Pearson Edexcel Remote Invigilation Service for Schools

Onscreen

Exam questions are provided onscreen, and candidates type their answers into the text boxes provided within the assessment player. Subject-specific resources are also accessed onscreen and are not provided in a printable format. 

Paper-based

Where a subject is not yet available onscreen, a paper-based approach will be used. Candidates access a pdf answer booklet via a link within the assessment player. They are required to print this out and handwrite their answers. The answer booklet does not include the examination questions. Questions appear onscreen once the candidate presses the Start button. Subject-specific resources are provided as pdf files and can either be referred to onscreen or printed out, depending on student preference.  
 
Use of a Word processor: for students whose normal way of working is to type, may opt to use a word processor for paper-based examinations. This should be requested based on need, not preference. Further guidance is provided in the FAQs and in section 5.8 of the JCQ Instructions for Conducting Exams. 
 
View a step-by-step walkthrough of the remote invigilation experience for each type of assessment: 

Onscreen Test Set-up Guide

Paper-based Set-up Guide

Please also see our series of videos which shows how to navigate the onscreen assessment player, and the variety of question types students may come across. Please note that not all subjects listed are necessarily available via remote invigilation, so please check the subject lists on this page for confirmation. 
 
Our onscreen assessment sandbox, enables teachers, parents and students to access a variety of onscreen assessments (past papers) and provides the opportunity to explore and practice navigating the available accessibility tools within the assessment player at their convenience. 

Invigilators are allocated to a limited number of students, ensuring that we can provide personalised support, especially in the case of any candidates with SEND. 

Students cannot see or hear the Invigilator, but they can communicate with them by typing into a live chat box or speaking via their microphone if they need assistance at any stage of their examination. The Invigilator can see and hear the candidate throughout the setup, exam and submission process. Invigilators can only communicate with candidates by typing into the chat box. All familiarisation activities and live examinations are recorded and monitored for quality and safeguarding purposes. 

A parent or guardian must be available to students throughout the course of their examinations taken via remote invigilation. They may assist with the set-up and submission stages, but must exit the room during the live examination. They should please remain within earshot in case students need to call them for assistance. 

The responsible adult will be required to sign a declaration to confirm that they understand and accept our Terms of Use and will assist in upholding the JCQ Instructions for the Conduct of Examinations (ICE). 

The Remote Invigilation Service Handbook provides step-by-step guidance through the remote invigilation exam process, which includes:

1. Set up
2. Examination
3. Completion and submission process.  

We make sure that students can interact directly with the assessment platform in the lead up to their examinations. 

Once students have expressed interest in using the service, they will be offered an opportunity to interact with a few demo assessments to familiarise themselves with the experience, and decide if they want to make formal exam entries via the Remote Invigilation Service. Support is available via our Remote Invigilation Customer Support if students encounter any challenges during this time. 

Students who make formal exam entries for the Remote Invigilation Service will have the opportunity to participate in a live invigilated system familiarisation exercise, to ensure they are comfortable with the proctor experience prior to the high stakes examinations. 

Familiarisation activities are conducted using a limited set of past papers and/or sample assessments, and the focus is to make sure students familiar with the system. These are not intended to act as mock examinations and answers will therefore not be given to schools, exam centres or individuals as part of this. 

Schools that are interested in providing their students with Pearson-marked mocks are invited to make use of the Pearson Edexcel Mocks Service at an additional fee. 

Exam Officers should make entries in the normal way via Edexcel Online. Entries must be made prior to the RIS entry deadline, which is earlier than the standard entry deadline for each exam series. You will be asked to share details of your planned entries with the remote invigilation team in advance of this for planning purposes.

Please take note of the following key considerations when making entries: 

Regional and Home Papers 

It is important to consider whether you have candidates in R paper and/or home paper regions. Access to each paper type is based on the country your centre is located in. Exceptional approval is required to be able to make entries for both paper types. It is the centre's responsibility to ensure that candidates are entered for the correct paper type. 
 
