Early communication
Early communication between the Exam Centre Manager and the Principal's Nominee and SENCO about individual student needs is good practice.
The school is responsible for recruiting, training and scheduling the exam assistants. Exam assistants engage with the students in the examination for example, as a Reader or Writer. Any new exam assistants must be police vetted by the school.
- Exam assistants are paid by the school if they are working in their normal scheduled hours. They complete a memorandum of understanding with NZQA. This is to be returned to the Exam Centre Manager by 4 October.
- If an exam assistant is not being paid by the school during the exam period, they complete an exam assistant agreement and are paid by NZQA.
The Principal's Nominee and SENCO determine if an entitled student is allocated to a small group or isolated separate accommodation. This needs to be attached to each session so it shows on the Exam Centre Manager’s planner.
The Exam Centre Manager is responsible for managing exam supervisors, including those supervising students with special assessment conditions, for example, students using a computer or those who have separate accommodation.
On this page
Before the exams
Before the exams, the Principal's Nominee or SENCO:
- facilitates a meeting with the Exam Centre Manager
- ensures that students know their entitlement
- manages computer provision
- ensures there are sufficient and suitable exam assistants for all students with special assessment conditions. The Exam Centre Manager is provided with details along with signed memoranda of understanding or agreements
- liaises with the Exam Centre Manager to confirm the suitability of the rooms available, including accessibility if needed
- ensures the Exam Centre Manager is aware of individual needs. Some students may need to take medication, walk about or otherwise self-manage.
Note that rest breaks and extra time will only show on the Exam Centre Manager’s planner if a student is entered for 3 standards.
During the exams
During the exams, the Principal's Nominee or SENCO:
- checks that exam assistants and candidates with special assessment conditions know their entitlements and where to go
- checks on the exam assistants and provides a break if necessary (generally between standards)
- should be available if required.
The Examination Centre Manager's duties
The Exam Centre Manager:
- is responsible for the distribution and collection of papers
- liaises with the Principal's Nominee or SENCO to allocate exam assistants to candidates to ensure a good match.
Managing SAC students from other schools
If you are the exam centre for another school, confirm with their Principal's Nominee which students have SAC entitlements.
The student’s home school is responsible for recruiting, training and scheduling exam assistants. The two schools should work together to ensure that there are suitable and sufficient rooms and computer facilities as required.