AQA must ensure that full security procedures for the secure store are in place at all times

QCA report

The warning comes a month after the government ordered the Edexcel exam board to improve its act in the light of a series of blunders.

In an audit carried out between February and November 2001, the QCA said it had found "substantial good practice" at AQA but stressed the recruitment of a sufficient number of examiners for some subjects was problematic last summer.

"AQA addressed this problem by targeting its recruitment advertising to specific institutions or groups of potential examiners and by encouraging examiners to accept larger than usual allocations," the QCA report said.

"Contingency plans were in place to invite the most reliable markers to AQA's offices to undertake additional marking after they had completed their own allocation."

While this approach had controlled the risk for summer 2001, it was not sustainable, the inspectors said.

Security 'breach'

The inspectors also witnessed an unauthorised member of AQA staff getting into a secure area where certificates are kept.

The "secure store" was normally kept locked and only people with the right passes were supposed to have access to it.

"But during a QCA monitoring visit to the secure store, a member of AQA staff without authorisation gained entry," the audit report said.

George Turnbull says the board will be taking "immediate action"

"Although the person was challenged, this unauthorised entry is a matter of concern.

"AQA must ensure that full security procedures for the secure store are in place at all times."

Head of public affairs at AQA George Turnbull said that, overall, the report was an "exceptionally good one" which praised the quality of AQA's management, from the top down.

"We try to do better all the time, we strive to achieve perfection," he said.

"Nobody ever manages to get there but every time we can improve our systems, we will do so and, where things have been drawn to our attention, immediate action on them will be taken.

"We will be reporting back to the QCA within the timescale."

'Fairness and accuracy'

Director general of the AQA Kathleen Tattersall said: "We are delighted with this independent recognition of good practice at AQA."

"We strive to ensure fairness and accuracy in all that we do, and our procedures and practices are constantly under review, thereby ensuring continuity of the high professional standards highlighted so prominently in the audit report."

Work had already begun to build on that good practice, she added.