Examination Officers Newsletter December 2012

Updates:

Capita are looking to put some minor enhancements into the software during 2012:

  • Automatically remove candidates from seating plan if they leave or are withdrawn
  • Ability to define Special Arrangements eg Scribe from Focus/Candidate/Internal
  • Addition of a comment box on Focus/Candidate/Internal for Special Arrangements
  • Within Seating Organiser click on candidate to show what their special arrangement is (drop down box)
  • Print Exam Registers with or without special arrangement information on.

Capita are also looking at how the analysis area of exams can be improved upon as well as the process for adding qualifications where basedata does not exist.

I will keep you abreast of developments as soon as I am aware of them.

JCQ A2C Project:

Awarding Organisations will make their Basedata Product Catalogues available in the new format by mid 2012 ready for the new academic year.

Capita’s 2012 development plan for Exams Organiser will convert the new format Basedata Product Catalogues (xml format) into a set of tables within the database to match the A2C data schema. September 2013 remains the launch date for the full functionality. Capita will also provide in SIMS a user interface to browse this data.

In 2013 they will add a selection mechanism to import the required items into the existing (but extended) table structure and develop the integrated messaging service. We are aiming for a Spring 2014 release to schools for use from September 2014.

The A2C project will enable exam boards to save money. Schools will not incur any additional costs. SIMS Exams itself will not have to change (only in the background) but the way the files are transported (VANS) will need to change.

Training:

I will be running Exam Results Analysis presentation/workshops etc in July 2012 and will contact you nearer the time to assess what areas you would like covering.

If you would like training beforehand in any aspect of Exams or would like a cheap and cheerful surgery please let me know. I am also looking to offer more Performance Analysis workshops/surgeries in the Assessment Manager area and again would welcome your suggestions.

Hints and Tips:

Setting up for June Exams 2012

Remember you can create all your entry marksheets for a series in one go if you prefer. This will create an Entry, Forecast and Result marksheet.

Step-by-Step

  1. Select Focus | Marksheet Setup – Series.
  2. In Select the Series field select the Series eg 6G15_70 Series.
  3. Series 6G15_70 contains several awards. Click the Magnifying glass button to the right of the main panel to choose from the available awards. You can select one or multiple awards.

There are several types of marksheet that can normally be created, but three types (entry, forecast and result) are available as separate marksheets, i.e. a marksheet for entries, a marksheet for forecasts and a marksheet for results for each of the selected groups. Some awards include Coursework so this would also generate a marksheet.

  1. Select the Separate Marksheets radio button to create each of these three types of marksheet.

Columns in the marksheets will be headed by the code for the element, e.g. AQA 4055. To provide information on the marksheet as to which subject AQA 4055 refers to it is possible to include an element key.

  1. Select the Create Element Key radio button to include an Element Key in the Description box on the marksheets.

On the marksheets for forecast grades or for results it is possible to display the entries that have been made in separate columns.

  1. Select the Include Entry Aspects check box to display entries on the appropriate marksheets.

We must specify what types of group we wish to create marksheets for. The course groups are a list of all pupil/students in any of the classes attached to the course, i.e. working towards the particular award that we have chosen and is linked to a course. The classes are those classes associated with the course linked to the award, the Season Candidate Group is the group that contains all the candidates assigned to the season.

  1. De-select the Course check box and select the Classes check box to produce marksheets for all the classes associated with the subject(s) you have chosen eg Religious Studies (GCSEF)Course. To limit the number of marksheets to only those classes for a particular Year Group, the Year field allows selection of a particular year.
  2. In the Year field select Curriculum Year 11.

Finally, the Effective Date box allows us to specify the date for which we should look for classes associated with the course that is linked to the award(s).

  1. Ensure that the Effective Date box shows today’s date.
  2. Click the OK button to create the marksheets.
  3. Provided no errors are produced click the Close button to close the Activity Log.

Marksheets can be viewed in the normal way.

While creating large numbers of separate marksheets for the purposes of entry, forecasts and results is useful, sometimes it can also be useful to view and enter all three types of information onto the same marksheet. This type of marksheet is known as a consolidated marksheet. This can be achieved by clicking in the Consolidated Marksheets radio button instead of Separate Marksheets. This is useful for subjects that do not have serveral units to them eg modular science, maths etc as the marksheet will be far too large.

Consolidated marksheets: