ECM purpose and responsibilities
Position purpose
Exam Centre Managers (ECMs) are responsible for the successful delivery of the NCEA and NZ Scholarship exams conducted every year by NZQA.
An ECM ensures that all processes related to exam delivery at their assigned exam centre comply with NZQA procedures. They work collaboratively with the Principal’s Nominee and school staff.
Preparation for each year's exam round happens between July and October., with exam cycle management happening in November and December.
Responsible to
NZQA's Manager, Operations and Logistics.
Responsible for
All exam centre staff at the exam centre.
On this page
Functional relationships at the examination centre
- Principal’s Nominee (PN)
- Special Needs Coordinators (SENCO)
- school’s technical and administrative staff
- other staff as required
- candidates
- couriers.
Functional relationships at NZQA
- the Assessment Delivery team
- the People team.
ECM key accountabilities
Exam session management
- Ensure management and supervision of paper based and digital exams is conducted in compliance with NZQA's processes and procedures, as detailed in the ECM Instructions provided by NZQA.
- Ensure the provision of approved special assessment conditions for eligible candidates.
- Report exam irregularities using the appropriate NZQA forms.
Administration
- Work with the Principal’s Nominee (PN) to prepare exam rooms, including digital exam setup.
- Liaise with the school to confirm accommodation and equipment needs in advance.
- Coordinate with the school’s IT support to manage digital exams.
- Ensure the security, receipt and storage of all exam materials, including late entries, and prepare all candidate answer booklets for collection, while taking care to perform these tasks safely as they involve handling reasonably heavy boxes.
- Complete and submit all post exam forms and tasks.
- Complete and submit the ECM Post Exam Survey as required.
- Comply with health and safety requirements at the exam centre(s) and lead exam centre staff to do the same.
Exam staff management
- Recruit exam centre staff and support onboarding processes, ensuring all necessary steps are followed.
- Prepare the exam plan and assign resources based on their availability and special exam requirements.
- Train exam centre staff using NZQA-provided training resources.
- Lead exam centre staff to ensure exam supervision occurs in accordance with NZQA guidelines.
- Provide staff with information and support for the claims process.
ECM core responsibilities
- Ensure successful delivery of NCEA and NZ Scholarship exams at the assigned exam centre in accordance with NZQA processes and procedures.
- Maintain positive working relationships with school staff, assigned exam centre staff, as well as NZQA staff.
- Complete and attend NZQA-provided ECM training and activities.
- Inform NZQA immediately for further instruction if unable to work.
Other requirements
All work in connection with the exams is strictly confidential to ECMs, PNs and NZQA.
The ECM is responsible for ensuring the confidentiality of all exam material (both paper and digital) at all times.
ECMs must not discuss any matters relating to the exams with the media or any persons other than NZQA staff or the PN.
All exam material is confidential to supervisors and candidates, and no other people are permitted to see exam material during the applicable exam session.
ECMs need access to
- a smartphone
- a laptop or PC
- a personal email that is not shared with others.
ECMs must be available and physically present at their exam centres for all exams during November and December.
To protect exam integrity, the ECM must stop teaching or tutoring NCEA and NZ Scholarship students from mid-October (once exam materials are received).
The ECM will be engaged as a fixed-term staff member.