Guidance for Exams Officers
- How the service works
- Examiner labels
- Moderator labels
- Preparing for a collection
- Despatching your scripts
- Host centres and transferred candidates
- Chasing missing parcels
How the service works
The secure parcels collections service is provided for the despatch of unmarked exam scripts from schools and colleges to examiners. From 1 November 2011 responsibility for this service, for centres in England, transferred from QCDA to the Department for Education (DfE). If your centre is in England you can find out all about despatch of scripts from the DfE. This service will remain unchanged and you should still continue to liaise with Parcelforce for collections and us for exam arrangements as usual.
- Is my centre in or out of scope for the secure parcels collections service
- What qualifications are in and out of scope
- Which labels are in scope for the secure parcels collections service
Examiner labels
We offer 4 delivery options for yellow and white bar coded address labels. We recommend options 1 and 4 as these reduce the possibility of the wrong label being used.
- Scanning bureau and objective test labels by courier in advance and exam day labels by e-mail
- Scanning bureau and objective test labels by courier in advance and exam day labels by fax
- Scanning bureau and objective test labels by courier in advance and exam day labels by post
- All labels by e-mail the night before exam day.
For options 1, 2 and 3 labels you will receive:
- fixed address labels for scanning bureau and objective test components in advance of the exams. These will be despatched by courier along with other exam stationery.
- labels for components addressed to individual examiners will arrive in centres by e-mail, fax or post on or just before the exam day.
For labels provided by e-mail we supply blank sheets of white and/or yellow label stationery. We have calculated the number of sheets needed for each specific exam series. Blank labels for all levels are usually despatched at the same time as the GCSE computer generated packs.
Some labels will not arrive in centres until the day of the exam dependent on the delivery option you have chosen. If your centre has chosen to receive all labels by e-mail you will receive them the night before the exam.
Labels for subjects with exams conducted in a scheduled period or window:
- arrive by your chosen method of delivery on the first day of the published window
- ensure all scripts remain in secure storage until your label arrives
- we do not chase the non despatch of scripts until after the last day of the published window.
Find out more:
- Can I change my preferred method of delivery
- How can I check if we are registered to receive catch-up labels by fax or e-mail
- How do I print address labels from an e-mail
- What should I do if some examiner address labels are missing
- What should I do if my examiner address labels have not arrived electronically even though my preferred method of delivery was all labels via e-mail
- What should I do if I have misplaced one of my examiner address labels
- Having sent my completed papers to the examiner, I have found one paper that wasn't in the packet, what should I do
- What do I do if I have two different address labels for the same component
Moderator labels
Moderator labels are excluded from the secure parcels collections service. These are sent by courier well in advance of the coursework deadline date.
- Could moderator labels be sent by e-mail
- Can we send coursework by Parcelforce to enable track and trace
- For white bar coded and moderator address label which delivery method should I use
- I have received labels without a Parcelforce logo. What are these for
Preparing for a collection
Scheduled collections for in scope centres
- In scope centres that have timetabled exams on three or more days during any week in the exam series will have daily scheduled collections
- You will be contacted before the start of the exam series, by Parcelforce, to arrange a mutually convenient slot to collect your exam scripts
- If your last exam finishes before the end of the exam series, please inform your driver
- If you have any early exams or externally marked coursework that need to be despatched before the main exam series, you will need to arrange an ad hoc collection even if, your centre normally has scheduled collections.
Read about pre-printed despatch logs for in scope centres
- How do I arrange a secure script despatch ad hoc collection
- What should I do if Parcelforce Worldwide ask for a contract number when I call them to request a collection
- Can we use the despatch log you have e-mailed to us to record parcels for other awarding bodies
Despatching your scripts
- Make sure reception staff are fully aware of the exam script despatch process
- When packing exam scripts ensure one package = one unique label
- Check the correct label is used for each component
- Never combine packages - even if you have exam scripts from more than one exam going to the same address
- Never photocopy labels if you don't have enough - request an additional label
- Never write on labels or alter them in any way
- Never fasten packages with string or brown tape - this can obscure the bar code
- Use the exams despatch log to keep track of despatched exam scripts
- Make sure the despatch log is completed before the Parcelforce Worldwide driver collects your packages.
For more information on packing and sending exam scripts, see paragraphs 21 and 22 of the JCQ instructions for conducting examinations booklet.
Missed collections
If your driver fails to make a collection:
- ensure that the exam scripts are stored securely overnight by returning them to the exams office or a suitable secure storage area
- contact the Parcelforce Worldwide helpdesk to let them know the collection was missed and to rearrange for the following day
- note the missed collection on the Feedback form.
Also see: What to do if scripts will not be ready in time for Parcelforce collection
Storing your scripts overnight
If you have packages that have not been collected ensure that the exam scripts are stored securely overnight by returning them to the exams office or a suitable secure storage area.
Host centres and transferred candidates
If you are acting as a host centre for any transferred candidates:
- labels for these candidates will be provided on a daily basis via your chosen method of delivery
- where applicable, the details will be included in bold italics on the relevant page of the despatch log
- if you are hosting candidates from several centres, the entering centre numbers are shown on the labels
- send the transferred candidate script in a separate script envelope and do not include it with the scripts of your own candidates.
Chasing missing parcels
- We will contact centres if we have no record of despatch or receipt on our label system shortly after the exam date
- A request is issued to these centres by e-mail providing a web form populated with details of the components for which feedback is required.
- If the only candidate for that subject transferred to another centre, the entering centre will still receive a feedback request. If there were no additional candidates at the entering centre please respond using the Option ABSENT and complete the text box to read 'candidate is sitting elsewhere'.
Web form guidance for accessing the web link
- see example relating to an in scope centre with four components outstanding
- see example relating to an out of scope centre with one component outstanding (notice the drop down menu options are slightly different for out of scope centres - there is no reference to Parcelforce since centres outside England are required to make their own courier arrangements).
- web forms are only updated twice daily at around 6pm and around midnight, so it is possible that your centre will have components listed as outstanding which you have despatched.
