Invigilating Cambridge exams 2020

A training presentation for exams officers to train

invigilators

Presenter name
Job title Date
Contents slide

 Your role and responsibilities

 Cambridge International’s key concepts
 How to invigilate Cambridge exams
Invigilator role and
responsibilities
What is an invigilator?

 Invigilators are the people in the exam room responsible for

the conduct of an exam.
 You:
 make sure the exam follows our regulations
 keep the exam secure before, during and afterwards
 prevent and report suspected malpractice
 prevent administrative errors.
Why we need invigilators

 Invigilators are important for many reasons because:

 you give candidates a fair and consistent exam experience
across the world
 you make sure exams are conducted the same way every
time, regardless of where or when they are happening
 you identify and prevent security breaches of exam
material
 you stop administrative errors which have the potential to
disadvantage candidates.
Your responsibility as an invigilator
 As an invigilator you must:
 understand the regulations in sections 4 and 5 of the
Cambridge Handbook
 understand the Key Time and Full Centre Supervision
regulations
 be familiar with the Notice to Candidates and Candidate
Warning poster
 understand any specific regulations relating to the subjects
being examined
 give your full attention to the conduct of the exam and
move around the room
 tell the Head of Centre if you suspect malpractice.
Number of invigilators

Exams At least 1 invigilator to 30 candidates

including art & design

Practical tests including ICT At least 1 invigilator to 20 candidates

tests and science practicals
Minimum of 2 invigilators even if under 20
candidates

At least one invigilator should be a subject

specialist

Full Centre Supervision At least 1 supervisor to 30 candidates

Separate invigilation For candidates with specific needs in a

separate room: 1 invigilator to 1 candidate
What you need in the exam room
What you need in the exam room
Differences between Cambridge International
and JCQ exam boards

Cambridge International JCQ

 Five-minute warning  Five-minute warning allowed
 Posters inside and outside the but not required
room  Posters outside the room
 Key Times  Start times
 Full Centre Supervision  No Full Centre Supervision
 Keep empty question paper  Do not keep empty question
packets paper packets
 Separate inspections
Cambridge International key
concepts
Who is who in an exam

Exams officer –
The person with specific responsibility for
administering Cambridge exams.

Invigilator
(sometimes known as supervisor) –
The person in the exam room
responsible for the conduct of
an exam.

Candidate –
The person who is
entered for an exam.
Candidates with access arrangements

 Extra time
 Scribe
 Reader
 Modified papers
 Word processors
 Prompters
 Practical assistants

 The exams officer and centre will tell you if there are any
candidates using access arrangements in an exam.
Key Times
 Key Times are a defined point in a timetabled session when
candidates must be in the exam or under Full Centre
Supervision.
 Cambridge International specifies the Key Times.
 Our Key Times are based on our centre’s location.
 Key Times are important because they prevent confidential
exam information being shared:
 with our candidates before their exams, or
 by our candidates after their exams.
 Everyone involved in administering and conducting exams
must understand and correctly implement Key Times and Full
Centre Supervision.
Full Centre Supervision

Candidates can: Candidates must not:

 be kept under Full  communicate with
Centre Supervision in anyone who is not under
the exam room or any Full Centre Supervision
other suitable room or anyone who has
 have access to books already sat the exam
and revision notes  have access to any
during Full Centre communication device
Supervision with or without access to
 talk to each other, as the internet.
long as they do not
disturb other
candidates.
Key Time scenario 1

Is Full Centre Supervision required in this scenario?

Key Time scenario 2

Is Full Centre Supervision required in this scenario?

Key Time scenario 3

Is Full Centre Supervision required in this scenario?

