2895 handbook for centres 2015 - web

2015

Handbook for centres

CAMBRIDGE ENGLISH LANGUAGE ASSESSMENT HANDBOOK FOR CENTRES 2015 1

Contact us

Helpdesk

Please see the support website: support.cambridgeenglish.org

This website answers many frequently asked questions, includes information and updates, and contains instructions and information on running our exams. You can also use it to contact our Helpdesk by submitting a query or instant messaging with a Helpdesk Analyst.

You can also reach the Helpdesk at:

Email: [email protected]

Tel: +44 1223 553997 (for urgent queries)

Application Support

For technical queries about computer- based tests, please contact Application Support.

The support website: support.cambridgeenglish.org


Inspections Unit

To inform us about changes in venue details and for queries about inspections of centres, please contact the Inspections Unit.


Postal address

Cambridge Assessment DC10Hill Farm RoadWhittlesfordCambridge CB22 4FZUnited Kingdom

When contacting us, always include your centre number in the subject line. This will speed up the processing of your query.

Please avoid using personal contact details and do not disclose them to your contacts or customers.


Contents

Introduction 7

Important changes and developments for 2015 9

Centre administration 141. Centre approval and being a centre 142. Communications, information and training 173. Who can take Cambridge English exams? 184. Staffing and recruitment 185. Centre inspections 226. Fees 247. Meeting market demand 248. Speaking exam arrangements for UK centres 249. Test day photos 2510. Pretesting 2511. Legal matters 2612. Where to find information 28

Exam cycle 30

1. Exam planning 31 1.1 Choosing an exam date 31 1.2 Candidate Registration forms and ID 31 1.3 Choosing suitable venues and exam rooms 32

1.3.1 Computer- based exam rooms 33 1.3.2 Listening test rooms 33 1.3.3 Speaking test rooms 34 1.3.4 Skills for Life Speaking & Listening rooms 36

1.4 Preparing for Speaking exams 36 1.4.1 Non- UK centres 37 1.4.2 UK centres 38

1.5 Skills for Life Interlocutor training packs 39 1.6 Skills for Life Speaking & Listening test packs 39

2. Entries and timetabling 41 2.1 Making entries 42

2.1.1 Late entries 43 2.2 Entries Systems 45 2.3 Minimum entry numbers 46 2.4 Candidate numbers 46 2.5 Reserve entries 47 2.6 Materials for multiple venues and rooms 47 2.7 Ordering Listening CDs (except Skills for Life) 48 2.8 Venue and timetabling details for all exams 48 2.9 Confirmation of Entry/Statement of entry 49

4 CAMBRIDGE ENGLISH LANGUAGE ASSESSMENT HANDBOOK FOR CENTRES 2015

2.10 Amending a candidates name 50 2.10.1 Changes to syllabus and exam session 51

2.11 Transferring entries between centres 51 2.12 Withdrawing entries 51 2.13 Cambridge English Candidate Identifier (CECI) for TKT and Skills for Life 52 2.14 Candidates with special requirements 53 2.15 Timetables 54

2.15.1 Speaking tests 55 2.15.2 Sittings 57 2.15.3 Exam sessions and time slots 57 2.15.4 Timetable deviation 58

3. Exam materials 60 3.1 Modified materials 61 3.2 Notice to candidates 61 3.3 Candidate Information Sheets (CIS) 61 3.4 What to provide for your invigilators 61 3.5 Checking your exam materials when they arrive 62

3.5.1 Checking Listening materials when they arrive 63 3.6 Storing exam materials securely 63

3.6.1 Storing exam materials at your centre 63 3.6.2 Storing exam materials at venues 63

3.7 Transporting exam materials 64

4. Exam day 65 4.1 Instructions and regulations 65 4.2 Candidate ID (except Cambridge English: Young Learners) 66 4.3 Sequence of test components 69 4.4 Running the Listening test 69 4.5 Running the Speaking test 70

4.5.1 Speaking tests for computer- based exams 70 4.6 Skills for Life Speaking & Listening test dummy partners 70 4.7 Incidents 70 4.8 Security risks 70 4.9 Test day photos 71 4.10 Inspections 71

4.10.1 The inspection report 72 4.11 The recording of Speaking tests (except Cambridge English: Young Learners) 72

5. After the exam 73 5.1 Returning exam materials 73 5.2 Bar code information 75 5.3 Securely destroying exam materials 76

5.3.1 Securely destroying Speaking packs 77 5.3.2 Securely destroying Listening CDs 77 5.3.3 Securely destroying Skills for Life Speaking & Listening packs 77

5.4 Speaking test marks for computer- based exams 77 5.5 Test day photos 78


5.6 Actions following an inspection 78 5.7 Post- exam service 79

6. Results & certificates 80 6.1 Results release dates 80 6.2 Results for centres 80 6.3 Results for candidates 81 6.4 Results for preparation centres 82 6.5 Results enquiries 82 6.6 Certificates 82

6.6.1 Skills for Life Unit and Level certificates 83 6.6.2 Candidate name errors on certificates 83 6.6.3 Replacing damaged and lost certificates 84

6.7 Results Verification Service 84 6.8 Applying for a certifying statement 85

Appendix 1: Glossary 86

Appendix 2: Syllabus numbers 94

Appendix 3: Code of Practice for Cambridge English SELT exams invigilators in the UK 95

Appendix 4: Procedure for recording a speaking sample 97

Appendix 5: Procedure for recording Skills for Life Speaking & Listening tests 99

Index 101

SELT


Introduction

The Handbook for centres contains regulations and information you need to run Cambridge English exams. This Handbook forms part of your Authorised Centre Agreement with Cambridge English Language Assessment and the centre agrees to abide by all the regulations contained in this Handbook. In this Handbook, we, us and our means Cambridge English Language Assessment, you and your means the centre and your CEM means your Centre Exams Manager acting on behalf of the centre.

The regulations in this Handbook are for Cambridge English: Key, Key for Schools, Preliminary, Preliminary for Schools, First, First for Schools, Advanced, Proficiency, Business Certificates, Legal, Financial, Young Learners, Teaching Knowledge Test, Qualifications in ESOL Skills for Life, Delta Module One and any computer- based versions of these exams. All references to the Teaching Knowledge Test in this Handbook cover all modules except TKT: Practical. Instructions for running TKT: Practical are in the Teaching Qualifications section of the support website.


Cambridge English exams

Throughout this Handbook we refer to exams by their current names. Please see the table below for an overview of the current and old names of our exams. Some of our exams are still listed with their old names on some of our systems.

Exam name Old name Exam name Old nameCambridge English: Young Learners YLE Cambridge English: First for Schools FCE for SchoolsCambridge English: Starters YLE Starters Cambridge English: Advanced CAECambridge English: Movers YLE Movers Cambridge English: Proficiency CPECambridge English: Flyers YLE Flyers Cambridge English: Business Certificates BECCambridge English: Key KET Cambridge English: Business Preliminary BEC PreliminaryCambridge English: Key for Schools KET for Schools Cambridge English: Business Vantage BEC VantageCambridge English: Preliminary PET Cambridge English: Business Higher BEC HigherCambridge English: Preliminary for Schools PET for Schools Cambridge English: Financial ICFECambridge English: First FCE Cambridge English: Legal ILEC

Key

Some items in this Handbook are new or are specific to certain exams. To help you, we have marked these sections with the following symbols:

this highlights a change since the last edition of this Handbook

these regulations are only relevant to computer- based exams

these regulations are only relevant to Skills for Life exams (UK only)

MODULE ONE these regulations are only relevant to Delta Module One exams

these regulations are relevant to test day photos

these regulations are relevant to the Centre Print Scan option

key regulations that are checked during an inspection. Failure to comply with these will result in a low rating at an inspection. If you would like to see all items checked during inspections, see the self- assessment checklists on the support website.

SELT these regulations apply only to sessions where there are candidates taking the exam for UK visa purposes

these are additional regulations that are only relevant to sessions that include one or more candidates taking an exam for UK visa purposes at approved UK SELT centres.

Getting started

If you are new to Cambridge English exams, we recommend that you go to the New to running our exams section on the support website for further information.


Important changes and developments for 2015Although throughout the Handbook we use a NEW symbol to highlight changes, we would like to draw your attention to some key changes:

Events for teachers

Due to requirements from our UK regulators, no one, including current Speaking Examiners, who has seen current, live, confidential exam materials, is allowed to deliver or attend training events for teachers on the papers they assess. This includes live online training, such as webinars.

This means:

Speaking Examiners will not be able to deliver sessions on Speaking skills or Speaking assessment for the exam they examine for.

No one who has seen current, live, confidential exam papers is permitted to present at or attend seminars on that specific paper.

Writers are not covered by this rule, as they do not know when or if questions they have written have been included in live materials.

Speaking Examiners are allowed to prepare materials for training events, but are not allowed to attend the event.

This rule applies to the qualifications listed below, regardless of where in the world the training is delivered:

Cambridge English: Key

Cambridge English: Key for Schools

Cambridge English: Preliminary

Cambridge English: Preliminary for Schools

Cambridge English: First

Cambridge English: First for Schools

Cambridge English: Advanced

Cambridge English: Proficiency

Cambridge English: Business Certificates

IELTS

Cambridge English: Legal

Cambridge English: Financial

Delta Module One

Skills for Life.

Entries systems

Throughout 2015 there will be changes to the Entries Systems you use for some of our exams. Please check the support website for up- to- date information on where to make your entries. We will also keep you updated via Centre News.

Centre Print Scan

Centre Print Scan is available as an option for some of our exams. For further information about its availability, see our support website.


If you choose Centre Print Scan for a session, you will:

order question papers by telling us the number you will need (you wont have to give us candidate names at this stage)

submit named entries on the Entries System on a date that suits you (but do allow enough time for processing Confirmations of Entry and preparing test day photo files)

print personalised answer sheets locally

scan the completed answer sheets locally, enabling marking to start immediately

store the answer sheets securely until a month after the results have been issued.

This new option means you can submit named entries later and return candidates responses more quickly, speeding up the whole exam process. It may also help to reduce your courier costs. We will keep you informed of further developments via Centre News.

Secure English Language Tests (SELT) for UKV&I

The UK Visa and Immigration service (UKV&I) recognises certain exams for specific types of visa. These exams are often referred to by the Home Office as Secure English Language Tests (SELT). For details of which exams are recognised, please see https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-on-applying-for-uk-visa-approved-english-language-tests.

At the time of going to print, any centre outside of the UK can offer Cambridge English exams for UKV&I purposes.

If a candidate wants to take a Cambridge English exam for UK visa purposes, there are additional requirements that you need to put in place. If you do not observe these regulations, the candidate will not be able to use their result for UKV&I purposes.

Additional regulations for SELT candidates

The additional regulations that apply to SELT candidates are all summarised in this section of the Handbook. They are also repeated in the relevant sections of the Handbook and the Exam Day Booklets and you can find guidance and frequently asked questions on the support website.

There might be changes to these during 2015 and we will put updates on the support website.

For SELT candidates, you must follow all the usual regulations in the Handbook for centres and the relevant Exam Day Booklet, and in addition you must comply with all the regulations contained in this section.

UK SELT centre network

We have established a restricted network of centres in the UK for offering Cambridge English SELT exams. If you are not one of those centres, you cannot offer Cambridge English SELT exams in the UK. You therefore do not need to put in place these additional requirements.

Cambridge English SELT centres in the UK only need to comply with these requirements for sessions that include SELT candidates, not for other non- SELT sessions.

SELT


Candidate Registration form

You must ensure that all SELT candidates at your centre fill in the relevant Cambridge English Candidate Registration form.

Checking the IDs

Candidates who do not have the correct ID must not be allowed to sit the exam.

Outside of the UK, you must only accept passports for SELT candidates. For UK SELT candidates, please see the following guidance.

In the UK, only the following types of ID are accepted for SELT exams:

Candidates must use the following ID: Valid Passport or European Union (EU) ID card

Valid photographic Government ID card

Valid Biometric Residence Permit

Tests taken outside the candidates country of origin

Tests taken overseas within the candidates country of origin

Tests taken in the UK

European Union ID cards can only be accepted for candidates whose country of origin is within the European Union.

Biometric Residence permits can only be accepted for tests taken in the UK by candidates who do not have a valid passport. For example, asylum seekers who have been awarded refugee status or leave to stay here under a form of temporary protection will not usually possess a national passport endorsed with leave to enter or remain in the UK.

For Skills for Life, the centre must record the candidates Speaking & Listening test, store this locally and provide copies to us on request. Interlocutors will need to be provided with equipment and be given training on doing this.

You must ensure that your centre complies with UK law with regard to ensuring exam day staff have the appropriate legal status in the UK for the work they are undertaking.

All new invigilators and other new exam staff must have at least one acceptable reference in order to be recruited.

All invigilators and other exam staff must have at least C1 level of English.

Centres must keep records of the evidence they collect showing their invigilators comply with the requirements and provide this evidence to Cambridge English Language Assessment when requested.

All invigilators must sign a Code of Practice (see Appendix 3) before invigilating SELT exams.

The ID must be checked when the candidate arrives at the venue before the exam this can be at the door of the exam room, or when they arrive at the venue and when recording a voice sampling, and is in addition to checking ID when taking photos and in addition to checking IDs at the candidates' desks.

The ID must be checked each time the candidate leaves and returns to the exam room (for example, after a toilet break).

Check the candidate's signature by comparing the one in their photo ID with something they sign on the day, such as an answer sheet. It is enough to check this once per exam day, and it must be checked on each day if the written and Speaking components are on different days.

SELT

SELT


Test day photos

You must take a photo of the candidate on the test day using Identica.

You must input the candidates ID number and nationality into Identica.

Voice sample: regulations

You must make a recording of a speaking sample. This must be done on the day of the exam (either on the day of the written components or the Speaking test day). For instructions on doing this, see Appendix 4.

If requested by Cambridge English Language Assessment after the exam day, you must record a second voice sample of the candidate.

Staffing and invigilators

There must be a minimum of one invigilator per 15 candidates in an exam room.

You must ensure the following for all invigilators and centre staff involved in SELT sessions:

all invigilators must be trained in delivering Cambridge English SELT sessions before they are allowed to invigilate

all invigilators and other exam staff must be able to fulfil the requirements of the role, as defined by Cambridge English Language Assessment.

Malpractice investigations

Additional regulations apply for malpractice investigations.

We will require a handwritten statement from the candidate.

We will require a second voice sample from the candidate.

Consequences of non- compliance

If you do not comply with the SELT regulations, the candidate might not be able to use their result for UKV&I purposes. It will affect your centre authorisation.

Candidate statements

In cases of suspected malpractice, the candidate must submit a written statement. We will contact you if we need you to supply such statements for any of your candidates.

Skills for Life

We will be introducing a system of fixed dates for Reading and Writing tests from January 2015. Speaking & Listening tests will take place in scheduled windows. For more information about dates and windows, please see the customer support website.

Computer- based YLE

CB YLE will be made available throughout 2015. It is run on a different system from our other computer- based exams, which are all on Connect Plus. Please see the Cambridge English Young Learners Guide to CB testing and the Computer- based Young Learners Exam Day Booklet on the support website for more details.

SELT


The Cambridge English Scale

From January 2015 results for Cambridge English: First, Cambridge English: First for Schools and Cambridge English: Advanced will be reported on the Cambridge English Scale. Cambridge English: Key, Cambridge English: Key for Schools, Cambridge English: Preliminary, Cambridge English: Preliminary for Schools and the Business English exams will be added later in the year. We will be in touch during the year to keep you informed about the latest developments.


Centre administrationYou must familiarise yourself with the content of this Handbook and ensure that all relevant centre staff (including supervisors and invigilators) are trained accordingly and comply with this Handbook and other exam administration documentation, wherever applicable.

You must have a copy of the Handbook for centres available in your centre, electronic or printed.

1. Centre approval and being a centreEnsuring that your centre is authorised to offer an exam

Please read the Centre Registration Booklet for Exam Centres which outlines the responsibilities of a centre and its CEM. You can download the Centre Registration Booklet from the support website. This booklet provides a summary of your responsibilities; please also see your Centre Agreement for further information.

If you want to offer an exam or qualification that you are not currently eligible for, see the Centre Registration Booklet, which explains what to do. In some cases you can fill in an Examination Authorisation form, available from the support website. In other cases, you may need to submit a fuller application (for example, if you want to run a Teaching Qualification). We aim to process applications as promptly as possible. However, please do not advertise your centre or register candidates for an exam or qualification until you have received written confirmation of authorisation from the Centre Registration team.

Suspension of centre approval

Cambridge English Language Assessment reserves the right to suspend a centres authorisation to administer exams. A decision to suspend authorisation will only be taken in exceptional circumstances and is normally due to suspected malpractice or maladministration at the centre, failure to ensure Speaking Examiners Quality Assurance requirements are met, non- payment of invoices, misuse of the Cambridge English logo or repeated failures to meet the terms of the Authorised Centre Agreement.

Whilst a centres authorisation is suspended Cambridge English Language Assessment may refuse to accept candidate entries for future exam sessions or authorise future Teaching Qualification courses, withhold candidates results and certificates and remove the centre from the list of authorised Cambridge English Language Assessment centres.

The length of the suspension will vary from case to case depending on the situation, and Cambridge English Language Assessment will keep the centre informed (where possible) of any processes being carried out. Whilst Cambridge English Language Assessment will always act reasonably and according to procedures, the length of suspension is ultimately at our discretion. The consequence of suspension and any processes may be that a centre is allowed to return to full or conditional operation or its authorisation may be terminated.

Requirements for offering computer- based tests

If you are approved to offer computer- based (CB) tests, you must ensure you complete the following steps:

Register your centre on Connect Plus at least two weeks before your first CB session using Connect Plus.

Install the Connect Plus system by following the Connect Plus installation and test administration instructions fully.


Ensure all relevant staff at your centre are fully trained and know how to use Connect Plus.

Run a familiarisation test on each computer which is going to be used during a live test session, both to validate the Connect Plus installation and to provide training. You must do this:

after Connect Plus has been installed for the first time

after adding new computers or making changes to any network or computer settings on an existing Connect Plus installation

two days before each computer- based test date if no test has been administered in the previous seven days. You can find further information in the Test Centre Admin Guide from the support website.

With regard to test preparation, you must:

only use computers and networks which meet the minimum technical specifications for the Connect Plus system as outlined in the Connect Plus documentation (available from the support website)

only use screens bigger than seven inches

download test content no later than 16.00 (centres local time) the day before the test date

print candidate logins and create test sittings no later than 16.00 (centres local time) the day before the test date

ensure that your Test Administrators and invigilators follow the instructions in the Computer- Based Testing Exam Day Booklet fully before, during and after the test sessions

immediately inform the Helpdesk of any issues which could impact or could have impacted on candidates

upload candidate responses and close test sittings as instructed in the Test Centre Admin Guide and Computer-Based Testing Exam Day Booklet before switching off the computers and leaving the test venue; do not uninstallthe Connect Plus system from any computers for at least three working days after the test is completed.

Cambridge English will provide you with support, including:

comprehensive guidance and training to support Connect Plus installation and CB exam administration, from the support website

full support in the run- up to each CB exam session

24- hour on- call support services (email, phone and live chat) on the day of a CB test.

Please note that Cambridge English Language Assessment will not be liable for any Connect Plus failures caused by the centre failing to meet the conditions listed in these documents or failing to follow instructions given by Cambridge English Language Assessment.

Failure to adhere to these conditions might result in the removal of your approval to run CB exams.

Requirements for computer- based YLE

If you are approved to offer computer- based YLE, you must ensure you complete the following steps:

Create test venues and rooms in the CB YLE Entries and Results portal and ensure entries are confirmed seven days before the test on the CB YLE Entries and Results portal.

Ensure accounts are set up for your Speaking Examiners on the Centre Management portal.

Ensure Speaking Examiners install the ATA Marking software.

Install the MTS Test Client and set up the MTS box by following instructions in the Cambridge English: Young Learners Guide to CB Tests.


Run a familiarisation test on each computer which is going to be used during a live test session, seven days before each computer- based test date, both to validate the MTS box and to provide training.

Ensure examiner groups are assigned to marking tasks in the Centre Management portal in order to allow examiners to begin marking.

For further information about CB Cambridge English: Young Learners, see the Exam Day Booklet and the Cambridge English Young Learners Guide to CB testing on our support website.

Centre names

What to do if your centre name changes

If your centre has changed its name and this is simply a change of branding, but not of anything more, please inform the Helpdesk so that we can amend our records.

Please contact us in good time to request a change.

Centre names and using Cambridgein them

In all cases please ask us before a centre change of name takes place if it involves Cambridge in any way.

Centre name previously including Cambridge ESOL

Centres which had previously used the name 'Cambridge ESOL' as part of their name will be allowed to change to a name including Cambridge English if they make a request and there is a good business reason.

Centre name previously including Cambridge

Centres which have 'Cambridge' only in their name and ask to change will be allowed to change to a name including 'Cambridge English' if there is a good business reason.

Centre name previously including ESOL

Use of ESOL in the name does not automatically mean a change to 'Cambridge English' is allowed.

Centre name not previously including Cambridge/Cambridge ESOL/ESOL

Centres which did not have Cambridge/Cambridge ESOL/ESOL as part of their name will not be allowed to change to Cambridge English if they now ask to.

New centres

New centres will not be allowed to use Cambridge or Cambridge English as part of their centre name, nor to register a company called Cambridge English.

Preparation centres

Preparation centres cannot use Cambridge English in their name.


What to do if the ownership structure of your centre has changed

If the ownership structure of your centre has changed (for example if the business has been sold to another company, taken over/merged or one company has been ended and a new one started), we will need more information from you. The new organisation may need to apply for centre approval and sign a new Centre Agreement.

Please inform our Helpdesk as soon as you know any change like this is planned, so we can send you the forms to complete and arrange the relevant checks.

We will also need to ensure the old organisation has no outstanding issues with us, such as incomplete follow- up to inspections, outstanding invoices or other queries. If there are such issues and they are not cleared, we may not be able to sign an agreement with the new organisation.

2. Communications, information and trainingThe support website

The support website (support.cambridgeenglish.org) provides useful help and information for candidates and exam centres. You can find exam dates, copies of this Handbook for centres and other key documents, answers to typical questions and articles explaining how to run the exams. You can log and track your Helpdesk queries online and chat live with a member of the Helpdesk about your query via instant messaging.

We regularly post news items and important announcements on the support website when there are developments and changes during the year, so we encourage you to subscribe to any forums that you are interested in to ensure you receive the latest updates.

All content previously held on CentreNet is now available on the customer support site. This means you have one place to go for all of the documentation, forms, information and support that you need when running our exams.

Centre News

Centre News is emailed regularly to all Centre Exams Managers, and contains important information such as changes to regulations, changes to exam dates, downtime for systems etc. You must read this promptly and make sure you pass on information to your colleagues as appropriate. You can see recent editions of the Centre News on the support website.

Providing information to your schools and candidates

You must make all relevant information available to schools and private candidates. This includes the Regulations and Summary regulations and Notice to candidates which contain important information that all candidates must be made aware of at the time of registration. You must send these to candidates alongside their Confirmation/statement of entry, and you can download them from the relevant Entries System. You can also find these documents at www.cambridgeenglish.org and on the support website.

You must also make sure that candidates are familiar with the concept and use of answer sheets. We recommend you use the Handbook for the relevant exam, available from www.cambridgeenglish.org. Please also inform your preparation centres about this, so it can be included in exam preparation lessons.

