Severe Disruption/Evacuation during External Examinations Policy

1. Policy aim

The aim of this policy is to set out the procedure for dealing with severe disruptions and/or evacuation during external examinations. This policy should be read in conjunction with the Examinations Policy.

2. Possible causes

• Unreasonable noise disruption
• Fire/bomb/flood alert during an examination

2.1 Unreasonable noise disruption

In the event of a severe disruption in an externally set examination, invigilators are advised to stop the examination, tell the candidates to close their answer books, make a note of the time and summon help (from, for example, the Exams Officer, Director of Studies, Head of Administration, Facilities Manager and Principal) to sort out the problem. Exam room conditions must be maintained.

When the disruption has been resolved the candidates can resume their examination and the time taken to resolve the issue added on at the end of the examinations. The candidates must be supervised at all times and thus the break in the examination can be regarded as ‘a supervised rest break’.

An incident log must be completed with the times of the disruptions noted. The Exams Officer should make the examining bodies aware of the disruption if necessary.

2.2 Fire/bomb/flood alert during an examination

In the event of a fire alarm or bomb alert sounding (or any other emergency situation arising) during an examination, the first priority of the invigilators is to preserve life. The next priority is to ensure the security of the examination.

The invigilator should summon assistance, if there is time and it is appropriate, via the Exams officer who will confirm if immediate evacuation is necessary and the Operations Team who will call the reserve invigilator and notify the Facilities Manager, Head of Administration, Director of Studies and Principal. A decision will be made as to whether a full evacuation is necessary.

If the emergency is over quickly, the candidates should resume the examination. A careful note of the time of resumption must be noted and the full time allocated for the examination given to complete the examination, ignoring the interruption.

An incident log must be completed with the times of the disruptions noted and a special consideration form will be filled in so as not to disadvantage the candidates.

3. Procedure for emergency evacuation from an examination

If it is necessary to evacuate the building, the lead invigilator should then stop the examination taking a note of the time and evacuate the building by row and in silence. The candidates must leave all examination papers, scripts and writing equipment behind, and in accordance with the College emergency evacuation procedures. The candidates should remain supervised and in silence throughout the emergency. Several other members of staff will be needed to help supervise this.

At all times invigilators must act in accordance with the JCQ Instructions for conducting examinations, including those set out below. They should also summon assistance immediately as an emergency arises. Silence should be maintained during the time the candidates are outside the examination room.

The invigilator must take the following action in an emergency such as a fire alarm or a bomb alert:

1. Stop the candidates from writing
2. Collect the attendance register (to ensure all candidates are present) and evacuate the examination room in line with the instructions given by the appropriate authority
3. Advise candidates to leave all question papers and scripts in the examination room. Candidates must be advised to close their answer booklets
4. Candidates should leave the room in silence
5. Make sure that the candidates are supervised as closely as possible while they are out of the examination room to ensure there is no discussion about the examination
6. Make a note of the time of the interruption and how long it lasted
7. Allow the candidates the remainder of the working time set for the examination once it resumes
8. If there are only a few candidates, consider the possibility of taking the candidates (with question papers and scripts) to another place to finish the examination

A full report of the incident must be produced and retained on file if required by an awarding body.
 
Any breach of question paper security or malpractice must be reported to the awarding body immediately.
 
An online application for special consideration must be submitted to the relevant awarding body where candidates have been disadvantaged.

4. Procedure for emergency lockdown during an examination
As examinations are held at an external venue (Army Reserve Centre, Hammersmith), it is recommended that this policy includes a section outlining procedures in the event of a lockdown.

In the event of a lockdown situation (e.g., intruder threat, violent incident and/or other security emergency), the safety of candidates and staff takes precedence over all examination regulations.

Given that specific lockdown procedures for the venue have not been provided, the following general guidelines are recommended:

• Immediate action: Follow any instructions given by venue staff, emergency services and/or law enforcement without delay.


• Stop the examination: If it is safe to do so, instruct candidates to stop writing, close their answer booklets, and remain silent.


• Move away from windows and doors: Candidates and staff should move away from exposed areas such as windows and doors and take cover behind solid objects or low to the ground, if appropriate.


• Secure the room as best as possible: If doors are not lockable, use available furniture or equipment to barricade entry points. Turn off lights, silence mobile phones, and maintain silence.


• Remain hidden and out of sight: Candidates and staff must remain out of sight and stay as quiet as possible until the all-clear is given by venue staff or emergency services.


• Evacuation as instructed: If safe evacuation becomes the recommended action (e.g., via a side fire escape), follow instructions carefully and evacuate in silence under supervision.


• Do not resume the exam until safe: The examination will not resume until venue staff or emergency services declare it safe to do so.


• Record details: Invigilators must make a note of the time the lockdown began and ended, and document any actions taken or instructions received.


• Report and special consideration: A full incident report must be completed and submitted to the awarding body. An online application for special consideration must be made where candidates have been disadvantaged.



This addition recognises that in a lockdown, safeguarding life overrides normal examination protocols and ensures staff have a clear safety-first response in the absence of specific venue procedures.