Exams Officer update June 2026

We hope that you’ve had a successful summer series and the change to 90 minutes to download question papers has been useful in your centres.

The team is getting ready to deliver our summer networks; we’ll be at the NAEO summer conference and supporting the Festival of Education. We also have an Exams Officer Expert panel at the beginning of July where we’ll take a deep dive into the summer exam series.

In this month’s Exams Officer Update, you’ll find information and guidance on:

• summer 2026 exam series
• network events
• on demand e-Learning modules – coming soon
• getting prepared for results season with Data Insights
• JCQ updates
• dates for your diary

If you’re interested in what happens to your learners' scripts after they arrive in our processing centre, you can listen to our latest podcast. In this episode we bring you Matt and Rob from our Milton Keynes processing centre, to walk you through the process of how a script is processed through scanning. We talk about improvements to processes for summer 2026 and share some inside knowledge on how things happen here at AQA.

Look out for our emails about results and post-results in early July and August, giving you all the information you need to support you through the results period.

Hot topics

Results and post-results webinars – a reminder that you can book your place now on our webinars for new and experienced Exams Officers, taking place in June and July. We hope to see you there.

• 24 June 2026 – experienced Exams Officers (please note, this is the new date for this event and replaces the session that was planned for Monday 29 June 2026)
• 25 June 2026 – new Exams Officers
• 7 July 2026 – new Exams Officers

Summer 2026 exam series

Special considerations

Please process any special consideration requests for your learners as soon as possible after the end of the exam series, and before the deadline on Friday 24 July.

Before making your requests, make sure that you have authorisation from one of your senior leaders, and that you keep any relevant evidence.

The window will reopen for exceptional circumstances once results have been published in August. We’ll remind you of this closer to the time.

You can find special consideration guidance on our website, or on JCQ’s website. You can also contact our special considerations team if you need advice for complex cases.

Non-exam assessment (NEA)

Thank you to everyone who has already submitted their centre declaration form for NEA, fieldwork, live performance and practical programming. We’re following up with centres who’ve not yet sent theirs – so if you receive an email, please send your form as soon as you can to NEAdeclaration@aqa.org.uk

The form is an essential part of the NEA process, and you can find more information in our recent email.

Unused exam stationery

If you have spare answer booklets, yellow label sheets or script return sacks after the summer 2026 exams, these can either be kept for future use or destroyed securely. If you’re keeping them for future use, please make sure they’re stored securely. Please remember that official stationery must never be used for internal assessments or mock exams, and must be stored in your secure room.

A reminder that any unused question papers can be released to teaching colleagues 24 hours after the published finishing time of the exam, or after any students with a timetable variation have completed the paper, whichever is later.

Network events

The Exams Officer Engagement Team will be attending Exams Officer network events across the country from the end of June until the summer break. We’ll be talking about your experiences of the summer series of exams, gathering your feedback, and sharing best practices.

If you host or attend an independent network and would like AQA to join, or if you’re not currently part of any network, please complete this form and a member of the team will contact you. Or you can email us directly at examsofficerengagement@aqa.org.uk

We look forward to seeing as many of you as possible.

Coming soon – on demand e-Learning modules

We’re going to be launching some exciting e-Learning modules available to Exams Officers. Keep your eyes peeled for an email in the coming weeks for the first module – Change Management.

Get prepared for results season with Data Insights

Data Insights is our online tool that helps schools, colleges and MATs explore exam results in a clear, easy-to-understand way.

Get ready for results day with our new Data Insights hub – find simple walkthroughs, refresh your understanding and share with your colleagues so they’ll feel confident and ready for results season.

You can access Data Insights through Centre Services and can also give relevant teachers access by giving them “Centre Results Read” permission. If you have teachers who do not already have a Centre Services account, they can request one here.

JCQ updates

JCQ has updated their Suspected Malpractice Policies and Procedures 2025/26 document.

Here’s what they’ve changed:

• the M1 form checklist now includes confirmation that all evidence has been shared with the candidate before submission
• appendix 11 has been updated to ensure that candidates’ established needs and normal ways of working are supported throughout the investigation process.

Dates for your diary

Summer 2026 exam series

24 Jun: Contingency day for GCSE and/or A-level exams if sustained national or significant local disruption arise during the June 2026 exam series

01 Jul: Last date to request a partial refund of fees on medical grounds for June 2026 exams in the 6G26 series

01 Jul: Last date to request a partial refund of fees on medical grounds for June 2026 exams in the 6A26 series

24 Jul: Last date to submit special consideration requests for June 2026

30 Jul: Last date to amend or withdraw entries for June 2026 exams in series 6A26

06 Aug: Last date to amend or withdraw entries for June 2026 exams in series 6G26

See our full Key Dates Calendar.