permitted to do so in written or practical exams.
• This arrangement is not permitted where the ability to identify colours forms part of the assessment objectives.

 

Prompters

• A prompter can be used in an exam where a learner has little or no sense of time, or loses concentration easily, or is affected by an obsessive-compulsive disorder which leads them to keep revising a question rather than moving onto other questions.

 

COLLECTION AND ADMINISTRATION OF COMPLETED SCRIPTS

• The Senior Invigilator will instruct the assistant invigilator to collect answer books, examination papers and any other material. It is very important that all answer books and supplementary sheets (whether used or not) are collected from each learner before learners’ leaves.
• In no circumstances are learners allowed to take answer books or paper from the examination room.
• Learners who have used supplementary sheets should attach them to their answer book with the tag provided.

 

ADMINISTRATION OF COMPLETED SCRIPTS – PACKAGING THE PAPERS

• Once answer books are reconciled with the attendance list, place the following documents into the exam box and returned to the examination’s office.
• Learners’ examination scripts
• Spare copies of the examination paper The Senior Invigilator shall return the exams box to the Examinations Office immediately following the end of the examination session.
• Ensure that scripts are kept secure at all times.
• On no account shall completed answer books be photocopied or read before they are sent to the awarding body, unless the candidate has granted permission.

 

This policy was approved by: Nicholas Player & Jillian Robertson, 01/06/2025

 

Review Due 31/05/2026

 

APPENDIX 1 EXAM RULES FOR STUDENTS

 

Admission to the Exam

Learners must:

• Consult their exam timetable and arrive at the correct venue at least 20 minutes before the published start time.
• Bring their ID to each exam. ID will be confirmed during the exam. If a veil is worn for religious reasons, the candidate will be taken to a discrete location near the exam room and will show their face to a single invigilator of the same sex.
• Supply their own calculator, unless the use of a calculator is specifically prohibited in the exam instructions.
• Place any books, notes and blank paper which are brought into the exam in the designated area as instructed by invigilators. Close Protection Academy Ltd. is not responsible for the security of mobile phones, watches, electronic devices or other valuable items, left in the designated area.
• Switch off mobile phones, including alarm functions, and place in the area designated for personal belongings.
• Take to the exam desk pens, pencils and equipment necessary for completion of the exam only and place this equipment in a clear plastic bag or clear pencil case.
• Learners may take a drink into the exam room. Labels must be removed from bottles.
• Sit in the seat specified on the seating plan displayed at the venue Learners must not:
• Not impersonate another candidate or allow themselves to be impersonated.
• Not enter the exam room more than ten minutes after the exam has begun

 

During the Exam

Learners must:

• Follow all instructions given by invigilators.

 

Learners must not:

• Communicate with anyone except the Invigilator.
• Have in their possession any books, notes, learning material or equipment not specifically authorised in the exam instructions or have access to unauthorised material by any means.
• Look at the work or copy from another candidate or allow anyone to copy from them.
• Pass off the work of another as their own. Although full referencing is not expected acknowledgements should be included where appropriate
• Remove official exam answer books or supplementary paper from an exam room nor bring such material into the exam room.
• Have in their possession any electronic device or equipment apart from a calculator approved via Close Protection Academy Ltd.
• Have in their possession any headphones, communication or recording device.
• Leave the room during the last thirty minutes of any exam except in the case of illness.

 

Completion and Submission of Exam Answer Books

Learners must:

• Write answers legibly in black ink.
• Complete the front cover of the exam book fully and correctly.
• Ensure their answer book, and any other material to be submitted, is collected by invigilators.

 

At the end of the Exam Learners must:

• Remain seated and refrain from communicating with each other until such time the invigilator instructs them to leave. Exam conditions remain in place until the candidate has exited the examination room.

 

Learners must not:

• Leave the exam room without the permission of the invigilator. Any learner leaving the room unaccompanied while the exam is in progress will not be re-admitted.

 

This policy was approved by: Nicholas Player & Jillian Robertson, 01/06/2025

 

Review Due 31/05/2026