Malpractice, Maladministration and Examination Security Guidance for Centres

Maintaining the integrity of ISE Digital is a shared responsibility. Centres must follow Trinity’s requirements and take reasonable steps to prevent, identify and report activity that could compromise the security, integrity or fairness of an examination.

This guidance sets out the controls centres must apply throughout the examination journey, from candidate registration and booking through to examination-day delivery and post-exam reporting.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• 1) Malpractice and maladministration
  • 1.1) What is malpractice?
  • 1.2) What is maladministration?
• 2) Booking, accounts and candidate information
  • 2.1) Centre accounts and login credentials
  • 2.2) Candidate information and email address
  • 2.3) Candidate confirmation
  • 2.4) Monitoring of booking and account activity
• 3) Preparing for the exam
  • 3.1) Identity checks
  • 3.2) Preparing the examination room
• 4) During the exam
  • 4.1) What to do if malpractice is suspected
• 5) After the exam
• 6) Centre responsibility

1) Malpractice and maladministration

1.1) What is malpractice?

Malpractice is any action or attempted action that could compromise the integrity, security or fairness of an examination. It may involve a candidate, centre staff member, teacher, invigilator or another person.

Examples include:

• impersonation or proxy test-taking
• providing or receiving unauthorised assistance
• accessing notes, mobile phones, smart devices, translation tools, AI tools or other prohibited resources
• communicating with another person during the examination
• copying, photographing, recording, reproducing or sharing test content
• access to live test content outside of the centre environment
• coaching a candidate during the examination
• submitting work that is not the candidate’s own
• falsifying candidate identity, registration or examination records
• deliberately interfering with cameras, audio, monitoring or other security controls (remotely proctored exams)
• centre staff failing to follow required security procedures
• repeated or coordinated activity intended to identify test content or weaknesses in examination controls

A suspected incident does not automatically mean that malpractice has occurred. Trinity will consider the available evidence before reaching a decision.

1.2) What is maladministration?

Maladministration is a failure by a centre or centre staff to follow Trinity’s required administrative, booking, security or examination-delivery procedures.

Maladministration may occur even where there is no evidence that a candidate has cheated or gained an unfair advantage.

Examples include:

• sharing MyTrinity or other Trinity system account credentials
• allowing another person to use an account issued to an individual member of centre staff
• sharing account credentials with another centre, agent or third party
• accessing Trinity systems using another centre’s credentials
• using inaccurate, duplicate or inappropriate candidate details
• using a centre-controlled, shared, agent or third-party email address in place of a candidate’s own email address
• confirming an examination on behalf of a candidate where confirmation is required from the candidate
• failing to complete required identity checks
• failing to maintain the required examination conditions
• failing to follow Trinity’s invigilation or examination-security procedures
• failing to report an incident or preserve required evidence
• falsifying or inaccurately completing examination records.

Repeated, deliberate or serious maladministration may also constitute malpractice.

2) Booking, accounts and candidate information

Accurate candidate information and secure use of Trinity systems are fundamental to examination security.

2.1) Centre accounts and login credentials

MyTrinity and other Trinity system accounts must only be used by the individual to whom the account has been issued. 

Centre staff must:

• keep usernames, passwords and other authentication information secure
• never share account credentials with another individual
• under no circumstances share account credentials with another centre, agent or third party
• never allow another centre or third party to make or manage bookings using their account
• never use credentials belonging to another centre or member of staff
• ensure that access is restricted to authorised users.

If a centre believes that account credentials have been shared, compromised or accessed by an unauthorised person, it must notify Trinity promptly.

2.2) Candidate information and email address

Each candidate must be registered using accurate information belonging to that individual candidate.

Centres must ensure that:

• the candidate’s correct legal name and date of birth are entered
• candidate information matches the identity document that will be presented on examination day
• first and family names are entered consistently and in the correct fields
• each registration relates to the individual candidate and duplicate candidate accounts are avoided
• a genuine individual email address controlled and accessible by the candidate is used where a candidate email address is required
• centre-controlled, shared, agent or third-party email addresses are not substituted for the candidate’s own email address.

The candidate email address is an important part of both exam security and the candidate journey. It provides a direct connection between Trinity and the individual candidate and supports the traceability of candidate actions.

It will also be used to enable candidates to access their digital certificate through Accredible. It is therefore essential that the email address provided belongs to, and can be accessed by, the candidate.

2.3) Candidate confirmation

Trinity requires a candidate to confirm their exam and personal details. The confirmation must be completed by the candidate themselves.

Centre staff must not:

• access the candidate’s email account to complete the confirmation
• confirm an examination on behalf of the candidate
• use a centre or shared email account to complete candidate confirmation
• ask another person to complete the confirmation on the candidate’s behalf.

Centres may explain the process to candidates or provide reasonable technical assistance, but the required candidate action must remain the candidate’s own.

