We have completed a small but very successful pilot of A2C with Capita SIMS, involving CCEA, WJEC and OCR in Northern Ireland and Wales: these Awarding Organisations processed all the entries made via A2C for a variety of qualifications, and the results will be returned through A2C in January 2016.
As well as confirming the benefits of A2C and that operationally the system works, the pilot highlighted areas which need to be addressed by a number of systems before embarking on a full scale rollout, particularly limitations relating to integration with some legacy systems.
We are also aware that introducing full-scale, sector-wide changes at the same time as major exam reform requires detailed risk management by centres, MIS and Awarding Organisations.
Capita SIMS has decided to re-develop its exams software at this point and has therefore indicated that it will be reverting the pilot centres to EDI once the November exam results have been imported. The new version of SIMS will be fully compatible with A2C. We expect other MIS to provide updates on their plans in the coming weeks and when available we will post these on the
A2C website.
AQA, CCEA, OCR, Pearson and WJEC recognise that the “JCQ EDI format for General Qualifications” is no longer fit for purpose and are committed to the A2C programme.
Our prime responsibility is to ensure that the exams process is robust and therefore individual Awarding Organisations must be satisfied that they have eliminated any risk ahead of full implementation. The time profile of risks varies across the Awarding Organisations and consequently there are differences in their A2C rollout schedules.
