Ofqual warns over test paper scams
Exams regulator Ofqual has warned that there is an increasing number of scams taking place in schools by individuals posing as exams officers in order to obtain unseen test papers.
In a letter to schools, Ofqual has advised schools to be especially ‘vigilant’ about the security of this year’s GCSE and A-level exam papers, warning that results were expected to fluctuate.
The watchdog said: “Increasingly we are being made aware of attempts by individuals to obtain copies of secure question papers.”
“Exam boards will not ask you to email copies of secure material to anyone, nor will they ask you to confirm your secure login details by email or over the phone. If you are in any doubt about a request, please check with the exam board concerned.”
The news comes after numerous reports from schools where they were approached by fraudulent companies.
In an interview with TES magazine an AQA spokeswoman said the exams board ‘would never send anyone unannounced to a school like this’ and was ‘really grateful’ to the school for alerting others to the scam.
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