Tags plan to reduce exam cheat risk

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Edexcel's computer-based marking system has also been set up to flag up any unexpectedly good results which could be the result of cheating by students.

A number of bags containing exam papers will contain a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag which will be scanned as the bags are despatched. After the papers have been delivered to exam centres, Edexcel staff will be able to scan the tag to check the contents, ensuring no papers are missing.

The tags are similar to those used on items such as CDs and clothes in shops.

Jerry Jarvis, Edexcel's Managing Director, said: "Incidents involving stolen papers are extremely rare, but the potential impact is massive. The logistics of re-issuing an alternative paper to schools and colleges around the country and re-training markers on the new paper are complicated, costly and could ultimately be detrimental to candidates.

"We're doing a major trial of new techniques and technologies with the aim of deterring potential thefts, enabling us to better identify the source of a lost or stolen paper, and reducing the threat of fake papers being sold to candidates."

After the exam papers return to Edexcel for assessment, the exam board said its online marking system makes it easier to spot potential cheats. Nine out of 10 Edexcel papers are scanned, digitised and marked online by examiners using the ePen system.

The online system flags up any candidates who have performed significantly out of line with expectations. Their exam paper can then be accessed instantly and checked manually by the senior examining team for evidence of malpractice.

The online system also makes it easier to spot if a group of students all have the same answers and cheating is suspected.

Edexcel said each year a very small number of suspected breaches of security occur during the assessment process. Of the 620,000 bags of examination papers despatched by the exam board during summer 2006, there were around 70 reports of security breaches.