Role of the Invigilator - CYQ

Role and Responsibilities of the Invigilator 

Role of the Invigilator 

The Invigilator is responsible for upholding the integrity of the external assessment and 

ensuring proper conduct of the examination. 

Responsibilities of the Invigilator (Invigilation Guidelines) 

Before the external theory assessment the Invigilator must: 

Arrive in good time to ensure that: 

The room is set up correctly with a sign on the outside indicating that an assessment is in 

progress 

All learning materials and displays that are deemed to assist learners are covered or 

removed 

The seating plan is appropriate 

Adequate checks are conducted to confirm the identity of all learners (photo ID is 

required) 

All learners must sign the Candidate Register Form on entering the assessment room 

Only the official assessment stationery is issued to learners (blank paper may be used to 

make notes) 

Learners only bring in to the examination room items/equipment permitted (please refer 

to guidelines on range of acceptable equipment) 

Any unauthorised items/materials/equipment, including mobile phones (switched off), 

are out of the reach of learners 

The centre has made appropriate reasonable adjustments for learners with particular 

assessment requirements PRIOR to the assessment date, and these are made known to 

the Invigilator 

Learners requiring the assistance of a reader or writer are accommodated in a separate 

room 

Please note: Invigilators are advised to carry out these arrangements sensitively and 

with discretion. Learners requiring assistance should be accommodated for and 

managed before other learners arrive. 

Further information on reasonable adjustments and special considerations can be found 

on the CYQ website. 

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Starting the assessment 

Before learners can begin their external assessment the Invigilator must ensure that all 

learners have signed the Candidate Register Form. 

They must also ensure the following are visible for learners at all times during the 

assessment: 

A clock showing the accurate time 

Assessment information including: 

o The name and code of the centre 

o The title and version number of the theory paper 

o The date 

o The start and finish times of the assessment 

At the start of the assessment the Invigilator should: 

Inform learners they are now subject to the rules of the assessment 

Check that learners have all the necessary materials 

Ensure learners are clear on how to complete their answer sheets and what personal 

details they need to enter 

Remind learners to sign their theory paper answer sheets (failure to do this will render 

the assessment invalid.) 

Remind learners to sign their Candidate Register Form (failure to do this will render the 

assessment invalid.) 

Open the pack of theory papers and distribute to learners 

Check that learners have the correct papers 

Advise learners of any errata notices (if applicable) 

Remind learners they must not communicate with any other learners during the 

assessment period 

Announce clearly when learners can begin and specify the time allowed 

Write start and finish times on a board which is clearly visible to all learners 

Check and complete the appropriate Candidate Register Form, in accordance with 

CYQ regulations 

NB: Failure to adhere to all guidelines will render the assessments invalid. 

During the external assessment 

Invigilators must: 

Supervise learners throughout the whole assessment 

Be alert and observe learners at all times 

Not undertake any other activities while invigilating 




Late arrival of learners 

Learners who arrive after the timetabled start of the assessment may generally be allowed 

to enter the room up to 15 minutes after the official start time, and to sit the paper at the 

discretion of the Invigilator/centre, but only if the invigilation of the other learners is not 

compromised. 

Invigilators should note the circumstances of the late arrival and a written report, giving the 

appropriate details, should be submitted to CYQ. A copy of this report should be retained by 

the centre and made available at the request of the CYQ External Quality Assurer (EQA) 

Leaving the room during assessment 

Learners who complete their assessment early can leave the room a minimum of 30 

minutes after the start of the assessment, provided this does not interfere with others. 

Learners cannot however then be re-admitted. All assessment materials must be handed to 

the Invigilator and checked for accurate completion of learner details and signature. 

Misconduct 

The Invigilator must take steps to stop any inappropriate behaviour and inform the relevant 

centre staff. If the incident is serious, the learner should be instructed to leave and their 

answer sheet collected. 

All incidents of misconduct should be recorded detailing: 

The time of the incident 

The nature of the incident 

Persons involved and witness statements 

Considerations allowed for other learners affected 

Please note: All documentation should be made available to the CYQ EQA upon 

request. 

Emergencies 

In the event of an emergency occurring during the assessment, e.g. fire alarm, bomb 

warning etc: 

The assessment room must be evacuated in accordance with the instructions of the 

appropriate authority 

Learners must leave all assessment materials on their desks 

A record detailing the date and time of the incident must be kept and presented and 

made available to CYQ 

Please note: If learners have been closely supervised and the Invigilator is assured that 

there has not been a breach of examination security, for example if the learners did not 

communicate with each other, any other person and did not consult any books or notes 

whilst they were out of the room, then the assessment may be resumed and the full time 

given. 




Ending the assessment 

Prior to the end of the assessment the Invigilator must remind learners of the time 

remaining. It is suggested that this occurs between 15 and five minutes before the end. 

At the end of the assessment the Invigilator must: 

Inform learners to stop 

Remind learners to check that they have entered all the required information onto their 

answer sheets and sign their answer sheets 

Collect all answer sheets and theory papers, before learners leave the room 

Check all details have been entered correctly and that there is an answer sheet for each 

learner 

Check that all theory paper answer sheets and the Candidate Register Form have been 

signed by all learners 

Place the answer sheets in the order on the Candidate Register Form 

Collect all blank paper that has been used by learners to make notes etc. 

After the assessment 

The Invigilator should ensure that: 

The Candidate Register Form has been completed fully and signed by all learners 

The front of all learner answer sheets have been fully completed and signed 

All learner and Invigilator signatures are contained within the relevant box 

Ensure all related paperwork is secure to pass on to the appropriate Centre 

Contact/appointed person 

NB: Incomplete learner paperwork cannot be processed and will not be marked 

For further information regarding handling, storage and dispatch of completed theory 

papers, please see External Assessment Procedure 

CYQ will: 

 

 

 

 

Mark the theory papers 

Send a record of the results to the centre within 10 working days of receipt 

Once the results are received back at the centre, CYQ must be informed of any 

intended re-sit dates for the learners that have referred. Re-sit papers must be 

requested from CYQ in the usual way (theorypapers@cyq.org.uk ) 

If the centre is approved for internal marking, the guidelines for this procedure must 

be followed 

Please note: CYQ will require 5 working days to replace results that have been misplaced 

by your centre. Requests for duplicate theory results should be forwarded to CYQ via email 

results@cyq.org.uk using the template request form located in the approved centre area of 

the CYQ website. 




Guidance on the use of Invigilators: 

Invigilators should be members of the centre’s own team of staff not directly involved in the 

direct delivery of the qualification. Tutors, assessors, internal quality assurers and members 

of the administration team can act as Invigilators providing they have received training on 

CYQ external assessment invigilation guidelines. They should also receive training on the 

centre’s own procedures for learner misconduct. 

If, in extenuating circumstances, the centre requires someone other than a member of the 

centre team to act as an Invigilator, a formal written request should be made in writing to 

CYQ. CYQ will require the following: 

A formal written request addressed to the Approvals and Training Coordinator 

(approvals@cyq.org.uk ) 

The name and occupation of the proposed Invigilator (the proposed Invigilator should be 

employed within the education sector) 

The Invigilator’s place of work (this should ideally be a school, college, university or British 

Embassy) 

The venue where the assessment will be carried out 

The date the assessment will be held 

Confirmation that the proposed invigilator has read and understood CYQ invigilation 

procedures, along with their acceptance of the role 

NB: Friends and relatives cannot act as Invigilators 

Centre Sanction - Failure of the centre to follow any of the administration guidelines for 

external assessment may result in a centre sanction including review of risk status and/or 

an administration charge.

Role of the Invigilator - CYQ

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