FOI21/22 137 2022 Invigilators and Markers
FOI reference: 21/22 137
Date received: 15/02/2022
Date responded: 15/03/2022
Information requested
For the 2022 SQA National Qualifications exam diet could you please tell me:
- How many invigilators have been recruited to date – and how many the SQA estimates will be required (please also provide a breakdown by local authority of the number required and the number recruited to date)
- How many markers the SQA requires for the National 5; Higher; and Advanced Higher exams – and how many have been recruited to date. Please provide a universal figure as well as a breakdown by subject and qualification of the number of markers required, and the number recruited to date. So when we receive this information we should be able to see, for instance, the number of markers the SQA estimates are required for Higher English, and the number recruited to date.
- Full details of invigilator fees
- Full details of marker fees
For the 2019 SQA National Qualifications exam diet could you please tell me:
- How many markers did the SQA employ to mark National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher papers?
- How many invigilators were recruited?
Response
The information on the number of invigilators and markers is below.
The calculation of number of invigilators required and the sourcing of invigilators is the responsibility of centres and therefore centres determine their own overall requirement based on a set of factors.
The factors used by centres to determine invigilator requirements are:
- candidate entries (based on a ratio of one Invigilator to 35 candidates)
- the number of candidates which require alternative arrangements (separate accommodation requirements)
- the unique layout of the centre
These factors can fluctuate from year to year which means recruitment requirements could be different for each year.
The recruitment of invigilators can take place up to the day prior to the examination date to accommodate any changes to the above factors or the availability of already contracted invigilators. The stats provided are not therefore like for like – 2019 figure is the total number of invigilators contracted at the date of the first examination, the 2022 figure is the number contracted at 11 March 2022 and this figure will increase over the coming weeks.
Please note that the breakdown provided does not include the requirements for independent schools or colleges.
The Marker requirements are based on assumptions which are constantly monitored/adjusted throughout the recruitment process. The stats provided are therefore only accurate at that point in time.
The recruitment of markers continues until the marker meeting date for individual marking teams. The stats provided are not therefore like for like – 2019 figure is the total number of markers contracted, the 2022 figure is the number contracted at 11 March 2022 and this figure will increase over the coming weeks.
The factors used by SQA to calculate marker requirements are:
- Candidate entries for each subject/level (stats have been run on projected entries for 2022 exams)
- Anticipated marking throughput rate for each subject/level
- Marking period for each subject/level
Assumptions:
- Stats have been run at mid-point allocations on projected entries per subject/level - this allows for contingency if markers drop out immediately before or during the marking period.
- Figures provided are for Markers who have confirmed their ‘acceptance’ of their marking contract for 2022 at 11 March 2022.
Information relating to invigilators’ fees is below.
With regard to the markers’ fees:
Marker fees are paid at a script rate for each script marked. Rates are based on the anticipated average time to mark a script for each subject/level. The script rates vary between marking teams and range from £1.20 - £28.80
The total fee paid to markers therefore varies dependent on the number of scripts marked.