You can order preparation and promotional materials from the Cambridge English Examinations, Support and Preparation Materials catalogue on www.cambridgeenglish.org.

Teacher handbooks are on our website: www.cambridgeenglish.org/teachingsupport.


Providing customer service

Please provide candidates with information about your centres terms and conditions relating to non- payment of fees and outstanding fees, internal complaints procedures, support, etc.

If a candidate wishes to complain directly to Cambridge English Language Assessment, they should contact the Helpdesk immediately after the exam. When we receive a complaint, we normally contact the centre and ask for an investigation of the issues raised. In order to meet our Service Level Agreement, your centre must respond within five working days of receiving a Cambridge English Language Assessment investigation request.

Training for Centre Exams Managers (CEMs)

We provide training for Centre Exams Managers on all aspects of running an exam centre. This can be self- study modules, face- to- face training and webinars. For more information on this and how to train your invigilators, see the support website or contact your local Cambridge English Language Assessment office.

For advice on marketing the exams, please contact your nearest Cambridge English Language Assessment office.

3. Who can take Cambridge English exams?Cambridge English exams can be taken by people of any age, gender, race, nationality or religion. Although they are designed for people whose native language is not English, no language- related restrictions apply. However, some exceptions apply. Please see each specific exam on www.cambridgeenglish.org for further details.

4. Staffing and recruitmentThe roles of supervisors and invigilators

Invigilators are responsible for the administration of the exam in a room/part of a room.

A supervisor is a person who co- ordinates a number of invigilators. For example, you may have two venues with five invigilators at each. You may decide to supervise one venue yourself, and delegate the supervision of the other venue to a supervisor who will manage the invigilators for you.

CEM Can also act as supervisor in a

venue

SupervisorResponsible for the overall running of

exams at a venue. Canalso act as invigilator

InvigilatorsResponsible for the

administration of the exam in a room/part

of a room

Centre sta in a venue


Your supervisors and invigilators must adhere to our regulations and must preserve the confidentiality and integrity of Cambridge English exam materials before, during and after the exam, whether used or unused. They must not explain exam questions and must not read or amend the answers submitted by candidates. They must also not allow anyone else to read or amend the answers. They are also responsible for carrying out ID checks on all candidates (except for Cambridge English: Young Learners).

Minimum requirements for invigilators

You are responsible for ensuring that you have enough suitable and trained invigilators for each of your exams. We recommend having a back- up list of extra invigilators in case someone has to cancel at the last minute.

Recruitment:

Invigilators must have passed character checks to ensure suitability for the role (such as at least one reference, Criminal Records Bureau checks, etc.). You must keep a record showing when the check was carried out and the outcome. Copies of any records must be treated in accordance with UK or local data protection laws. If you hire staff through an agency, ensure that the agency carries out such checks as part of its recruitment process.

Number of invigilators:

There must be at least one invigilator in the exam room for every 25 candidates; this applies to both paper- based and computer- based tests. Each invigilator must have a clear view of all candidates for whom they are responsible. Hire additional invigilators if necessary.

Selecting your invigilators:

Invigilators must not be friends, relatives or English teachers of candidates. If there is another invigilator in the exam room, teachers of other subjects can invigilate their own students. These rules also apply to boarding schools or other internal centres.

If there is only one invigilator in the exam room:

In addition to the conditions above, the invigilator must not have taught the candidates in any subject or have been a colleague if running Teaching Qualification exams. These rules also apply to boarding schools or other internal centres.

A means of summoning assistance must be available in the exam room if a candidate needs to temporarily leave the room, or for emergencies. The assistance must be available within a couple of minutes.

Additional requirements:

You must have an invigilator, or other member of staff, who is trained to use the test day photo software (where relevant).

Invigilators must not wear shoes that make a lot of noise when they patrol the exam room.

Supervisors:

When recruiting and selecting supervisors, ensure they have a competent level of English in order to understand the Exam Day Booklets.

In the case of external venues, we might request your centre to appoint an external supervisor (not connected with the venue).


Records:

You must keep records of the invigilation arrangements for each exam paper for up to three months and make them available to us on request.

Employ additional invigilators if needed to ensure that invigilators can see candidates screens at CB exams when patrolling the test room.

Additional invigilator requirements for SELT exams

Please see page 12 for further information.

Training

You must ensure that all relevant centre staff are familiar with all relevant regulations and instructions. This includes all staff who have to deal with candidates on the day of the exam, for example Speaking Examiners, supervisors, invigilators, marshals and Skills for Life Interlocutors.

You must train your supervisors and invigilators at least once a year and preferably before each large exam session. For training your invigilators, see the advice and materials on the support site.

The training must include the following:

checking candidate IDs, ensuring IDs are valid, detecting impostors, and preventing and detecting fraud and malpractice

reading out the full instructions that are in the relevant Exam Day Booklet

being vigilant about use of electronic items

following exam regulations as contained in the relevant Exam Day Booklet

being familiar with emergency procedures in their venue

reporting incidents such as late arrivals, malpractice and cases requiring special consideration.

You must keep brief records showing that all invigilators and supervisors have been trained, including details of when and how. Records can either be electronic or in paper copy and you must keep them at your centre for two years.

Skills for Life centres: recruiting and training Interlocutors

Skills for Life centres are responsible for recruiting and training Interlocutors. See the Glossary and Section 1.5 for further information.

Non- UK centres: requirements for Speaking Examiners

In order for your centre to run any exams you must have a sufficient number of Speaking Examiners (SEs) who meet Cambridge English Language Assessments Quality Assurance requirements. You must not accept any entries until you have taken steps to ensure that you will have enough SEs who have been inducted, trained and certificated as outlined on the next page. Check whether you have enough at least 12 weeks before the relevant exam session in order to allow enough time for recruitment etc. if new SEs will be required. Details of these requirements and guidance on Speaking Examiners and setting up/managing your SE network are on the support website.

SELT


Key:CEM Centre Exams ManagerPSL Professional Support LeaderRTL Regional Team LeaderTL Team LeaderSETC Speaking Examiner Trainer Co-ordinator SE Speaking Examiner

Quality Assurance procedures

Recruitment/Registration If additional SEs are required, applicants submit CVs to CEM. Centres can also receive applications from prospective examiners online, submitted via the Cambridge English website. TL/SETC interviews candidates who meet the requirements. Appropriate applications are endorsed by the PSL/RTL. On approval, Examiner IDs are issued.

Induction Carried out online.

Training TL/SETC runs a face- to- face training meeting.

Certification TL/SETC runs a face- to- face Certification of Procedure (CoP) meeting and SE carries out Certification of Assessment (CoA) online.

Performance Feedback (Monitoring)

The most significant of several sources of feedback information is face- to- face monitoring of SEs during live Speaking tests by TLs. Monitoring must take place at least once every two years.

We have established a Team Leader System to provide professional support for these Quality Assurance procedures. Details of how the Team Leader System works are on the support website.

CEMs work closely with TLs/SETCs and PSLs/RTLs to ensure that these procedures are carried out in an efficient and timely manner. You must review your examiner requirements well in advance of any exam sessions and decide if any additional examiners are needed and/or any existing examiners will need training for additional exams.

In addition, you must:

Engage suitably qualified and experienced SEs, who should be recruited from a range of appropriate local institutions, not only from your centre or other branches within your organisation. You can share a pool of examiners with neighbouring centres.

Ensure that accurate SE nomination forms reach us at least eight weeks before the start of the relevant examining window (via the Team Leader System in most cases see below).

Ensure that SEs are inducted, trained and certificated before examining is due to start in accordance with our Quality Assurance procedures, summarised above. You will need to work with TLs/SETCs to arrange SE training and certification, and ensure this is in place before enrolling candidates for exams. For monitoring purposes, provide TLs with detailed timetables of all SE assignments. The SE assignment timetables must be provided well in advance of the dates of the Speaking tests.


Note that when a TL is carrying out monitoring, an extra three minutes should be scheduled at the end of each test to allow time for the TL to feed back to the SE in question. See Section 2.15.1 below for more details. Return completed monitoring checklists to Nominations promptly once monitoring has taken place.

