BSC Malpractice Policy

The fairness of the assessment process depends upon all parties acting in good faith and adhering to the highest professional standards of conduct. Any evidence of deviation from such standards may lead to disqualification of candidates or tutors, or the termination of a contract with a registered centre or registered course provider.

What is malpractice?

Any attempt to gain unfair advantage in a qualification for oneself or for another constitutes as does any infringement of examination rules. Examples of malpractice include:

  • a candidate copying another candidate's work in an examination;
  • a candidate bringing into an examination room notes that could be used to help answer the examination questions;
  • a candidate using others' ideas and words in an assignment without clearly acknowledging the source of the information (plagiarism);
  • a tutor giving a candidate unfair assistance with an assessment;
  • an invigilator revealing the questions in an examination to candidates before the time of the examination.

Reporting suspected malpractice

All examiners, invigilators, registered centres, registered course providers and awarding body staff are required to report suspicions of malpractice on the part of candidates, tutors or anyone involved in providing the qualification. Such reports should be made to the BSC Examinations Department for investigation and resolution.

Investigating malpractice

The BSC will investigate every suspected case of malpractice. Where malpractice is proven, the BSC may withhold or cancel a candidate's result, disqualify a tutor from preparing candidates for BSC qualifications, or terminate the contract with a registered centre or registered course provider.

If a candidate is suspected of malpractice, the BSC may request that they attend a meeting. They may be required to present their assignment and answer questions based on it, and/or to account for their behaviour in an examination. If the BSC is satisfied that there has been no malpractice involved, the assignment will be processed and marked in accordance with standard procedure and/or the examination result will be allowed to stand.

Where a candidate is unable to provide a satisfactory explanation of apparent evidence of malpractice, the BSC reserves the right to invalidate the results, and/or to request further information. Exclusions from further examinations may also apply.

Appeals

Anyone found by the BSC to be guilty of malpractice may appeal against the outcome, in the same way as a candidate may appeal against the result of a review of an examination result. Such an appeal will be considered by the independently chaired BSC Appeals Committee. In the event that an appeal is unresolved by the Appeals Committee, it can be put to independent review by the BSC Board of Trustees.

Director of Qualifications
British Safety Council
London W6 9RS
Telephone: 020 8600 1035
E-mail: examinations@britsafe.org

First published: April 2004

Last updated: June 2008