The Exams Officer Digital Accreditation (EODA) is annually updated on an academic year basis and access to the accreditation is included within your centre membership to The Exams Office

What the accreditation offers

An online, timed assessment designed to support exams office staff in confirming their knowledge and understanding of exam regulations.

However, those new to the role are encouraged to complete the NEW EXAMS OFFICER INDUCTION AND ASSESSMENT MODULE before attempting the EODA.

The EODA also forms a key part of the proposed Exams Officer Professional Standards (Standards) which the National Association of Examinations Officers (NAEO) is launching in 2023. The NAEO has formally endorsed the EODA by the inclusion of its logo within the online certificate and as the formal measurement of one of the key elements of the Standards – confirmation of an exams officer’s knowledge and understanding of exam regulations.

By successfully completing the EODA on an annual basis you will be confirming to senior leaders within your centre, and key stakeholders such as the JCQ and its member awarding bodies, that you possess a strong knowledge and understanding of the key regulations associated with the management, administration and conducting of examinations. This is a key element of qualifying an individual to undertake the role of exams officer within a centre.

There are also aspects of the role which are centre specific and cannot be covered by an online assessment. Therefore, the use of the term ‘accreditation’ rather than ‘qualification’ is more appropriate, as this assessment will:

  • recognise an individual as being qualified to perform the functions relating to the exams officer role as defined by the JCQ, the awarding bodies and Ofqual
  • raise the status of the role within the education sector
  • support heads of centre in ensuring that the integrity and security of examinations is maintained within their centres

What the EODA covers

The EODA covers content from the following JCQ publications:

(Section 1)  General Regulations for Approved Centres (10 questions, maximum time allocation 6 minutes)

(Section 2)  Instructions for conducting examinations (24 questions, maximum time allocation 13 minutes)

(Section 3)  Access Arrangements and Reasonable Adjustments (10 questions,maximum time allocation 6 minutes)

(Section 4)  A guide to the special consideration process (8 questions, maximum time allocation 5 minutes)

(Section 5)  A guide to the awarding bodies’ appeals processes (8 questions, maximum time allocation 5 minutes)

(Section 6)  Exam Room Posters (8 questions, maximum time allocation 5 minutes)

(Section 7)  Information for candidates documents (8 questions, maximum time allocation 5 minutes)

(Section 8)  Key dates in the examination cycle (8 questions, maximum time allocation 5 minutes)

(Section 9)  Post-Results Services (8 questions, maximum time allocation 5 minutes)

(Section 10) Suspected Malpractice: Policies and Procedures (8 questions, maximum time allocation 5 minutes)

Assessment

The total number of questions to be answered is 100 in a maximum time period of 1 hour. Questions are selected randomly from a bank of questions.

The EODA is an ‘open-book’ assessment where exams officers are permitted to refer to the relevant publication(s) when taking each section.

Some users may find they complete a section in less time than allocated. A user may choose to revisit questions/responses (by selecting < Back) or exit by selecting Finish Test.

Where a user may not complete a section within the allocated time period, a Time Expired message will be displayed. The test will have to be scheduled and taken again when the user is ready. Tests can be taken as many times as required until a Pass (full marks) is achieved.

The EODA can only be certificated when a Pass (full marks) has been achieved across all ten sections.

As the EODA is updated on an academic year basis to reflect any regulation changes/updates to JCQ publications, exams officers should complete the accreditation on an annual basis to confirm an up-to-date knowledge of current regulations.

Certification

Upon successful completion, you will be awarded your Certificate and Assessment Details, which lists the assessment sections and associated marks, for the current academic year.

Note: Completion and certification of the annually updated EODA must take place by the end of July each year as it will be de-activated from then until it is re-activated early in the new academic year (subject to the issue of all relevant updated JCQ publications) after review and update.

Login to The Exams Office Hub to access the EODA

The Exams Office takes no responsibility for any outcomes in centres as a result of the information provided on our website, The Exams Office Hub or within our documentation. It is the responsibility of centres to apply this information as they deem necessary within their own centre. You should always contact/refer to the relevant awarding body for the most accurate and up-to-date information regarding their qualifications.