Deploy the SEs to ensure that the Speaking tests are conducted according to the regulations and in the best interests of the candidates. SEs must not examine candidates known to them in a personal capacity, or candidates whom they have taught within the previous three years, or candidates they have examined in the previous six weeks. It is your responsibility to ensure that this regulation is followed.

Ensure that SE details are kept up to date on any relevant systems.

In addition, please note that:

Speaking Examiners must not, without the written permission of the Chief Executive of Cambridge English Language Assessment, allow their name to be used in association with Cambridge English Language Assessment, for example for the public endorsement or promotion of any materials, products or services. Citing this status in formal job applications/CVs is acceptable.

Because of the commercially sensitive nature of examining work, and in order to avoid any potential conflicts of interest in the future, we expect examiners not to work as examiners for any other providers of ESOL exams and tests.

SEs must at all times maintain confidentiality and security in all aspects of Cambridge English examining work (test materials, candidate assessments, training and other procedures, etc.) and uphold the good reputation of Cambridge English Language Assessment in all examining and public environments.

Ordering Speaking packs

You need to order Speaking packs and copies of the Instructions to Speaking Examiners in advance of your exams. Please see Section1.4.1 for further details. Instructions to Speaking Examiners can also be downloaded from the support website.

5. Centre inspectionsWe run a rigorous programme of centre inspections, reinforcing our commitment to quality in the provision of exams, for the benefit of centres and their candidates. All candidates worldwide must experience similar exam conditions so that no candidate is either unfairly advantaged or disadvantaged.

We regularly inspect centres and their venues during live exams to evaluate the security of confidential materials storage, exam administration and invigilation, and to advise centre representatives accordingly.

All Inspectors are trained to record fair and accurate findings and to fulfil a supportive role towards centres, encouraging improvement where needed. We monitor our Inspectors regularly. On some occasions your centre will be visited by an Inspector who will be observing your exam administration and a Monitoring Inspector who will be observing the Inspectors work. This does not imply your centre is under any particular scrutiny.

Many inspections are surprise visits, so please always remind your supervisors and invigilators that an Inspector may arrive at any time on an exam day.

You may also be subject to inspections by the UK Home Office, or the Department of Immigration and BorderProtection of Australia or other regulatory bodies with whom Cambridge English Language Assessment works.


We recommend that you carry out your own internal checks of exam administration, and you can use the self- assessment checklists for this, available from the support website. There is one checklist for written tests and one for Speaking tests, and they closely resemble the inspection report used by Centre Inspectors. The self- assessment checklists are updated annually and you should ensure you are using the current versions.

If you are running an exam in a venue that is secure and an Inspector would not be able to access it without arranging it in advance, please contact the Centre Inspections Unit or submit venue details on the support website including relevant details so that suitable arrangements can be made.

In order for the inspection programme to be successful and to provide you with support for running your exams, it is essential that you tell us where and when you are holding the exam. Please see Section 2.8 for how to do this.

We reserve the right to suspend the centres authorisation, to charge for inspections that could not be carried out, or to recover any additional costs incurred in the undertaking of an inspection, due to not having been provided with accurate venue, date or start time information or not getting access to the venue by the published deadline.

Inspectors can stay at the centre for the entire exam day or might decide to stay only for some of the components.

They will observe the exam administration in one or more rooms, check the security arrangements for exam material storage (including Speaking test packs), and will ask you a number of questions regarding the items that cannot be observed on the day.

Inspectors have the right to check the candidates photo IDs and ask candidates questions in relation to them.

They will give you feedback regarding your exam administration between components or at the end of the visit, depending on your centres schedule.

At the end of the visit you will be given one of the following four ratings:

Fully compliant excellent exam administration and security

Generally satisfactory a few areas require attention

In need of improvement some cause for concern

Unsatisfactory serious/numerous faults.

You will also have an opportunity to ask questions and leave comments during the feedback session.

We recommend that you use the inspection visit to ask the Inspector questions about exam day administration and discuss areas of concern. Please note that Inspectors are not trained to help with technical issues but can record your queries and pass them on to us.

Please see Section 4.10 for more information about inspections.

Self- audit

To further enhance the Quality Assurance programme we may require you to complete a self- audit. The Centre Inspections Unit will contact you if you have been selected for self- audit.

Self- audits do not replace face- to- face inspections.

Records from inspections and self- audits are used in regular reviews of a centres performance. Poor performance at an inspection, failure to complete the self- audit process, failure to respond to post- inspection feedback, or failure to correct non- compliance with regulations may result in withdrawal of your centres authorisation.


6. FeesYou must follow correct financial procedures in relation to candidate fees (e.g. in the matter of issuing receipts, keeping accounts, etc.). More information on this and other aspects of correct fee handling is available in the Centre Registration Booklet Exams which is downloadable from the support website. Details of the fees are in the Exam Fees booklet, which is emailed directly to your CEM every year (usually in March). If you need another copy, please contact the Helpdesk.

For most exams, you will be invoiced by Cambridge English Language Assessment when your entries have been accepted. Invoices must be settled within 28 days from the date of issue. If there are any problems in settling invoices by the due date (e.g. delayed or mislaid invoices) you must inform the Finance Department by emailing [email protected].

If invoices have not been settled by the time of the issuing of results for the relevant exam session, we reserve the right to take action as stated in your Centre Agreement.

Please note that failure to adhere to the payment terms listed in your Centre Agreement may lead to termination of your authorisation.

Cambridge English Language Assessment is not able to give you advice on aspects of tax and VAT relating to your own business.

7. Meeting market demandThere is a wide range of exam dates available for you to choose from. See the Exam dates section within each exam on www.cambridgeenglish.org for a list of these dates. To ensure that candidates have plenty of opportunities to take exams, centres, especially open centres, need to offer enough exam sessions to meet candidates needs (where possible).

Open centres must do everything possible to facilitate entries from external and private candidates. We mightreview a centres authorised status if there is evidence that the centre is failing to reach external candidates.

Setting and publishing your own local closing dates for receipt of entries

We set entry closing dates as close to the exam date as possible and publish the entry closing dates in the calendars on the support website as soon as possible before each exam session.

We have been working hard to reduce the time between the entry closing date and the exam date, to give you more time to make your entries and to give candidates greater flexibility. Please set your own local closing datesfor receipt of entries as close as possible to the entry closing dates. Your local closing dates must not be more than two weeks in advance of the entry closing dates. If you wish to set local closing dates more than two weeks earlier than the advertised entry closing date on a regular basis you must request permission from the Helpdesk.

8. Speaking exam arrangements for UK centresCambridge English Language Assessment provides Speaking Examiners in the UK. You will find instructions on how to arrange Speaking Examiners for your exams in Section 1.4.2.


9. Test day photosTest day photos are mandatory for the following exams:

Cambridge English: Preliminary (but not Cambridge English: Preliminary for Schools)

Cambridge English: First (but not Cambridge English: First for Schools)

Cambridge English: Advanced

Cambridge English: Proficiency

Cambridge English: Legal

Cambridge English: Financial

Cambridge English: Business Certificates

For other exams, such as Cambridge English: Key or Skills for Life, you only need to take a photo of the candidate if they are using their result for immigration purposes.

The exams involved might change. We will keep you updated via Centre News and the support site.

The UK Home Office will not accept a candidates result for visa purposes if their requirements are not met, this would include a centre failing to take a photo of the candidate on the test day.

There are references throughout this Handbook that explain the key points to consider when planning and running exams that require test day photos. Please note that the regulations can vary according to the country that you are in. Certain regulations apply only to centres running exams in the following regions:

UK and Ireland (UK includes England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales)

Africa (includes North Africa)

Asia (includes India, China, the Middle East and all other countries in Asia)

Australasia (includes Australia, New Zealand, New Caledonia and Papua New Guinea).

If you are unsure which region your centre is in, please contact the Helpdesk.

The full set of instructions for offering test day photos is in the Guide to test day photos on the support website.

