THE SCHEDULE – PRINCIPAL EXAMINER (PEX1)
The Principal Examiner is responsible to the Chief Examiner for the setting of the
question paper and the standardising of its marking. During the term of this
Agreement you shall provide the following Services:
1. ensure subject requirements and standards are clearly understood,
supported and maintained in all work;
2. work with the Education Manager and Senior Examining team colleagues
to ensure quality and timely delivery of Services in compliance with CCEA
procedures, CCEA Instruction booklets, the Code of Practice and the
General Conditions of Recognition;
3. set the questions and mark schemes for the question paper* or part
thereof, and approve those set by other examiners;
4. seek to ensure parity of standards across optional questions in the papers
and assist the Chief Examiner in ensuring parity of standards across
optional papers;
5. attend QPEC meetings for the particular unit /component specified;
6. proofread the printer’s proofs of the question papers and mark schemes at
each stage of the production process;
7. mark a minimum of 30 scripts to gain direct evidence of the candidates’
interpretation of questions and the application of the mark scheme. All
parts of these scripts must be marked to gain a feel for the candidates’
performance;
8. monitor the standards of marking of all the Examiners for the paper,
including any Assistant Principal Examiners and team leaders, and take
appropriate steps to ensure accuracy and consistency; and report on the
marking of Examiners during the Review of Marking and Awarding
meeting;
9. act in an advisory capacity only on the appointment, training and reappointment of team leaders and assistant examiners for the question
papers;
10. act as mentor to new Examiners;
Sep 15
11. advise the awarding committee on how the question paper functioned, and
recommend preliminary mark ranges for the judgmental grade boundaries
for the question paper;
12. submit to the Chief Examiner an evaluation report on the performance of
the question paper;
13. if required, re-mark scripts and write reports in connection with enquiries
about results of an examination;
14. attend training courses arranged by CCEA, in relation to new methods,
techniques of assessment and administrative procedures;
15. ensure that all work for CCEA, including information exchanged at CCEA
meetings or whilst on CCEA business, remains confidential and is not
discussed or reviewed in public places;
16. attend all meetings arranged by CCEA;
17. ensure that all work is carried out to a high standard and is completed
within agreed deadlines;
18. conduct teacher support events and/or centre visits where required by the
Education Manager;
19. engage in modernisation activities and assist in the development of
materials in support of the relevant specification; and
20. perform any other services such as CCEA may reasonably require in
respect of/relevant to the development of examinations.
*Throughout this document the phrase question papers is to be interpreted as
including the range of assessment materials produced (eg tapes, tasks, resource
materials) in addition to the question papers and mark schemes as relevant to
the subject.
CONFIDENTIALITY AND PROFESSIONAL INTEGRITY
Please note that all examiners who are contracted to provide services for CCEA
are required to maintain the confidentiality of assessment materials as described
in Condition G4 of the General Conditions of Recognition – Maintaining
Confidentiality of assessment materials. The General Conditions of Recognition
state that:
G4.1 Where confidentiality in –
(a) the contents of assessment materials, or
(b) information about the assessment,
Sep 15
is required in order to ensure that a qualification which an awarding organisation
makes available, or proposes to make available, reflects an accurate measure of
attainment, the awarding organisation must take all reasonable steps to ensure
that such confidentiality is maintained.
G4.2 In particular, an awarding organisation must take all reasonable steps to
ensure that such confidentiality is maintained where it (or any person connected
to it) provides training or training materials in relation to a qualification.
G4.3 An awarding organisation must take all reasonable steps to ensure that no
person connected to it, or previously connected to it, offers to disclose
information about any assessment or the content of any assessment materials
where that information is (or is said or implied to be) confidential.
G4.4 Where any breach of such confidentiality (including through the loss or theft
of assessment materials) is either suspected by an awarding organisation or
alleged by any other person, the awarding organisation must investigate that
breach.
(http://www.ofqual.gov.uk/files/2012-11-20-general-conditions-of-recognition-november2012.pdf Part 2 Section G, P54)
Any behaviour which threatens the confidentiality of the assessment materials
will be regarded as a serious breach of contract and may lead to the contract
being terminated in accordance with clauses 7 and 8 of the contract. All
prospective and current examiners should note that in signing the contract for
services, they are acknowledging full understanding of the above condition and
agreeing to comply fully with it.
Please note that CCEA will monitor compliance with this condition on a continual
basis to ensure that the integrity of the examinations system is protected at all
times.
EXAMINING FEES
CCEA shall pay a global fee to the appropriate team. Individual fees shall be
determined by the subject and numbers of relevant suppliers on the team and will
be specific to the work the Supplier has undertaken in accordance with this
agreement. Payment in respect of work completed by the Supplier will be made
after the Question Paper Evaluation Committee (QPEC) meeting. In addition,
CCEA shall pay the appropriate fee for attending meetings authorised by CCEA.
Supervisory Fees
The quality of marking by examiners is monitored by a supervisory examiner. As
part of the quality assurance process they will remark some of the examiner’s
allocation to ensure standards set at standardising meetings are maintained. A
fee is paid for each examiner supervised. Similarly the quality of work of each
assistant moderator for product type subjects is supervised by a senior
Sep 15
moderator who re-moderates some of the assistant moderator’s allocation. A fee
is paid for each moderator supervised.
Supervising Examiner GCSE, GCE
£77.97 (standard)
Enquiry About Results
After results are issued candidates can request a re-mark. Fees payable to the
Senior Examiner for this work are as follows:
Remark Marking fee per paper
Accelerated Remark Double marking fee per paper
MEETING FEES
CCEA will pay a meeting fee to Suppliers contracted on CCEA business in
relation to Entry Level Qualifications, GCSE and GCE examinations according to
the following schedule:
Level of
Fee
1
2
3
Full day
(Over 4 hrs,
excluding
lunch)
£120.23
£98.37
£76.51
Half day
(2-4 hrs)
Short day
(under 2
hrs)
£60.12
£49.19
£38.26
£30.06
£24.59
£19.14
Level 1 Fees
The level 1 fee is paid to a senior Examiner or Moderator (ie Chair of Examiners,
Chief Examiner, Principal Examiner, Principal Moderator or Assistant Principal
Moderator) who is responsible for preparing and conducting a meeting with other
examiners, moderators or with teachers. It is also paid to Visiting Moderators
and Assessors when they are supervising the work of other Moderators or
Assessors in centres.
Level 2 Fees
The level 2 fee is paid to a senior Examiner or Moderator who is present at a
meeting with other examiners, moderators or teachers and who contributes to the
meeting in their role as senior Examiner or Moderator. A level 2 fee is not
payable to a senior Examiner who is attending the meeting in a different capacity.
For example, a Principal Examiner who contracts to mark a paper which (s)he
has not been involved in setting, does not qualify for a level 2 fee when attending
the standardising meeting. It is also paid to Visiting Moderators or Assessors
when carrying out assessments in centres.
Sep 15
Level 3 Fees
The level 3 fee is paid to examiners and moderators for attending a
standardisation meeting or briefing meeting.
Saturday Meetings
The meeting fee for meetings held on Saturdays will be increased by £50 for a
full day and £25 for a half day.
Evening Meetings
Evening meetings will be paid at the rate for a half day plus £25.
Sep 15