a2c Exchange (the new exam board exchange)

[Sivadam]

We registered and downloaded & installed the software with no technical issues at all.
All the Boards we use are connecting ok - once we had pursuaded AQA that their Password did not match their file - and they released another version to us!
We will be sending in a small Summer entry file shortly, as a tester.

[Heebeejeebee]

I just added pearson.com to the allow list for that.

I'd done that already but it seems Smoothwall still wants to block it. If I bypass it and go directly to the SWGfL it works OK. I'm not sure why Smoothwall has a problem with it since all the others started working when I added them to the exception list.

HBJB

[andyrite]

I'd done that already but it seems Smoothwall still wants to block it. If I bypass it and go directly to the SWGfL it works OK. I'm not sure why Smoothwall has a problem with it since all the others started working when I added them to the exception list.

HBJB

What's the smoothwall saying in the logs?

[Heebeejeebee]

What's the smoothwall saying in the logs?

For some reason and without making any changes it's working ok this morning.

Ah well. C'est la vie!

Thanks

HBJB

[Sivadam]

We have just successfully sent a June entry file to one of the exam boards!

[GNewnham]

We have just received our cleverly worded invitation to partake in a2c (with apologies to Spike Milligan).

Must say I was hoping it would be after the summer exam entries had been submitted. I may just go ahead and submit our GCSE ones on Monday the old way. That then gives me another month to get everything ready before I need to submit the GCE ones.

[Cache]

We have just received our cleverly worded invitation to partake in a2c (with apologies to Spike Milligan).

Must say I was hoping it would be after the summer exam entries had been submitted. I may just go ahead and submit our GCSE ones on Monday the old way. That then gives me another month to get everything ready before I need to submit the GCE ones.

We've had our invite since before Christmas, still haven't done anything with it yet. When I come to sit and look at it with the Exams Officer, it always crops up arround the next set of entries so postpone it at her request. We've agreed after half term we need to do something with it though.

[Sivadam]

There is no compulsion to use it even if you do install it now. You can always revert to your normal carrier. It's an ideal time to trial it while you have a backup procedure, just in case you have a problem.
And, in our case, the setup only took a few minutes!

[sonofsanta]

To quote an email from A2C enquiries, answering a query from our Exams Officer...

Centres are currently being contacted by Avco Systems to download the Migration Application (free of charge), which will replace your current carrier function. We expect all centres to be invited to download this by April of this year. In the interests of fairness, centres are being contacted at random during this period, therefore we are advising centres to allow their current carrier contracts to lapse after 31 August and not renew them after this date rather than having an exact cut-off date.

During this first transport phase, the nature of the files being transported will not change, therefore you will need to maintain a contract with your current MIS provider (or indeed take out a contract with an alternative MIS supplier, if you prefer) to ensure the files being transported via the A2C Migration Application during this period remain compliant with current data standards.

The second phase of the A2C project will address the A2C data standards themselves. These have not yet been published and will be made available when they are, enabling MIS providers to redevelop their systems for A2C compliance.

Please note that some centres do use their current carrier function to transfer data to organisations other than awarding bodies, for example their local authority. In these cases, centres should contact the relevant organisations and possibly maintain their current carrier.

I'm playing with the installation and such this morning... fingers crossed eh

[Sivadam]

Further to my last post.
Yesterday, we received the notification of successful transfer of the Entry File.
An Amendment file has now been prepared and also submitted.

(Maybe I should add that we have been using the AVCO Exam Centre software for many years for transferring EDI files to EBs!)

[john]

We have been on it since Christmas time and the A2C migration app is a doddle, unlike a number of you having to tweak your Smoothie mine just worked out of the box and its been great for us and the A2C, after the Edexcel mess up of not having us approved when we were, its been great and no issues from the Exam Officer or me.

(Maybe I should add that we have been using the AVCO Exam Centre software for many years for transferring EDI files to EBs!)

Thats just like us

[Sivadam]

.... Thats just like us ....

Then you must be good too John!

We enquired earlier in the academic year but, apparantly, they were not ready to 'invite' us then!
And I find that a strange phenomenum - we often get invites to trial things early!

(Wow - another Mod that I agree with! I must be mellowing in my old age!)

[Sivadam]

.... and now another (Stuart) is following me on Twitter!

Am I being spied on ................ ????

[GeeHubb]

.... and now another (Stuart) is following me on Twitter!

Am I being spied on ................ ????

Don't let it go to your head will you. They probably just want to keep up with your Sheffield Wednesday tweets!

[Sivadam]

Don't let it go to your head will you. They probably just want to keep up with your Sheffield Wednesday tweets!

Of course Gill! @SWFC #Massive
A couple of times in the past week or so our Trends have made the global top twenty!

Incidently, @HGCSC has now officially gone live!