Note that this is an additional measure and does not replace candidate ID checks. ID checks must still be carried out as normal for each component when candidates are seated at their desks and in the waiting room before Speaking tests, and when taking the photo itself.

There are extra regulations for UK SELT centres, please refer to pages 1012.

10. PretestingPretesting is a vital element in Cambridge English Language Assessments exam development process. To ensure tests are fair and at the appropriate difficulty level, we ask students around the world to take part in trials of exam material in simulated test conditions. Pretesting material is free to all centres and postage is paid by Cambridge English Language Assessment.

Signing up for our pretests means your candidates can practise taking Cambridge English exams using real questions under exam conditions, completely free of charge. Pretesting students receive scores and feedback from Cambridge English Language Assessment trained examiners. This helps students to know which areas they need most practice in, and gives them experience and confidence in taking tests. For teachers, it helps highlight areas where their students might need more help.


If you would like to take part, pleasecontact the Cambridge English Pretesting team at [email protected] to registerfor the pretesting e- zine, whichgives you useful information about pretests, upcoming sessions and deadlines for submitting requests.

Visit our website at www.cambridgeenglish.org/cambridge-english-for/teachers/pretesting to find out more about pretesting.

11. Legal mattersCambridge English Language Assessment aims to operate according to ethical testing principles. This means, amongst other things, adopting policies and practices which ensure data protection, individual privacy and protection, and equal opportunities, as well as being subject to anti- bribery legislation. As key stakeholders in the delivery of Cambridge English exams we expect you to work to similar principles.

You must comply with all local laws and regulations, and must ensure that you are properly registered as a business in the country or countries in which you operate. If you believe that Cambridge English Language Assessments regulations or other requirements are inconsistent with the law in your country, please contact the Helpdesk in the first instance.

You must also be aware of potential conflicts of interest. As a Centre Exams Manager, you personally must not take any Cambridge English exams at your centre. If any of your staff want to take an exam at your centre, think about any potential conflict of interest and how you will manage it.

Anti-bribery

Cambridge English Language Assessment is subject to the Prevention of Corruption Acts 18891916 andtheBribery Act 2010. As part of a Centre Agreement, the centre signs up to clauses to confirm that it hasnot:

committed offences under these Acts

offered any gift or consideration as an inducement to enter into the Agreement

paid or agreed to pay any commission in relation to the Agreement

and that it will not do these things in relation to carrying out the Centre Agreement. Breach of these things would be a reason for termination of the Centre Agreement.

Data protection

You must handle candidate data on behalf of Cambridge English Language Assessment in a way which complies with the UK Data Protection Act (1998). This means:

ensuring that all personal information (e.g. name, address, contact details, date of birth, exam results) is stored securely either in password- protected computer systems or in secure/locked filing cabinets

ensuring that candidates personal data is not used for anything other than exams processing (e.g. marketing) without first gaining their explicit consent

anonymising any records which are to be used for ongoing statistical analysis (e.g. publication of centre results in marketing material).

In addition, no candidates personal data can be held for longer than can be justified for exams processing purposes. This means:


Returning to Cambridge English Language Assessment all named/personalised exam material (e.g.answersheets and attendance registers) immediately after the exam. This includes any audio and videomaterial.

Destroying all personal information, whether held in computer or paper files, after two years. This includes not only the personal information outlined above, but also additional items such as medical certificates and information collected on exam entry forms.

Destroying securely any statements of results or certificates unclaimed after two years. We recommend destroying these after one year.

Whether you hold candidate data for processing exams on our behalf or for any other reasons, you must accept that Cambridge English Language Assessment has no responsibility for the way in which this data is stored or processed. You must make this clear to candidates and you are strongly advised to take adequate steps to ensure that you comply with local data protection legislation in respect of this information.

Individual privacy and protection

You must respect individuals privacy in relation to the administration of the Cambridge English exams and ensurethat candidates are adequately protected against any potential dangers. What this means in practice may be the subject of local law, and you are advised to take professional advice on this. In particular, you must make sure that the safety of children and young learners is assured in all matters relating to the administration of Cambridge English exams. For further information, please refer to the Child Protection Policy on the support website.

Equal opportunities and disability discrimination

Subject to local law and culture, you must provide equal access to Cambridge English exams to all candidates, regardless of, but not limited to, race, age, colour, nationality, ethnic origin, gender, marital status, religion, sexuality, political belief or disability. It may be necessary to take local legal advice on this matter.

In order to accommodate this principle, you may need to make special provision for test takers who would otherwise be disadvantaged by a temporary or permanent disability or other adverse circumstances.

Centres in the UK should note that, under the terms of the Equality Act 2010, it is a legal requirement to make reasonable adjustments so as to be able to cater for candidates with disabilities, and you must operate according to similar principles in this respect. This means, for example, that you must, where reasonably practicable, make appropriate provision to enable:

physically disabled candidates to access exam halls

visually impaired candidates to sit an exam using either a Braille paper or an enlarged print version (sanctioned with the necessary period of notice beforehand and supplied by Cambridge English Language Assessment)

dyslexic candidates to receive additional time (sanctioned beforehand by Cambridge English Language Assessment)

candidates requiring an Amanuensis or Reader to be given appropriate access (sanctioned beforehand by Cambridge English Language Assessment).

Note that this is not an exhaustive list. Further information about Cambridge English Language Assessments special provision is available in the Special Requirements Booklet, available to download from the support website. Centres in the UK can obtain advice on UK disability legislation from www.disability.gov.uk.


Intellectual property

The copyright on all documents, question papers, CDs, past paper packs, etc. produced by Cambridge English Language Assessment is owned by the University of Cambridge ( UCLES). Such materials must not be copied or reproduced without express written permission from Cambridge English Language Assessment. In particular, making copies of any question paper or CD without express written permission from Cambridge English Language Assessment is strictly forbidden and may lead to termination of the centres authorisation.

For further information, please see the Regulations on the support website.

The Cambridge name and the University shield are registered trademarks throughout the world and are protected by law in most countries. You must not reproduce the University shield in any format, except as specified in the Logo regulations, available from the support website. Every document, webpage, etc. that features the Cambridge English Language Assessment logo or the University shield must be approved in advance by Cambridge English Language Assessment. Misuse of the Cambridge name, shield, etc. (including unauthorised publication) is a serious infringement of the terms under which Cambridge English Language Assessment centres are authorised to operate.

Changes

We reserve the right to implement changes to these regulations and procedures. We will notify you of these changes by email and/or Centre News. We advise you to consult the Cambridge English Language Assessment website www.cambridgeenglish.org and the support website regularly. Make sure you read the regular Centre News and any emails from us.

12. Where to find informationYour support website: support.cambridgeenglish.org

The support website is where you can log and track support requests with the Helpdesk and Application Support. On this site you will also find:

answers to common queries about Cambridge English exams, websites and software

important announcements regarding systems outages/ problems and changes to administrative processes

Handbook for Centres and Exam Day Booklets

exam dates and admin dates

self- assessment checklists

Exam Admin Toolkit (posters, etc.)

order forms for Speaking packs and Listening CDs

information and downloads for the Authorised Centre logo

order forms for free marketing materials

information about training for CEMs and invigilators

guidance on how to get started

downloads for the Identica test day photo software.


For instructions on running the exams, download the following from the support site:

Handbook for Centres

Exam Day Booklet

Cambridge English: Young Learners Exam Day Booklet

Skills for Life Exam Day Booklet

Computer- Based Testing Exam Day Booklet

Special Requirements Booklet

Guide to test day photos

Speaking Examiners information

CPS User Guide

2015

Handbook for centres

EXAM DAY BOOKLET 1

Exam Day Booklet 2015This booklet contains regulations for the following paper-based Cambridge English exams:

Cambridge English: Key (KET) Cambridge English: Proficiency (CPE)Cambridge English: Key (KET) for Schools Cambridge English: Business Certificates (BEC)Cambridge English: Preliminary (PET) Cambridge English: Financial (ICFE)Cambridge English: Preliminary (PET) for Schools Cambridge English: Legal (ILEC)Cambridge English: First (FCE) Teaching Knowledge Test (TKT)Cambridge English: First (FCE) for Schools Delta Module OneCambridge English: Advanced (CAE)

To save space, they are referred to throughout this document by their abbreviations.

