Exam days can be stressful – not just for students, but also for the staff supporting them. If your school uses DocsPlus for access arrangements (as a computer reader, scribe or word processor), a bit of advanced planning goes a long way in ensuring everything runs like clockwork.

Here’s how you can avoid a last-minute rush and make sure you’re tech-ready and confident on exam day.

Set up exam profiles in advance

Avoid the morning panic! Create and save user profiles for each student before exam day. These should reflect the exact level of support permitted during exams, which might differ from their normal classroom setup. The setup should reflect whether the student has qualified for exam access to a computer reader, scribe or word processor.

If a student uses DocsPlus regularly, you may already have subject-specific setups saved. These can be imported in seconds, saving precious time and reducing stress.

Remember: it’s the school’s responsibility to ensure accessibility tools and support settings used during the exam are in line with official guidelines. This means turning off or restricting any features that are not permitted (like the Predictor or the spell checker, depending on the candidate’s approved arrangement). For more guidance, see:

🗒️ JCQ access arrangements and reasonable adjustments

📖 SQA assessment arrangements guidance

Reduce invigilator stress

Make life easier for your invigilators by ensuring all digital arrangements are sorted in advance. If invigilators aren’t familiar with DocsPlus, they shouldn’t have to troubleshoot under pressure.

By having everything pre-configured (user profiles, exam papers, printer setup), the invigilator’s role is simply to open the correct file and supervise.

Share exam papers securely and efficiently

Our tech team recommend using a router and USB-connected NAS drive to distribute exam papers to multiple laptops simultaneously. This is especially useful if you're managing access to DocsPlus as a computer reader for large cohorts.

If setting up a router isn’t an option, you can manually transfer the exam papers using a USB stick – which would be more time-consuming for large cohorts but is still a reliable method.

Understand the backup process

DocsPlus automatically saves a backup every minute, which is reassuring. To avoid any unnecessary tech-worries, make sure laptops are charged, stable, and don’t run extra background programs.

Connect and test printers in advance

If you're printing directly from student laptops, which is very likely if your students are using computer readers, set up your wireless or USB-connected printers beforehand. A mini-router that connects devices to the printer can be a great asset.

(Don’t forget to complete the correct candidate and exam information).

Final thoughts

A smooth DocsPlus exam day is all about being proactive, not reactive. Set everything up ahead of time, test your systems, and have backups for your backups. When done right, DocsPlus can offer students the independence they need, enabling the use of tools like a computer reader, and give staff the confidence that all tech will work seamlessly on the big day.

Need help setting up DocsPlus for exams or have any questions?

🤝 Book a free exam support meeting with our friendly tech team!

❓ Read our Using DocsPlus in exams FAQs