Examinations Officer

GEMS Education; Dubai; On-site; Confidential; Full time

Job summary

GEMS Education in Dubai seeks an External Examinations Officer to manage administration, timetabling, and security for IGCSE/GCSE and International AS & A Levels. You will coordinate with examination boards, maintain confidentiality, and support INSET and access arrangements; the role requires meticulous records and effective communication with students, parents, and staff.

In this role you will oversee examination day operations, invigilation, and secure handling of confidential materials while

Responsibilities

• External Examinations Administration: manage complete administration of external examinations (IGCSE/GCSE, International AS & A Level, and other qualifications)
• Communicate examination board updates to stakeholders (syllabuses, regulations, procedures)
• Maintain knowledge of regulations from Cambridge International and Pearson Edexcel
• Act as primary administrative contact with examination boards and authorities
• Register candidates and submit entries, amendments, withdrawals and candidate information
• Verify candidate details before submission
• Maintain records of entries, fees, and correspondence
• Manage portals (Cambridge International Direct, Edexcel Online, Oxford AQA) securely
• Coordinate submission of forecast grades and marks within deadlines
• Lead contingency arrangements during emergencies
• Coordinate INSET for staff development
• Prepare and communicate examination timetables
• Resolve timetable clashes per awarding-body rules
• Coordinate venues, seating and candidate lists
• Liaise with academic leaders on communication to students/parents/staff
• Maintain annual examinations calendar
• Security and confidential materials handling: receive, check, store, and distribute confidential materials
• Ensure only authorized personnel handle question papers and scripts
• Maintain access controls for secure storage
• Conduct regular security checks and report discrepancies
• Ensure scripts are packed, documented, dispatched per requirements
• Maintain confidentiality of examination information
• Examination-Day Management: oversee smooth running of sessions
• Ensure examinations start/finish on time
• Brief invigilators on procedures and regulations
• Prepare examination packs and attendance records
• Monitor rooms and guide invigilators
• Manage late arrivals, emergencies and incidents per regulations
• Maintain records of incidents and irregularities
• Invigilation: schedule and deploy invigilators
• Maintain invigilator-to-candidate ratios
• Provide training for invigilators
• Monitor invigilator performance and consistency
• Access Arrangements: identify candidates needing adjustments with Inclusion Department
• Coordinate applications and documentation for approved arrangements
• Implement arrangements (extra time, readers, scribes, rest breaks, separate rooms, tech use)
• Maintain confidential records of access arrangements
• Submit special considerations when needed
• Ensure compliance with regulations
• GLAssessments and external assessments: liaise with GL Assessment and other bodies (TIMSS, PISA, PIRLS)
• Coordinate planning with GL Assessment Coordinators for budgeting/scheduling
• Coordinate TIMSS, PISA, PIRLS with KHDA and assessment-body requirements
• Results Management: coordinate result days and securely distribute results
• Maintain confidentiality of results before official release

Job description

External Examination Administration

• Manage the complete administration of external examinations, including IGCSE/GCSE,International AS & A Level, and other qualifications offered by the school.


• Ensure timely communication of all examination board updates to relevant stakeholders, including changes to syllabuses, examination administration, regulations, procedures, and requirements.


• Maintain current knowledge of regulations, procedures, deadlines and requirements issued by relevant awarding bodies, including Cambridge International and Pearson Edexcel.


• Act as the school's primary administrative point of contact with examination boards and relevant examination authorities.


• Register candidates accurately and submit examination entries, amendments, withdrawals and other candidate information within published deadlines.


• Verify candidate's personal details, subjects, examination codes and entry information before submission.


• Maintain accurate records of all examination entries, fees, and examination-related correspondence.


• Ensure examination board portals such as Cambridge International Direct and/or Edexcel Online and Oxford AQA are maintained accurately and securely.


• Coordinate the submission of forecast grades, coursework marks, internally assessed marks, and other required examination information within prescribed deadlines.


• In the event of any emergency, lead contingency arrangements, ensuring all stakeholders clearly understand expectations and that the school responds consistently, fairly, and with integrity.


• To co-ordinate with Examination boards regarding INSET provision to enhance / upskill the staff.

External Examination Planning and Timetabling

• Prepare and communicate examination timetables.


• Identify and resolve examination timetable clashes in accordance with awarding-body regulations.


• Coordinate examination venues, seating arrangements, room allocations, and candidate lists.


• Liaise with academic leaders to ensure all examination arrangements are communicated effectively to students, parents, and staff.


• Maintain an annual examinations calendar highlighting all key deadlines and activities.

Examination Security and Confidential Materials

• Take responsibility for the receipt, checking, secure storage, and distribution of confidential examination materials.


• Ensure examination of question papers, scripts and other confidential materials are handled only by authorized personnel.


• Maintain appropriate access controls and records for secure examination storage areas.


• Conduct regular security checks of examination materials and immediately report discrepancies or concerns.


• Ensure completed scripts are securely packed, documented, and dispatched according to examination board requirements.


• Maintain confidentiality of examination information at all times.

Examination-Day Management

• Oversee the smooth running of all examination sessions.


• Ensure examinations start and finish at the prescribed times.


• Brief invigilators on examination procedures and regulations before each examination series.


• Prepare examination packs containing registers, seating plans, attendance records, incident documentation, and other required materials.


• Monitor examination rooms and provide guidance to invigilators when required.


• Manage late arrivals, absences, emergencies, candidates for illness and examination incidents in accordance with examination board regulations.


• Maintain accurate records of all examination incidents and irregularities.

Invigilation

• Coordinate the scheduling and deployment of examination invigilators.


• Maintain an appropriate invigilator-to-candidate ratio in accordance with examination regulations.


• Provide training and briefing sessions for invigilators.


• Monitor invigilator performance and ensure consistent application of examination regulations.

Access Arrangements and Special Consideration

• Work closely with the Inclusion Department to identify candidates requiring examination access arrangements.


• Coordinate applications and supporting documentation for approved access arrangements.


• Ensure arrangements such as extra time, readers, scribes, supervised rest breaks, separate rooms or use of technology are correctly implemented.


• Maintain confidential records relating to access arrangements.


• Submit special consideration of applications to the relevant examination board following illness, bereavement or other exceptional circumstances affecting candidates.


• Ensure all arrangements comply with current examination board regulations.

GL assessments and other External assessments

• The Examinations Officer liaises with the GL Assessment and other (TIMSS, PISA, PIRLS) examination body regarding assessment requirements, administration procedures, access to the GL Assessment platform, and any additional support required for the effective administration of the assessments.


• Planning and Administration of GL Assessments- Coordinates with the in-school GL Assessment Coordinators for Primary and Secondary to support budgeting, planning, scheduling, and the timely and smooth administration of GL Assessments, ensuring compliance with NAP requirements.


• International and External Assessments- Coordinates with the Primary and Secondary Coordinators in the administration of TIMSS, PISA, PIRLS, and other external assessments, ensuring timely communication, effective coordination, and compliance with KHDA and relevant assessment-body requirements.

Results Management

• Coordinate examination result days and ensure results are downloaded, processed and securely distributed.


• Maintain confidentiality of examination results before the official release time.