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e-assessment (on-screen exams)

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Key Dates and Timetables

Exams Officer Noticeboard

Entries

Internal Assessment

Examinations

Results, Grade Boundaries and PRS

Special Requirements

Centre Information

Portal

Remote Invigilation

e-submission upload

The Exam Process

Administration Contacts

JCQ Documentation

e-Assessment

This section provides information regarding e-assessment as offered by us. It covers what it is, what subjects are available and why your centre should consider e-assessment.

Teach outside of Wales?

What is e-assessment?

e-Assessment involves the use of ICT; allowing the completion and marking of examinations on screen, removing the need for pen and paper. Certain subjects offered by us have e-assessment as an option, others are compulsory. Where e-assessment is an option, there is no difference in content between on-screen and paper versions.

What subjects are offered with e-assessment?

We offer e-assessment for the following subjects:

{"accordionHeading":"","accordionItems":[{"accordionTitle":"Compulsory Subjects:","accordionTitleSecondary":null,"accordionImage":"","accordionContent":"<ul>\n<li>GCE Applied ICT Unit 1 Part A</li>\n<li>GCE Digital Technology Unit 1 & Unit 3</li>\n<li>GCE AS Computer Science Unit 2*</li>\n<li>GCSE Computer Science Unit 2*</li>\n<li>GCSE Geology Component 1 (Eduqas)</li>\n<li>GCSE Digital Technology Unit 1</li>\n<li>GCSE Built Environment Unit 1</li>\n<li>Level 1/2 Award in Constructing the Built Environment</li>\n<li>Level 1/2 Global Business Communication – French Unit 4 (Technical Award)</li>\n<li>Level 1/2 Global Business Communication – German Unit 4 (Technical Award)</li>\n<li>Level 1/2 Global Business Communication – Spanish Unit 4 (Technical Award)</li>\n<li>Level 1/2 ICT Unit 1 (Technical Award)</li>\n<li>Level 2 CCPLD: Core</li>\n<li>Level 3 Professional Construction Practice Unit 2</li>\n<li>Level 3 Professional Construction Practice Unit 3</li>\n<li>Tystysgrif Sgiliau Iaith (TSI)</li>\n</ul>\n* Exam materials/media delivered electronically to centres. Candidate scripts submitted electronically.\n "},{"accordionTitle":"Optional Subjects:","accordionTitleSecondary":null,"accordionImage":"","accordionContent":"<ul>\n<li>GCSE Food and Nutrition Unit 1</li>\n<li>GCSE Health and Social Care and Childcare Unit 1</li>\n<li>GCSE Health and Social Care and Childcare Unit 3</li>\n<li>Level 1/2 Events Industry Unit 1</li>\n<li>Level 1/2 Global Business Communication – French Unit 2 (Legacy)</li>\n<li>Level 1/2 Global Business Communication – German Unit 2 (Legacy)</li>\n<li>Level 1/2 Global Business Communication – Spanish Unit 2 (Legacy)</li>\n<li>Level 1/2 Hospitality and Catering Unit 1</li>\n<li>Level 1/2 Retail Business Unit 1 (Technical Award)</li>\n<li>Level 1/2 Sport and Coaching Principles Unit 1 (Technical Award)</li>\n<li>Level 1/2 Sport and Coaching Principles Unit 2 (Legacy)</li>\n<li>Level 2 CCPLD: Practice and Theory Unit 216</li>\n<li>Level 2 Health and Social Care: Principles and Contexts Unit 1</li>\n<li>Level 3 Criminology Unit 2</li>\n<li>Level 3 Criminology Unit 4</li>\n<li>Level 3 Tourism Unit 1</li>\n<li>Level 3 Tourism Unit 3</li>\n<li>Level 3 CCPLD: Practice and Theory Unit 330</li>\n<li>Level 3 Health and Social Care Unit 2</li>\n<li>Level 3 Health and Social Care Unit 5</li>\n</ul>\nWe are required by the regulators to provide a paper back-up of an on-screen test in case of technical difficulties on the day of the assessment.\n "}]}

Why should your centre consider e-assessment?

For your Students:

Whilst studying, many students are able to produce a lot of their work using a computer. Being computer-based, e-assessments allow students to complete examinations in their normal way of working, allowing many candidates to feel more comfortable.
Being able to edit on-screen allows students to review their responses and make amendments accordingly, enabling them to submit a clear and legible script.
Taking an examination via e-assessment may be of benefit to those students whose handwriting may be an obstacle to them completing an examination in a legible manner. Responses are typed, maintaining legibility.
Some students may be more positively engaged with an examination that uses technology rather than traditional pen and paper.
E-assessment assists greatly where audio is a fundamental part of an examination; in Global Business Communication for example. Audio is delivered on an individual basis, via headphones, helping reduce background distractions and allowing the students to focus.
The software used has a number of colour options to assist students with visual requirements.

For your Centre

Your centre will have free access to a bank of past papers. The bank is available at any time, through software provided free of charge by us, and can be used for a number of purposes such as mock examinations, practice tests etc.
For non-live examinations, practice and mock tests can be marked by the centre if they so wish. In some cases, the software will automatically mark some questions, reducing the amount of teacher-marking required. Results will show in the software's administration interface immediately after marking.
Time management is simplified as tests have a built-in countdown ensuring students receive their full amount of time allocated. For both live examinations and mock/practice tests, extra time can be assigned to your students where applicable.
For live examinations that are e-assessed, a significant amount of administration is automated. The exams only become available to you at the scheduled time and date. Once a student has finished, or their allocated time has elapsed, their script is automatically uploaded to us. This avoids the need to collect in, collate and then post off any physical scripts. The administration screen will inform you of which scripts we have received.

Would you like to know more?

We actively encourage centres and students to use our on-screen assessments. For subjects where this is optional, trialling e-assessment in no way commits you to using it for live examinations. We appreciate that e-assessment is not a "one size fits all" and if you or your students decide that it's not for them, then the paper option is still available. It might be that some of your students will benefit from sitting their examinations on-screen while others continue to use paper. It's perfectly acceptable to us for you to mix these formats.

However, for subjects where e-assessment is compulsory, it must be used.

What happens next?

Hardware requirements check:

We use the Surpass platform to administer on-screen examinations. The examinations themselves run through our free SecureClient software which will need to be installed on each PC at your centre. Please check that your computers meet the hardware requirements listed in the following document: Hardware requirements

User accounts:

If the hardware requirements are met, then to start using e-assessment at your centre please contact e-assessment@wjec.co.uk.

Software installation:

With accounts created, your IT Team will have access to download the SecureClient software for installation on to your PCs. This software will need to be installed prior to you being able to run any on-screen examinations.

Once SecureClient has been installed you are then able to schedule and run your practice tests, based on the past papers available. Currently, the use of the system is unlimited and is available to you all year round. If you have any further questions about e-assessment, please contact the E-assessment Team on 029 2026 5328 or email e-assessment@wjec.co.uk.