2.4) Monitoring of booking and account activity

Trinity monitors booking, account and exam activity to support the security and integrity of ISE Digital.

This may include reviewing booking patterns, account usage, candidate information and other relevant system activity to identify unusual or potentially non-compliant activity.

Where activity appears unusual, inconsistent with expected centre practice or potentially indicative of account sharing, maladministration or malpractice, Trinity may:

• contact the centre for clarification
• request records or supporting evidence
• place bookings or results on hold while enquiries are undertaken
• apply additional monitoring or controls
• undertake a formal investigation.

Centres may be required to explain or evidence booking and account activity associated with their centre.

3) Preparing for the exam

Before each exam session, centres must ensure that:

• candidates understand the examination rules, including restrictions on devices, assistance, notes and test content
• the examination room, equipment, internet connection and monitoring arrangements meet Trinity’s requirements
• only authorised individuals can access candidate keycodes
• candidate keycodes and other secure exam information are not shared with unauthorised individuals
• invigilators have completed the required training
• invigilators understand their responsibilities and know how to report an incident
• sufficient trained staff are available to maintain the required exam conditions throughout the session

3.1) Identity checks

The invigilator must check the candidate’s identity document against:

• the candidate present
• the name and details on the attendance list
  

The check must be completed carefully for each candidate. Candidates must not be identified from memory or solely on the basis that centre staff recognise them.

Where requested by Trinity, centres must take and securely retain the specified photographs of the candidate, identity document and examination room.

If the identity document does not appear to belong to the candidate, has been altered, does not match the registration details or cannot be verified, the centre must record and report the discrepancy immediately.

3.2) Preparing the examination room

Before candidates enter, the centre must:

• remove or cover materials that could assist candidates
• confirm that microphones and headsets are working
• ensure candidates cannot view another candidate’s screen or communicate with one another
  
• prepare each candidate work station as per Trinity's guidance
  

Where topic notes are permitted, they must comply fully with the current Topic task rules. Notes that exceed the permitted limit must be replaced with a compliant version before the examination starts, and the original notes must be removed.

4) During the exam

Invigilators must actively supervise the examination for its full duration.

They must not undertake unrelated work, use a mobile phone for personal purposes, leave candidates unsupervised or rely solely on a fixed camera view where active in-room invigilation is required.

Invigilators must:

• ensure that candidates' mobile phones and other unauthorised devices are removed and stored securely
• prevent unauthorised people from entering the room
• take 360 degree room photographs with candidates seated at their assigned work stations
• be present in the room throughout the exam session*
• move around the room regularly*
• maintain a clear view of candidates, screens and workspaces*
• watch for communication, concealed devices, unusual use of notes or repeated attention to areas away from the screen*
• ensure that no one provides assistance, prompts, translations or corrections*
• record technical issues and unusual candidate behaviour as they occur
• prevent unauthorised photography, recording or copying of test content*
• follow the required procedure for toilet breaks and other interruptions
• ensure that monitoring equipment remains correctly positioned and operational*

* apply to remotely proctored exams in-centre only

Invigilators may assist with genuine technical or administrative issues but must not explain, interpret, translate or help answer examination questions.

4.1) What to do if malpractice is suspected

The centre must:

1. Protect the security of the examination and prevent the suspected activity from continuing where it is safe and appropriate to do so.
2. Record the facts promptly and objectively.
3. Note the time of the incident, people involved and action taken.
4. Preserve all relevant evidence, including attendance records, seating plans, photographs, identity-check records, invigilator reports, system messages and technical logs.
5. Submit the incident through the required Trinity reporting route as soon as possible.
6. Keep the matter confidential and share information only with authorised individuals.
7. Follow any further instructions provided by Trinity.

5) After the exam

Centres must ensure that:

• candidates do not retain, photograph or reproduce examination content
• the Supervisor's Report and supporting evidence are submitted promptly
• relevant records are retained securely for the period specified by Trinity
• staff do not discuss suspected cases with other candidates or unauthorised individuals

6) Centre responsibility

Centres are responsible for the conduct of their staff and for maintaining the required examination conditions. Capacity or staffing pressures must not prevent the application of controls that are integral to examination security.

Failure to follow examination-security requirements may be treated as centre malpractice or maladministration, even where there is insufficient evidence that an individual candidate cheated.

Depending on the circumstances, Trinity may:

• place a result on hold while enquiries are completed
• request additional evidence
• invalidate a candidate’s result
• require corrective action or additional staff training
• impose enhanced monitoring
• suspend particular delivery activities
• suspend or withdraw centre approval
• refer the matter to a regulator or other relevant authority

Centres are not expected to determine conclusively whether malpractice has occurred. Their responsibility is to apply the required controls, preserve the available evidence and report concerns promptly.

Prompt reporting will allow Trinity to assess the incident fairly, protect candidates and maintain the integrity of ISE Digital.