JCQ Arrangements Michael Butterworth, OCR An OCR-perspective on: General Regulations Timetabling ICE Arrangements Post-results Services

An important fact… The JCQ is the awarding bodies, i.e. AQA, CCEA, OCR, Pearson and WJEC. JCQCIC aims to: Reduce bureaucracy for schools and colleges by facilitating and delivering common administrative arrangements for examinations. Provide a forum for strategic debate, information exchange and expression of common interest amongst awarding bodies. Enable member awarding bodies to jointly express views and collectively respond to national issues. Provide a channel for collective discussion with key stakeholders including the HE sector, teachers, and their representative organisations.

My focus today The General Regulations – which underpin the relationship between awarding bodies and centres Timetabling – the creation of the common and awarding body-specific timetables Instructions for Conducting Examinations (ICE) – the key principles Post-Results services – MIRs, Access to Scripts, EARs (RoMM)

The General Regulations The General Regulations define the high-level responsibilities of both centres and awarding bodies. Heads of centres sign up to these when they first apply for approval and reconfirm their commitment to these each year, as part of the annual update. They take into account the requirements set by Ofqual within the General Conditions of Recognition (particularly Condition C2). This document is reviewed on an annual basis, which allows us to take into account regulatory change and to consider feedback from other stakeholders. Changes to the arrangements under which you were approved as a centre must be reported to the JCQ NCN service (ncn@ocr.org.uk).

Timetabling The awarding bodies liaise to create the common timetables for the November and June series. These determine when specific subjects may be scheduled within the timetable window. The preparation of the timetables take into account “clash statistics”, i.e. historic entry patterns for each subject and an indication of what happens when they are timetabled against each other subject. There are a range of other constraints that the timetable group works under when setting the common timetable, which is published in a document on the JCQ website: https://www.jcq.org.uk/exams-office/key-dates-and-timetables The awarding bodies then populate this framework with their exams and publish these provisional timetables. The deadlines are 31 October for the November series and 28 February for the June series, both for exams in the subsequent year). Centres are then invited to comment and provide their feedback, by 31 January for the November series and 30 April for the June series.

Timetabling The JCQ Common Timetabling Group takes into account all feedback, however before they implement remedial action they must ensure they do not create a bigger issue elsewhere. The ICE is an essential resource for managing the clashes that will inevitably arise. It should be noted that an individual centre’s tailored timetable may show gaps that typically do not exist in the common timetable. The Common Timetable Working Group makes every effort to spread the exam load across the timetable window, working to the published constraints. The final timetables are published on 28 February for the November series and 30 June for the following year’s June series.

Timetabling Early warning! The JCQ is currently looking at options for managing disruptions at a national level, i.e. if a day in the timetable is lost due to an event that means the bulk of candidates cannot take exams. Any proposed arrangements will involve careful communications with centres to ensure that the implications may be shared and planned for. These plans are but one part of wider contingency arrangements coordinated by Ofqual and the DfE.

Instructions for Conducting Exams (ICE) As with most other JCQ publications, the ICE is reviewed on an annual basis. The review takes into account feedback from centres, awarding bodies, centre inspectors and the regulators. The principles that underpin these regulations are intended to safeguard the integrity of the assessments. It is possible for one security breach to disrupt an examination at a national level, affecting tens of thousand of candidates. Ofqual is taking a particular interest in awarding bodies’ efforts to ensure that examinations are not disrupted, therefore we cannot relax our vigilance. We try and avoid being too specific with the rules, as each centre’s needs will differ subtly from others. A centre is best-placed to assess their own particular circumstances and therefore how they could work to the spirit of the regulations.

Instructions for Conducting Exams (ICE) However centres often require us to be very explicit - to remove any uncertainty and also to ensure that they can engagement effectively with their senior management team. Given the importance of this document, we need to make it as accessible as possible. Although we should not be prone to changing rules midway through a year, we must find a better, faster way to respond to queries and concerns about its content.

Post-Results Services Most aspects of the JCQ post-results services have been impacted by Ofqual’s reform. Most notable are the changes to Enquiries about Results – for which a new title is creeping into formal usage: RoMM(A). Reviews are exactly that, they are a check that the original assessor applied the mark scheme correctly. They are not “re-marks”! A key part of Ofqual’s reform is aimed at ensuring that awarding bodies adhere to this principle. Reviewers must not make changes unless there is a definite error to correct. On request, awarding bodies are required to provide “reasons” for the outcome of a RoMM. However reasons must be provided automatically as of 2020. Automatic grade protection has been removed, except for reviews of moderation – for the moment.

Post-Results Services Awarding bodies are required to monitor RoMM outcomes and automatically respond to issues that could extend beyond the reviews that have been requested by centres. This replaces the formal “extended review”. All awarding bodies will be required to offer a priority access to scripts service for GCSE as of 2020. For the moment, there are no plans for implementing a priority review of marking service for GCSE. Ofqual have implemented a simple framework that places constraints on when awarding bodies may set key dates for post-results services. This explains the shift from 20 September as the final deadline for submitting RoMM requests. Candidates must be offered the opportunity to see and query their internally assessed marks before centres submit them to awarding bodies.

Anything else? A chance to tackle anything else that is puzzling you, giving cause for concern, or you’ve always wanted to ask regarding awarding body administrative arrangements!