Please note there are separate Exam Day Booklets for Cambridge English: Young Learners (YLE) and Certificates in ESOL Skills for Life (Skills for Life).

There is also a separate Computer- Based Testing Exam Day Booklet for any computer- based versions of the above exams.

If you are running TKT: Practical, please use the TKT: Practical module Handbook for teachers.

Throughout this booklet, You means the centre and/or the Centre Exams Manager (CEM) on behalf of the centre or any supervisor or invigilator who needs to carry out these tasks.

As required in your Centre Agreement, you are responsible for ensuring these and any other instructions from Cambridge English Language Assessment are followed.

You must have a copy of this booklet in each exam room and in the waiting room of the Speaking test venue.

KeyAlthough you need to follow all the instructions in this booklet, you need to pay extra attention to some items. To help you, we have marked these sections with the following symbols:

this highlights a change since the last edition of this Exam Day Booklet

these regulations are relevant to test day photos

these regulations are relevant to the Centre Print/Scan option

regulations with this symbol show that failure to follow them will result in a low rating at an inspection. If you would like to see all items checked during inspections, see the self- assessment checklists on the support website.

submit a form to Cambridge English

SELT this regulation applies only to sessions where there are candidates taking the exam for UK Visa and Immigration purposes

KET/KETfS PET/PETfS FCE/FCEfS CAE CPE BEC P BEC V BEC H ILEC/ICFE TKT Delta

CBT YLE SfL

Supervisors and invigilators should find everything they need in the relevant Exam Day Booklet, but make sure there is a way for them to contact you, or a nominated representative, in case they have any urgent queries on the exam day.

Cambridge English website: www.cambridgeenglish.org

Information for candidates, including exam dates and a list of centres where they can take the exams

Centre search list


Exam cycle

This part of the Handbook is divided into sections according to a typical cycle of an exam session:

1. Exam planning 2. Entries

3. Exam materials

4. Exa

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5. A

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3. Exam materials

4. Exa

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1. Exam planning

Pick an exam date

Choose an appropriate venue

Arrange invigilators and supervisors

UK: Book Speaking Examiners

Non-UK: Arrange Speaking Examiners from your SE network

1.1 Choosing an exam date

Some exams are scheduled, i.e. they are on fixed dates. Others are on demand and you can choose the exam date. For guidance on choosing an exam date for on- demand exams, see Section 2.1.

Exam Fixed date? Where are the dates?

Cambridge English: KeyCambridge English: Key for SchoolsCambridge English: PreliminaryCambridge English: Preliminary for SchoolsCambridge English: FirstCambridge English: First for SchoolsCambridge English: AdvancedCambridge English: ProficiencyCambridge English: Business CertificatesCambridge English: Legal Cambridge English: FinancialDelta Module One Skills for Life CB TKT (this includes any computer- based versions of these exams)

Yes See calendars on the support website

TKT (paper-based)No Not applicable

Cambridge English: Young Learners

CB Cambridge English: Young Learners* Yes See the CB Cambridge English: Young Learners Entries System.

*Please note that CB Cambridge English: Young Learners is not available in all markets yet.

1.2 Candidate Registration forms and ID

For any exam that requires a test day photo, you must get consent from the candidates for taking their photo. We recommend that you do this via the relevant Candidate Registration form. We have provided some template Candidate Registration forms on the support website. You can use these forms or adapt your own forms to include the same information and questions (although please note that there is a special regulation for certain regions on the next page).


3. Exam materials

4. Exa

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3. Exam materials

4. Exa

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You are responsible for storing the forms at your centre (or your preparation centres can store them) for two years and you must provide copies on request to Cambridge English Language Assessment.

Centres in the UK, Africa, Asia and Australasia: you must use the Candidate Registration forms that are on the support website. If you wish to gather other information that is not included in these forms, you can adapt them and add this, but you must not remove any of the questions and you must ensure that candidates have completed all sections of the form before you submit their entry.

You must record on the form the type of photo ID the candidate provides when registering and ask them to bring the same photo ID on the day of the exam, and provide this list to the invigilator to check. If a candidate does not bring the same ID on the day of the exam, they must not be allowed to take the test.

You must obtain the candidates consent by asking them to complete the relevant Candidate Registration form when they register for the exam. You can download the forms from the support website. Store these consent forms at your centre for two years.

1.3 Choosing suitable venues and exam rooms

All exam venues must meet our minimum requirements and must be fit for purpose. When selecting a venue, make sure:

It has suitable secure storage facilities for exam materials.

The rooms are big enough for all your candidates, bearing in mind there must be at least 1.25m between candidates (from the centre of one candidate's working area to the centre of the next candidate's working area in all directions).

Desks are large enough to hold two A4 sheets laid side by side.

All candidates are facing in one direction with the exception of the Cambridge English: Young Learners exams, where desks can be in any formation. For Cambridge English: Young Learners, candidates can sit at round tables, as long as the 1.25m distance is maintained.

There is suitable equipment for Listening tests.

There are no regular bells, e.g. to mark lesson start/finish times, which would disturb the candidates, unless these can be switched off or disabled on the test day.

The general ambience is suitable e.g. not too noisy, light enough, comfortable temperature, clean and is conducive to candidates performing at their best.

The building is available on the exam day:

Is it open on the day you wish to run the exam?

Can you book the room(s) in advance?

Do you have access to the building yourself? Will you need building staff to give you access on the day?

Are there any other events planned there that day that could disrupt the exam?

The location is accessible for candidates.

There is disabled access to the exam room and to PCs, or alternative arrangements, e.g. a ground floor room (if needed).

There is a suitable area for taking test day photos (where relevant).

If you are an open centre and also teach candidates at your centre, it is best practice to use neutral premises (such as another venue), if other large preparation centres enter candidates through your centre.

For instructions on how to set up exam rooms on the day, see the relevant Exam Day Booklet, which is available from the support website. This booklet must be available in each exam room during the exam.

SELT


Venues outside of your country

If you want to run an exam in a venue outside of your country or agreed region, please contact the Helpdesk to discuss it. You must not run an exam in another country without first getting permission from us, and there are several things to consider, such as getting materials to the venue on time, and sourcing Speaking Examiners locally.

1.3.1 Computer- based exam rooms

In addition to the above, for computer- based tests you need to ensure that conditions are suitable.

When selecting a venue, make sure:

That no candidates work can be overseen by other candidates.

The exam room has enough PCs for the number of candidates, including a designated administration workstation and enough spare PCs. The ratio of how many to provide is in the Computer- Based Testing Exam Day Booklet.

The minimum distance between the edge of one screen and the edge of the next is 1.25 metres unless you are using dividers or privacy filters. If you are using dividers, you must make sure that they are both high and long enough on all sides to prevent the candidates from seeing each others screens. In all cases, you must ensure that candidates cannot communicate with each other or see each others screens.

There are enough headphones in good working order, including spares. Check that the sound on the PC is switched on.

There is a printer available at each venue (where possible).

Conditions are suitable for candidates to perform at their best. Ensure adequate lighting in the room while making sure there is no glare on the screens. Ensure that there is enough ventilation or temperature control in the room to compensate for the heat generated by the equipment. You must provide adequate space at each workstation to enable candidates to make notes if they wish.

Where possible, equipment such as screens and chairs is adjustable, and try to provide foot rests/wrist supports etc. You must also take into consideration the laws in your country regarding health and safety of anyone using a computer.

Time zones

If you are planning to run a computer- based test in a venue located in a different time zone from that of your main centre, it is your responsibility to inform the Helpdesk as soon as possible before making entries. Please telephone the Helpdesk if the request is urgent.

If you do not inform us, it might affect the exam on the day.

