Exams management software and service

The Royal College of Anaesthetists (RCoA) is currently reviewing its exam delivery methods with a view to procuring a examinations system and service to manage a wide range of examination types (both digital and paper based) and to be delivered in a wide range of locations in the UK and globally.

The College would like to hear from suppliers as to how their products and services might respond in general to each or all the eight key areas ahead a formal tendering for the provision of these services in June 2018:

1. Support for the administration and marking of digital and paper based exams with range of question types such as objective structured clinical examinations (OSCE), multiple choice questions (MCQs) and structured oral examinations (SOEs) 2. Exam scheduling and candidate management 3. Statistical reporting and analysis 4. Digital result publication 5. Import existing assessment materials 6. Question banking and web-based access for question authoring and version control. 7. Ability to integrate via APIs with other software including curriculum management applications, exam centre delivery software and event management platforms 8. The College is also exploring whether the initial scope of the service will include the provision of remote and secure invigilated computer-based testing conducted at managed premises across the UK and internationally.

The key benefits are improving the assessment of trainee anaesthetists in the UK and globally through the provision of a robust, cost-effective, accessible and flexible exams systems and testing services as well as reduce the workload to College examiners and staff.

Please note:

• Please note the RCoA will not be considering purely bespoke solutions and it is expected that tendering organisations will have a track record in supporting and delivering similar requirements. Therefore we are primarily looking for an off-the-shelf solution which may require some customisation rather than a bespoke solution. • Any approach by a prospective supplier regarding this commercial opportunity with College employees or members other than through the route advertised in this notice may result in the bidder being disqualified. • This notice is intended to allow interested organisations with appropriate expertise to outline their views and provide impartial information to the College with no commitment to themselves or the College and is not a call for competition at this stage. • Responses received as part of this exercise may be used to shape the College's final specification of system requirements and scope any resulting procurement process.