Centre practice to help keep mobile phones out of exams and assessment venues
Published 18 April 2023
Applies to England
© Crown copyright 2023
This publication is licensed under the terms of the Open Government Licence v3.0 except where otherwise stated. To view this licence, visit nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3 or write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gov.uk.
Where we have identified any third party copyright information you will need to obtain permission from the copyright holders concerned.
This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/centre-practice-to-help-keep-mobile-phones-out-of-exams-and-assessment-venues/centre-practice-to-help-keep-mobile-phones-out-of-exams-and-assessment-venues
Students don’t necessarily intend to commit malpractice when taking their mobile phones, smartwatches or other communications devices into an exam or assessment. Students may simply wish to be sure their phones will remain safe when not in their possession. For GCSE’s and A levels there were 1,845 penalties this year, compared with 1,385 in 2019, the last time exams were sat.
In 2022 750 penalties were issued to VTQ students compared with approximately 150 in 2020-21, 200 in 2019-20 and 300 in 2018-2019.
We asked some Exams Officers for their top tips for keeping mobile phones out of the exam hall and this is what they told us.
Leave all devices outside the room
We just use coin-operated lockers outside the exam rooms so that they know they are secure.
As a 6th form we have hardly any issue with mobile phones in exams. This may be because they have been through school and already understand that they can’t have them in exams, but we run two full mock exam sessions in February and April that are run to full exam regulations, including no mobiles. We’ve had no issues with mobiles in several years because of this. We don’t offer any particular place for students to store their phones. They have to leave their bags outside the hall. If they don’t have a bag they have to hand their phones in to the invigilators.
Students are happier leaving phones in their bags rather than in a box with loads of other phones. We have a cupboard where desks [DN: bags?] are stored and so we get the students to enter through the cupboard and leave their bags in there before they enter the exam room. Then we lock the outside door so they are kept safe. In the gym we use the changing rooms which are locked on the inside so that no one can enter.
We put trays inside the hall entrance, outside the exam room and pupils hand them in. They stay in the trays in the hall as we don’t want the responsibility of the value of the phones being stolen. They collect on way out. They do this in school internal exams too from Year 7 onwards.
Bag and tag systems
Phones are collected in envelopes which state each student’s name. They are placed in a box outside the door and the students collect them as they depart.
Mobile phone collection through a wallet and ticket system. Phones given back on presentation of the numbered ticket. Safely stored during exam. Alternative stored in lockers. Several reminders.
We collect phones in plastic zip lock bag with ID label inside, a matching ID card is given to the candidate. Bags are kept safe in a plastic box. Candidates collect their phone by producing the ID card.
Each student hands in their phone and receives a number card which corresponds to the slot the phone has been put in.