1.3.2 Listening test rooms

Choose a suitable venue and make sure you check the rooms and equipment in advance and on the day of the test.

Key points to cover when choosing rooms and checking their suitability include:

Listen for reverberation caused by large rooms, unoccupied space, high ceilings, etc. Room acoustics will vary, depending on whether a room is empty or full. Its advisable to try out the sound system with people in the room, rather than only trying it in an empty room.

Check sound direction and the distance between speakers and candidates.

If multiple loudspeakers are available, check the best positioning of these in each room to ensure an even distribution of sound throughout the room.


If you use a language laboratory, you must either fulfil our minimum distance requirements of 1.25m or you can use dividers. If you are using dividers, you must make sure that they are both high and long enough on all sides to prevent candidates from seeing each others screens. In either scenario, the supervisor must be satisfied that the invigilator can see all candidates at all times. If necessary, arrange for extra invigilators.

It is your responsibility to ensure that any facilities and equipment you use for running the Listening component meets the requirements of ensuring candidates can hear the recording clearly and the test material is secure. If you use wireless headphones, you may need to experiment before the exam day to establish if it meets requirements. If using wireless headphones, we would recommend that you have wired headphones on standby in case there is any interference or hardware failure.

You must ensure that the Listening test cannot be recorded by anyone inside or outside the exam room, for example, you might want to restrict access to the area around the exam room while Listening tests are in progress.

You must test all sets of headphones to be used in Listening tests before the exam date.

Check the possibility of noise outside the exam room as well as in it. For example, if there is a noisy road outside, will this make it hard for candidates to hear the test?

Where possible, hold a practice test in the rooms to be used, to allow a more accurate assessment of the most appropriate tone and volume settings to use under exam conditions. You must not use live Listening CDs for this purpose.

Sound reproduction can often be improved when bass is reduced, treble boosted and volume is kept as low as is reasonable for the CD to be heard clearly in all parts of the room.

In addition, you must check the quality of the recording and playback equipment, including speakers, in any premises where the Listening tests are to be taken to ensure that technical specifications required for the test can be met (e.g. inbuilt pause facility, playback speed, sound reproduction/quality, volume capacity, etc.).

Where these do not meet requirements, you must take remedial action before the exam.

You must ensure that the audio equipment is kept in good working order. Hardware, including headphones, must be regularly maintained and checked to minimise the risk of equipment failure.

These checks are of vital importance and should help you avoid the need to request special consideration for any candidates who are unable to hear the test properly.

For instructions on how to run the Listening test on the day, please see the Exam Day Booklet, available from the support website. This booklet must be available in each exam room during the test.

1.3.3 Speaking test rooms

When choosing suitable Speaking exam venues, you must consider the following:

Each Speaking test room must be able to fit up to six people.

Tests must not be held simultaneously in a shared room.

The whole examining area should be as far as possible from noise and disturbance. The basic requirements are separate rooms with adequate lighting and ventilation for the Speaking test, and they must be checked for suitable temperature and cleanliness.

They must also be equipped with suitably sized tables and enough chairs, arranged as shown in the diagram on the next page.

Speaking Examiners are responsible for bringing their own clocks but we recommend you have some spare ones in case there is a problem with theirs.


You must have a separate waiting area for candidates about to take their test with enough chairs for them to sit on while they are waiting for the Speaking test.

The waiting area must be a quiet room and must be some distance away from the exam rooms. It must also be supervised, and care taken to ensure that candidates who have finished their test are not allowed to communicate with candidates who are still waiting to take the test.

Where possible, any exam with younger candidates, such as Cambridge English: Young Learners, Cambridge English: Key for Schools, Cambridge English: Preliminary for Schools or Cambridge English: First for Schools, should be held in rooms with interior glass windows or doors, taking care that the test material is not visible to any waiting candidate.

Holding the Speaking test in a hotel bedroom is unsuitable. However, if no other solution can be found, then the bed must be removed and the room arranged as shown in the diagram below.

Speaking Examiners are responsible for arranging the furniture to suit the various exam formats and the number of candidates tested simultaneously. Below are some possible seating arrangements.

Note that centre staff and Inspectors are not allowed in the exam room during a Speaking test. Only the Speaking Examiners and candidates are allowed, as well as Team Leaders, for monitoring purposes. Inspectors will check Speaking test rooms before or in between tests.

For further instructions on how to run the Speaking test on the day, please see the Exam Day Booklet, available from the support website. This booklet must be available in the administration area during the test.


1.3.4 Skills for Life Speaking & Listening rooms

Skills for Life Speaking & Listening tests are in a paired format so there is no candidate C in the diagram above. In addition to the regulations listed in the previous section make sure:

there is a CD player in every room that is being used for the Skills for Life Speaking & Listening unit

someone is available on the day who can help you if there are any problems with the CD players

there is an effective way of timekeeping for the Interlocutor in each exam room.

For advice on timetables, please see the Skills for Life Speaking & Listening timetabling guidelines. For instructions on how to run the Speaking & Listening test on the day, please see the Skills for Life Exam Day Booklet. Both documents are available from the support website. The Skills for Life Exam Day Booklet must be available in the administration area in each venue.

1.4 Preparing for Speaking exams

For Speaking exams you must arrange the following:

Non- UK centres

Recruit and train Speaking Examiners (see Section 1.4.1).

Speaking packs: ordering, automatic despatch and top- up orders (see Section 1.4.1).

Order Instructions to Speaking Examiners booklet. If you need more copies close to the exam date, these can be downloaded from the support website (see Section 1.4.1).

UK centres

Book Speaking Examiners (see Section 1.4.2).


In addition, you must:

Provide enough trained staff for supervising and marshalling at the Speaking test venues.

Timetable the Speaking tests (see Section 2.15.1).

Ensure that arrangements are made for Speaking Examiners, for example, refreshments and car parking facilities, and provide them with details of whom to contact if they have any queries. There is no requirement for you to provide lunch or dinner for examiners.

1.4.1 Non- UK centres

Speaking Examiners

You must not accept entries unless you are sure that you will have sufficient numbers of approved, inducted, trained and certificated Speaking Examiners in time for the exam.

See also Non- UK centres: requirements for Speaking Examiners in the Centre administration section for information about how to recruit and train Speaking Examiners.

Speaking packs: Ordering, automatic despatch and top- up orders

Exam Ordering/automatic despatch Top- up orders/new centres

Cambridge English: Key Cambridge English: Key for Schools Cambridge English: Preliminary Cambridge English: Preliminary for Schools Cambridge English: First Cambridge English: First for Schools Cambridge English: Advanced Cambridge English: Proficiency Cambridge English: Business Certificates

We despatch Speaking packs twice a year: Issue 1 is for the May to October exams.

We despatch it in April. Issue 2 is for the November to April

exams. We despatch it in October.We will send you the same number of Speaking packs that were sent to you in the same period last year. You will receive email notifications in advance and will be able to tell us if your requirements have changed. Submit all changes to your requirements by the deadline given in the email reminders that we send you.

If you need more Speaking packs throughout the year, or are a new centre, order your Speaking test packs using the order form on the support website.

Cambridge English: Legal Cambridge English: Financial

We despatch Speaking packs once a year, for use throughout the year. These are automatically allocated based on the number of entries you make for each session. There is no need to place an order for these Speaking packs.

If you enter candidates for subsequent sessions within a calendar year, and we believe that you might need extra Speaking packs in addition to the ones previously received, these will be sent automatically, along with your other exam materials.

New centres will automatically receive Speaking packs based on the entries they make for their first session.

Cambridge English: Young Learners You must place your order for the next year by November of the current year using the Young Learners Speaking Packs Order Form on the support website.

If you need additional Speaking packs throughout the year, or are a new centre, order your Speaking packs using the Young Learners Speaking Packs Order Form on the support website.

Please do not complete any order forms if:

You are from a UK centre, as Speaking test packs are sent directly to Speaking Examiners.

Your centre is not eligible to run the exam, as your request will be refused. If you wish to confirm your centres exam eligibility, please contact the Helpdesk.

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