Each year, in autumn and spring, The Exams Office, in partnership with Cambridge OCR, delivers a national programme of training events for new-to-role exams managers/officers and senior leaders responsible for exams and assessments.

These events focus on the practical management of exams and assessments, with essential key tasks explained in the context of JCQ regulations covering general qualifications (such as GCSEs and A Levels). The programme is designed to build confidence and support good practice.

Actions for Autumn focuses on planning and preparation for the first half of the academic year, while Spring into Summer supports centres in preparing for the summer exam series.

To book a place, click on the relevant link in the dates and venues section below.

 

Dates and venues for 2026/27

 

• All events start at 9am and finish by 4pm
• Refreshments and lunch are provided

 

Actions for Autumn

Date	Location	Venue	Booking status	Delegate letter
Tuesday 22 September 2026	Bristol	Ashton Gate Stadium, Ashton Rd, Bristol BS3 2EJ	Book Now	Available September 2026
Tuesday 29 September 2026	Birmingham	The International Convention Centre (ICC), 8 Centenary Square, Birmingham B1 2EA	Book Now	Available September 2026
Tuesday 6 October 2026	Manchester	Emirates Old Trafford, Lancashire Cricket Club (The Point & 1864 suites), Talbot Rd, Old Trafford, Stretford, Manchester M16 0PX	Book Now	Available September 2026
Tuesday 13 October 2026	Leeds	Aspire, 2 Infirmary Street, Leeds, LS1 2JP	Book Now	Available September 2026
Wednesday 21 October 2026	London	Wembley Stadium (Bobby Moore & Wembley Suites), Wembley Park, Wembley HA9 0WS	Book Now	Available September 2026

 

Spring into Summer

Date	Location	Venue	Booking status	Delegate letter
Tuesday 23 February 2027	Bristol	Ashton Gate Stadium, Ashton Rd, Bristol BS3 2EJ	Book Now	Available February 2027
Thursday 25 February 2027	Birmingham	The International Convention Centre (ICC), 8 Centenary Square, Birmingham B1 2EA	Book Now	Available February 2027
Tuesday 2 March 2027	Leeds	Aspire, 2 Infirmary Street, Leeds, LS1 2JP	Book Now	Available February 2027
Thursday 4 March 2027	Manchester	Emirates Old Trafford, Lancashire Cricket Club (The Point & 1864 suites), Talbot Rd, Old Trafford, Stretford, Manchester M16 0PX	Book Now	Available February 2027
Tuesday 9 March 2027	London	Wembley Stadium (Bobby Moore & Wembley Suites), Wembley Park, Wembley HA9 0WS	Book Now	Available February 2027

 

A delegate letter containing full details for each event will be available to download from September 2026 for Actions for Autumn and February 2027 for Spring into Summer.

Please note: Some events may include filming and photographs for promotional purposes and inclusion on The Exams Office website.

 

Who is this training for?

This two-part training programme is designed for new exams managers/officers and those who require a refresher. It is also suitable for senior leaders responsible for exams and assessments, supporting contingency and succession planning and the development of a good working knowledge of the exam system.

 

What will the training cover?

Developed and delivered by experienced subject matter experts from the National Association of Examinations Officers (NAEO) and Cambridge OCR, the course content includes:

Actions for Autumn

• The exams manager/officer role, the exam system and the ‘exam cycle’
• Planning for the academic year
• Sharing exam and assessment information
• Confidential assessment materials
• Centre policies and procedures
• Access arrangements and reasonable adjustments
• Entries
• The invigilation team

Spring into Summer

• Support and guidance
• Managing changes to entries
• Pre-exams
  • Access arrangements
  • Confidential assessment materials
  • Timetabling, rooming and seating plans
  • Sharing exam information and guidance
  • Training and scheduling invigilators
  • Non-exam assessment
• Exam time
  • Managing an exam day
  • The JCQ general centre inspection
  • Packing and sending exam scripts

 

Why attend this training event?

This is an excellent opportunity to:

• Network with colleagues from other centres to discuss common challenges
• Take part in table discussions and activities
• Ask questions and gain insights from our experienced subject matter experts

Attendees will receive a ‘delegate pack’ containing high quality resources and promotional materials.

 

Cost

Members of The Exams Office and Cambridge OCR centres can access the following discounted delegate rates:

• £275 per delegate (discounted from £295)
• £495 for two delegates from the same centre attending the same event, with each additional delegate charged at £250 attending the same event

All prices are exclusive of VAT.

This is a full-day event, with refreshments and lunch included.

Refunds cannot be given if a cancellation is made within 28 days of the event – please see the terms and conditions below.

 

Certificate of attendance

Once all events have taken place and your attendance at a face-to-face event has been confirmed, a CPD certificate of attendance will be sent via email.

 

Live stream

The Exams Office will offer a live stream of this event, broadcast directly from the training delivered at Wembley Stadium (date TBC).

Members of The Exams Office can join the training remotely via The Exams Office Hub as part of their membership, providing greater flexibility for those unable to attend in person.

The live stream includes a live pause function, allowing viewers to pause and resume the broadcast at any time.

Please note that remote attendees will not be able to participate in activities or submit questions during the live stream.

Following the training, recordings of the live stream will be made available on The Exams Office Hub as a series of topic-specific videos.

 

Joining the live stream

To access the live stream on the day of the event, please follow the steps below:

1. Log in to the The Exams Office Hub
2. Navigate to Resources > Training Videos
3. Select the New Exams Officer Training category
4. Choose Actions for Autumn or Spring into Summer
5. When prompted, enter the PIN. The PIN will be clearly displayed on the page containing the live stream on the day of the event.

 

Terms and conditions