Pearson Edexcel Remote Invigilation Service for Schools
This service enables students to sit their high stakes Pearson Edexcel examinations securely from home or an alternative appropriate location, under the supervision and support of a live invigilator.
Qualifications and subject availability
The service is currently available for Pearson Edexcel International GCSE qualifications in the following subjects:
| Paper-based | Onscreen |
|---|---|
| Mathematics | English Language A* |
| Further Mathematics | English Literature |
| Biology | Economics |
| Chemistry | History |
| Physics | Business |
| Science (Double Award) | |
| Geography | |
| French/German/Spanish * | |
| Religious Studies | |
| Global Citizenship |
* Written components only. Spoken and coursework components are currently not available via remote invigilation and must therefore be conducted in a physical examination centre.
Please note we may not be able to support remote invigilation in some countries at this time. Please consult your Regional Development Manager for further information.
Express Interest in using the Remote Invigilation Service by contacting your Regional Development manager or completing the form below.
Onscreen
Exam questions are provided onscreen, and candidates type their answers into the online assessment player.
Paper-based
Where a subject is not yet available onscreen, a paper-based approach will be used. Candidates are provided with a printable answer booklet, which does not include the examination questions. Questions appear onscreen once the candidate presses the Start button.
Use of a Word processor: for subjects listed as paper-based, students can opt to type their responses using a word processer such as Microsoft Word, if that is their preferred way of working. Further guidance is provided in the FAQs.
View a step-by-step walkthrough of the remote invigilation experience for each mode of assessment:
Remote Invigilation Service - ProctorExam Onscreen Test Set-Up Guide
Remote Invigilation Service - ProctorExam Paper Based Set-Up Guide
Our sandbox environment enables teachers, parents and students to navigate the accessibility tools and questions onscreen using past papers at their convenience.
The Remote Invigilation Service Student Handbook explains the full examination experience, with step-by-step guidance through the three phases of the examination, which includes the setup, the examination, and the completion and submission process.
We also provide three key familiarisation opportunities for students to interact directly with the assessment platform in the lead up to their target examination series.
It is crucial to ensure that all candidates participate in these activities to understand how to use the platform. Effective familiarisation builds student confidence and helps protect the integrity of the examinations.
The primary purpose of the demo tests is for students to familiarise themselves with the system and how it works independently, including pre-exam checks, downloading papers, uploading papers, and correctly ending an exam. The exam paper provided during the demo test does not need to be completed, nor will it be marked by anyone.
As with demo tests, mock exams (or cycle tests) will provide a full run through of a remotely invigilated exam. These mocks are recorded for review and are not marked by Pearson. Dedicated student support is available via email if they encounter any challenges during the mock examination process.
Students will have the opportunity for one live invigilated mock exam, to ensure they are comfortable with the experience prior to the examination series.
The above familiarisation mock exams are limited to International GCSE Maths and English, unless schools opt to make use of the Pearson Edexcel Mocks Service at an additional fee.
Invigilators are allocated to a maximum of two students, to ensure 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 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. All mock 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 setup and submission stages, but must exit the room during the live examination.
The responsible adult will be required to sign a declaration to confirm that they understand and will assist in upholding the JCQ Instructions for the Conduct of Examinations (ICE).
Exam Officers make entries in the normal way via Edexcel Online. You will be asked to share details of your planned entries with the remote invigilation team as early as possible for planning and familiarisation purposes.
Where there is an onscreen examination available for a subject this will be the default, unless there are specific Access Arrangements required which show that onscreen is not appropriate for the learner.
Onscreen Entry Codes: Centres must request approval to make entries for onscreen examinations. Please use the International Information Manual to ensure that you use the onscreen subject entry code where applicable. The onscreen options have ‘C’ codes. See the below example for International GCSE English Language A onscreen:
| 4EA1 | ZA | English Language Specification A (Papers 1c and 2c) |
|---|
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.
Personalised requirements can be more easily accommodated via this service e.g. white noise machines, noise suppression buds, ear defenders, fidget toys, blankets, cuddly toys, cushions or non-standard equipment*.
Please always reach out to us if you feel your students have an access arrangement that could be met by the remote invigilation team.
* Subject to approval by Pearson
International GCSE May-June series
International GCSE November series
Exams will be conducted at the UK published start time, unless otherwise specified. Please reach out to your Regional Development Manager to confirm whether the service is available for the country/countries your students are located in.
A Remote Invigilation Service fee is charged per International GCSE subject. This service fee is separate and in addition to your examination entry fees.
Please read the Pearson Edexcel Remote Invigilation Service Terms of Use.
