Strengthening Exam Integrity in 2025–26

Strengthening Exam Integrity in 2025–26

As the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ) releases its updated General Regulations for Approved Centres (2025–26) and Suspected Malpractice: Policies and Procedures (2025–26), exam centres face heightened expectations around governance, cyber-security, AI misuse, and malpractice prevention.

Serve Legal and StoreCheckers support awarding bodies, universities and major training providers with independent compliance audits, helping them protect the integrity of their assessments. We already work with some of the biggest names in exam and assessment delivery to monitor compliance - demonstrating due diligence, evaluating responses to student malpractice, and protecting integrity and fairness.

Below, we outline some of the key JCQ guideline updates for 2025–26.

1. Broader Qualification Coverage

The JCQ’s updated guidelines now explicitly cover Cambridge Advanced Nationals, NCFE Vocational & Technical Qualifications, and TQUK qualifications - the latest additions bringing a broader focus to alternative and technical assessments.

Every qualification delivered under a JCQ awarding body, academic or technical, must meet the same security and operational standards. Serve Legal’s audits assess compliance across the full qualification portfolio, ensuring consistent practice whether your centre runs A levels, BTECs, higher education or other vocational awards.

2. AI Misuse, Digital Integrity and Cyber-Security

Malpractice and security risks today extend beyond pen and paper. Centres must demonstrate awareness of AI misuse and cyber-security risks. The JCQ highlights this with their regulations on AI Use in Assessments, now a core component of their conduct guidelines. Smart glasses, smart devices, and AirPods are also underlined as security risks.

Serve Legal’s audits verify that staff training, signage and incident response reflect these concerns, not just traditional malpractice risks.

3. Oversight of Third Party Delivery

The head of centre remains ultimately responsible for compliance with both awarding body and JCQ regulations. The most recent guidelines emphasise that approved centres must ensure any third party delivery partners they work with are also aligned with these regulations.

“The centre must monitor delivery by the third party to maintain compliance with the published JCQ regulations and awarding body requirements, ensuring the security and integrity of examinations and assessments.” (JCQ General Regulations for Approved Centres 2025–26, Section 3.1)

Many centres outsource invigilation, remote testing or venue administration. The JCQ mandates written agreements, ongoing monitoring and full centre oversight in these circumstances.

Regulators expect demonstrable responsiveness. Serve Legal’s unannounced audits simulate inspection-style scenarios, testing whether staff – at the centre itself or third party delivery partners - act decisively and know escalation routes, a key indicator of operational readiness.

Supporting a Culture of Fairness and Trust

Exam integrity is not just about preventing cheating, it’s about creating environments where students, regulators and awarding bodies can trust the outcome.

Serve Legal’s collaboration with leading exam delivery providers proves that proactive auditing builds confidence. By combining independent verification with sector expertise, we help clients strengthen compliance, reduce malpractice risk, and continuously improve fairness and security.

Comprehensive Audit Solutions Tailored to You

Serve Legal’s exam compliance service suite now includes:

Student Malpractice Audits

Unannounced trained auditors simulate the full exam process, acting as candidates to test how effectively malpractice is detected and managed in real time. These visits assess whether invigilators challenge inappropriate behaviour, enforce JCQ guidelines, and maintain exam integrity under pressure.

Test Centre Security Procedure Audits

Our auditors independently review your site’s test centre security, from the security of lockers and candidate ID checks to prohibited-item handling and post-exam material management, ensuring alignment with JCQ and Ofqual requirements.

Exam Centre Staff & Invigilator Training Visits

Serve Legal specialists deliver stress-testing sessions to evaluate staff knowledge of policy and procedure before issues arise. These visits highlight training needs, strengthen response capability, and reinforce confidence across exam-delivery teams.

All audits are bespoke to the client’s needs, designed to replicate realistic conditions, specific scenarios or qualification types, and our coverage is international, supporting awarding bodies and exam delivery providers across multiple countries.

Stay Audit-Ready for 2025–26

With JCQ tightening standards across every aspect of assessment delivery, centres need assurance that compliance holds up under real conditions.
Serve Legal provides that assurance, independently, consistently, and confidentially.

Contact us today to learn how our audit programmes can help your organisation meet the 2025–26 JCQ requirements and protect your reputation for integrity.

📄 JCQ General Regulations for Approved Centres (2025–26)
📄 JCQ Suspected Malpractice – Policies and Procedures (2025–26)