Dealing with the unexpected
Late arrivals
 Late before the Key Time:
 You can decide to allow the candidate into the exam.
 You do not need to tell the exams officer.
 Late after the Key Time:
 You can decide to allow the candidate into the exam.
 Warn them Cambridge International may not accept their
script.
 Record the reason for being late, plus arrival, start and finish
times.
 Tell the exams officer.
 Late after the exam has finished:
 Do not allow the candidate to take the exam.
 You do not need to tell the exams officer.
Emergency situations

 If there is an emergency during an exam, the safety of

candidates and staff is the most important thing.
 In an evacuation, if it is safe to do so:
 make sure all question papers and answer scripts are left
in the exam room
 secure the exam room
 supervise candidates so they cannot communicate with
anyone or access information.
 Keep a record and report what has happened to the exams
officer.
Malpractice

 Any action that breaks Cambridge regulations and potentially

threatens the integrity of their exams and certification. Malpractice
can happen before, during or after timetabled exams or other
assessments.
 Malpractice can be:
 intentional and aim to give an unfair advantage in an exam or
assessment
 caused through carelessness, forgetfulness or ignorance of the
regulations.
 A variety of individuals could be involved in malpractice, for example:
 candidates
 centre staff
 other third-party individuals.
Malpractice
Special consideration

 Special consideration is a post-exam adjustment made to a

candidate’s mark, by Cambridge International, to make
allowances for some adverse circumstances.
 Circumstances can include:
 illness
 bereavement
 temporary injury.

 Talk to the exams officer if you think a candidate is eligible for

special consideration.
Before the exam
Centre-specific information

***Add appropriate information here***

Preparing the room
What is wrong with this exam room?
Candidates

 Before candidates enter:

 check the exam room is set up properly
 check you have everything prepared.
 When candidates enter:
 remove all unauthorised materials and items
 complete the attendance register
 check the identity of the candidates.
 When candidates are seated:
 make sure they are sitting in the correct place
 make sure they have all the items they need.
Starting the exam

 Two invigilators check they have the correct blue question

paper packet before opening it.
 Check the label on the packet and the information in the
transparent inner bag is correct – contact the exams officer
immediately if you have the wrong question papers.
 Read the instructions for starting the exam in the What to
Say to Candidates in an Exam document.
 Tell candidates to write their name, candidate number and
centre number on any work they want to hand in.
 Start the exam.
During the exam
During the exam

 Remain alert and move around to see all candidates.

 Do not try and complete other tasks while in the exam room.
 Look out for malpractice.
 Respond to requests to leave the room.
 Do not give advice to candidates on the content of the exam.
 Remove disruptive candidates.
 Maintain the required number of invigilators in the room.
 Call for help if necessary.
Calling for help

***Add centre-specific information here***

Candidates leaving the room

 Candidates are allowed to go to the washroom during the

exam.
 An invigilator of the appropriate gender must accompany
them.
 Invigilator numbers must be maintained in the exam room
– call for extra support if necessary.
 A candidate can choose to finish the exam early and not
return.
 Collect all exam material from them before they leave.
 Keep candidates under Full Centre Supervision if the Key
Time has not passed.
Ending the exam

 Give candidates a five-minute warning before the end of the

exam – find the script in the What to Say to Candidates in an
Exam document.
 At the end of the exam read the ‘Finishing the examination’
section of the What to Say to Candidates in an Exam
document.
At the end of the exam
At the end of the exam

 Collect and check all the answer scripts and question papers
are accounted for.
 If the Key Time has passed allow candidates to leave.
 If the Key Time has not passed keep candidates under Full
Centre Supervision.
 Make sure candidates do not disturb other candidates still
taking exams.
 Candidates must not remove any question papers or
question paper content from the exam room.
Sorting and packing scripts

 Sort the scripts into the order shown on the attendance

register.

 Do not leave scripts unattended at any time.

 Do not read or allow anyone else to read any of the scripts.

 Collect any unused stationery or equipment.

 Hand the scripts and attendance registers to the exams

officer immediately for despatch.
Reporting to the exams officer

***Add centre-specific information here***

Any questions?
Thank you for listening

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