Security update - August 2023

Examination room requirements 

Centres are reminded that all exam venues must comply with the JCQ regulations. We recommend that the centre manager undertakes regular audits of test rooms to satisfy themselves that they continue to meet the requirements. This includes ensuring that any external noise does not disturb candidates (see extract 11.4 below). We also advise invigilators to undertake a pre-test check on each testing occasion when a new testing location is used. 

You can find a Test Room Checklist on our website here: Security | Key Documents. You can adapt this to fit your individual requirements. You must retain the signed and dated test room checklist for a period of 3 years. 

• JCQ Instructions for Conducting Exams

Extract: 11.4 Any room in which an examination is held must provide candidates with appropriate conditions for taking the examination. The centre must pay attention to conditions such as heating, lighting, ventilation and noise, whether internal or external, intermittent or continuous.  

Exam administration: Recording of learner ID  

A reminder that Get Training requires that ‘Centres must check the learner’s identity before assessing them. This means that learners must provide one Group A document from [the SIA] list of acceptable ID documents before they can sit the knowledge assessments. Centres must keep a record of the identity document they review and accept for each learner.’ 

Centres are required to record the identity document provided by each learner on the Candidate Test Paper Checklist. This document is available to download from our website here: Security | Key Documents. 

SIA Group A documents:  

• a passport that is signed, current, and valid 
• a driving licence photocard issued by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) in the UK 
• a driving licence photocard and its paper counterpart issued by the Driver and Vehicle Agency (DVA) in Northern Ireland 
• a UK original birth certificate issued within 12 months of birth 
• a UK adoption certificate 
• a UK biometric residence permit card 

An exemplar of how the Test Paper Checklist should be completed is below: 

Attendance registers 

A reminder that:  

• Centres must keep detailed daily attendance registers that include: 
  • Start times 
  • Break times 
  • End times. 
• Learners must sign the register daily.  
• If digital registers are used, learners must sign these daily, it is not acceptable for centres to reuse a stored digital learner signature.  
• The register should include a record of any late arrivals/early leavers and how these learners made up the required hours which they missed. 

Searching criteria 

Please be advised that the SIA has updated the indicative content for the ‘demonstrate how to search people and their possessions’ assessment criteria within the Door Supervisor and Security Officer units to clarify what learners are expected to do as part of their practical assessment. The following will be added into the specifications and will be effective from 1st September: 

“Conduct a search of an individual, their person and belongings to locate a concealed prohibited item/s. 

• Be able to use a handheld metal detector. 
• Be able to search a bag. 
• Be able to search a coat and/or outer garment (hoodies/hats/scarf/gloves). 
• Be able to conduct a pat-down search of an individual. 
• Observe an individual conducting a self-search. 
  
• Be able to locate a prohibited item/s during the search. 
• Be able to take appropriate action on finding a prohibited item/s. 
• Be able to use radio communications to obtain support. 
• Be able to hand the found item/s over to a colleague/supervisor.” 

Learners must be assessed against each of the points above. There will an updated Assessment Record made available that must be used from 1 September, 2023 to record learner achievement. 
 
The updated specifications and Assessment Record will be circulated to centres and made available on the website shortly.