Online exam project launched

Exams like this could be a thing of the past

The Northern Ireland examinations body is to undertake a pilot project in paperless examinations.

The Council for Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment is undertaking the project in partnership with Edexcel, one of the main exams boards in England.

It will involve pupils doing exams using a computer before being sent to examiners online.

Development work begins in September and a small on-screen pilot exam, designed along GCSE lines, is scheduled for next Spring.

Increased use of technology

Further development work will follow with the aim of a small number of candidates taking a live GCSE exam by 2004.

Exams could be marked online

The CCEA's development manager, Roger McCune said the move was in line with the increasing use of new technology in schools.

"Although some work has been done before in using technology in small scale tests, no one as yet has tried to apply it to high stakes exams such as GCSEs," he said.

"Our development work will test the feasibility of providing exam papers to schools online, candidates undertaking exams on computer, having their work marked electronically and exam boards reporting results back to schools and pupils electronically."

The CCEA is in the process of appointing a project director to "drive this pioneering initiative forward".

It hopes that, if the development work is successful, they will be in a position to conduct major examinations online by summer 2006.