Paper-based tests

This section provides guidance on the OCR Certificates of Professional Competence for Transport Managers.

It should be read in conjunction with the CPC Syllabus, Student and Tutor Guide, the JCQ Instructions for conducting examinations and the OCR Instructions for invigilators.

Centres must verify the identity of all candidates taking CPC examinations and must be satisfied the candidate taking the examination is the person who is entered for it. All candidates must have completed the candidate identity form before sitting a CPC exam.

Once you have made entries, for each candidate:

• Download a candidate identification form, which must be completed by each candidate:
• Ensure all sections of the form are completed. Note the details of the photo ID and attach a signed photograph to the form.
  
• Email a scanned copy of the form and photograph to cpc.entries@ocr.org.uk 
• Use the original form to verify candidate identity at each CPC exam they take at your centre.
• Retain the original form in your centre for at least one year from the date of the last examination sat. 

Once you have made your entries, examination materials (including labels to send examination materials to OCR/the examiner) will be sent to you approximately ten days before the examination. 

You must check the question paper packets and examination material carefully as soon as you receive them, and report any issues, e.g. insufficient or damaged packages, immediately to us. 

Assessment material is highly confidential and it is the personal responsibility of the Head of Centre to ensure examination material is kept in the approved secure storage and security is maintained at all times. 

You must keep a log for recording the receipt and movement of examination material.

Please refer to section 1.3 of the JCQ Instructions for conducting examinations for the required secure storage regulations. 

For CPC, the secure room does not need to be ‘solely assigned to exams’, but the secure storage must meet all other security requirements.

Centres must ensure candidates have or are provided with any equipment required to take the test, as well as for taking all reasonable steps to prevent candidates from having access to any unauthorised equipment or resources. 

Candidates should only have access to items specified on the front page of the test paper, and must not have access to anything that could compromise the integrity of the test:

Case study examinations

Candidates may take any printed or handwritten notes or books of their choice in to the examination. However, candidates must not share or exchange any materials during the examination. Candidates must not take into any examination notes or texts in any electronic format, or any electronic device (including iPads, e-readers, smart or mobile phones or laptops). Candidates may use a battery-operated non-programmable calculator.

Multiple choice examinations

Candidates are not permitted to take any written material in to the examination. Candidates may use a battery-operated non-programmable calculator.

Candidates must be prepared and examinations must be conducted according to the JCQ Instructions for conducting examinations and the OCR Instructions for invigilators.

Where these documents provide conflicting instructions, you must follow the regulations specific to CPC. These are as follows:

• Centres must make sure their centre is open and appropriately staffed to accept delivery of examination materials. This will not usually require them to be “permanently staffed between 8.30am to 3.30pm during term time” as stated in the JCQ ICE. 
• The secure room for the storage of examination materials does not have to be solely assigned to exams. It is the Head of Centre’s responsibility to ensure that the use of the secure room does not compromise the security of the examination materials. 
• Although walls, ceilings and the floor of the secure room must be solidly constructed, we do not usually require walls which are not solid brick to be reinforced with metal. If the room is not secure, it must not be used to store examination materials. OCR inspectors will review secure storage arrangements during centre inspections. 
• Small lockable safes, such as those found in hotels, can be used only if they meet all other security requirements and are non-portable, ie: fixed securely in place, and can easily accommodate the examination materials (see next bullet). 
• The safe/lockable cabinet must be large enough to accommodate the examination materials for each CPC exam session without packages being damaged or folded.
• Alternative sites can be used for CPC exams. All CPC exam venues, whether used for paper-based or on-screen exams, must be inspected and approved by OCR before they are used as a CPC exam venue (an inspection fee will be charged for each venue).
• Centres can conduct training in the exam room before or between exams on the day of the exam(s). However, centres must provide time for the exam room to be prepared for the exam, during which candidates must leave the room. When they return to sit their exam they must be under examination conditions as soon as they enter the exam room.
• All candidates must be entered for the exam by the test entry deadline for the exam session. Entries must indicate the exam venue at which each candidate will sit the exam. 
• All candidates, whether taking a paper-based or on-screen exam, must complete a candidate identification form before sitting an exam. 
• Centres must provide OCR with copies of the candidate identification forms. 
• Invigilators must use the completed candidate identification form and the candidates’ photo ID to verify the candidates’ identity at the exam venue on the day of the exam. 
• CPC paper-based exams must start at the scheduled time. This is 10am for the morning exams and 1pm for the afternoon exams. 
• Any candidate arriving after the start of the exam must not be allowed to enter the examination room or sit the examination. 
• Question papers must remain sealed in their secure packets until 10 minutes before the exam starts when they are opened in the exam room. CPC examination materials are packed per exam venue so there should be no need to open a package before an exam to split the papers. 
• Even if they have finished the exam, candidates can only leave the exam room after the appropriate time. This is 1 hour 15 minutes after the start of their multiple choice exam or on-screen test, and only at the end of their case study exam, ie after 2 hours 15 minutes. 
• All question papers (used or unused) must be returned to OCR (multiple choice) or the OCR examiner (case study). The question papers remain as ‘live’ examination materials until they are published on the OCR website. This means that centre staff (including invigilators) must not read/review the content of any question paper/on-screen test. Questions and/or candidate scripts must never be copied or photographed.

Invigilators must understand the regulations, including what equipment is allowed in each examination and ensure candidates only take permitted items into the examination room. 

Invigilators must visually check the candidate’s identity against the candidate identity form you have on file every time they sit an examination.

Multiple choice

• Paper-based exams are scheduled to start at 10am and finish at 12 noon.
• The multiple choice paper consists of 60 questions each worth 1 mark and has a notional pass mark of 42.
• Candidates are allowed two hours to complete the examination; however, they may leave the examination room after 1 hour 15 minutes.
• Depending on the number of candidates in the room, examination centres may find it less disruptive to allow one ‘exit time’, for example, over 1 hour 15 minutes or 1 hour 30 minutes.

Case study

• Case study exams are scheduled to start at 1pm and finish at 3.15pm.
• The case study assessment is a 60-mark paper and has a notional pass mark of 30.
• It comprises a relevant scenario (as concise as possible), which is issued with the papers at the start of the examination.
• The examination lasts for 2 hours and 15 minutes. Candidates may not leave until the end of this time.

All examination material (including used and unused question papers) must be sealed in a secure envelope immediately after each exam and must be returned either on the day of the exam or the next working day after the exam. It must be held in the centre’s approved secure storage until it is returned.

Responsibility for the examination material remains with the centre until it is received by OCR.

Using the envelopes and address labels provided, you should send the following by a trackable method:

• To OCR: Used and unused multiple choice question papers and answer sheets, together with the relevant invigilation certificate(s).
• To your allocated OCR examiner(s): Used and unused case study scenarios and question/answer booklets, together with the relevant invigilation certificate(s).