In cases where candidates relocate to different countries and time zones during an exam series, centres should please make candidates and their families aware that they will be expected to join their examinations at the same start time determined in GMT/BST. Entries cannot be amended mid-series to cater for such circumstances. 

Onscreen Entry Codes

The service makes use of onscreen assessment as a default where this is available. Centres will need to be approved to make entries for onscreen examinations. If you do not already use Pearson Edexcel onscreen assessments, once you have been approved as a Remote Invigilation Service (RIS) centre, please request this access via the support portal. 

Only candidates with specific needs, which make onscreen assessment inaccessible, will be approved to opt-out of onscreen assessment. Please share details of such cases with us for approval prior to making entries. 

If in doubt, please refer to the International Information Manual. The onscreen entry options have a ‘C’ next to the paper description. 
 
The Remote Invigilation Service team cannot be held responsible for any issues arising from incorrect entries being made by centres. 

How to indicate to us that an exam is to be conducted via the Remote Invigilation Service

Once you have made entries, please ensure you indicate which papers need to be sat via the Remote Invigilation Service. To distinguish an RIS exam entry, please select Delivery option and tick Value. This will ensure that any entry made prior to the late entry deadline is setup to be conducted via the Remote Invigilation Service.

Please share details of candidate access arrangements and individual needs with us when you first express interest in using the service, so we can provide the necessary support. 

Exams Officers should follow the normal process to apply for access arrangements via Edexcel Online. Currently, we can support extra time and supervised rest breaks as access arrangements. 

For example, we will pre-apply extra time to a candidate's exam if this is requested and approved. This means that when the student clicks ‘start exam’, the extra time is already included in their allotted exam time. 

If candidates are to have supervised rest breaks, invigilators will be made aware of this and will be able to accommodate this on the exam day.

The Remote Invigilation Service has inbuilt accessibility functionality which has been designed to allow students to: 

• Choose from a range of different colour options for the text and background. 
• Zoom in to enlarge the text and images on the screen. 
• Choose from a range of text sizes. 
• Navigate most of the platform and onscreen versions of the assessments using just a keyboard or touchscreen. 

Please encourage students to practice using the above accessibility features in our sandbox environment. 

Personalised requirements can be more easily accommodated via this service e.g. white noise machines, noise suppression earbuds, ear defenders, fidget toys, blankets, cuddly toys, cushions or non-standard equipment*. 
 
Please discuss any additional unique needs with us and we will explore how best to support your students. 
 
* Subject to approval by Pearson 

*Two familiarisation windows are available for the May-June series. Candidates will be provided with a systems familiarisation opportunity in one of these windows. Centres who have confirmed cohort details in June of the prior year can make use of the first familiarisation window.

Candidates who are entered for the Remote Invigilation service between 27 November 2025 – 12 February 2026 will participate in the second and final systems familiarisation window for that series.

**Late fees will apply to new entries made after the RIS entry deadline. An exception will be made for students who enter to resit a subject taken via the Remote Invigilation Service in the previous exam series. No additional entries will be accepted post the late entry deadline. 
 
Amendments will be permitted for Tier and Option changes only. These must be made by centres on Edexcel Online and confirmed in writing to us via the Remote Invigilation Service Customer Support at least 48 hours prior to the relevant examination. If this is not acknowledged within 24 hours, please call us to confirm receipt. Only Tier and Option amendments will be accepted post the Late Entry Deadline. 

Results dates

A Remote Invigilation Service fee is charged per International GCSE paper and per International A level unit. This service fee is separate and in addition to the examination entry fees.   

Late fees will apply to new entries made after the RIS entry deadline. An exception will be made for students who enter to resit a subject taken via the Remote Invigilation Service in the previous exam series. No additional entries will be accepted post the late entry deadline.  

If a candidate has not requested prior support, and has not engaged in the system familiarisation opportunities provided, they will be required to participate in a paid familiarisation activity prior to being issued login details to access the high stakes examinations via the Remote Invigilation Service.