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Results, how do you do them?

zag

By zag
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zag

zag

Posted
Posted (edited)

A-Level and GCSE results done for another year but I'm interested in how everyone else does them?

 

We download them as a text file from the exam boards and import into sims exam organiser.

 

This process is a nightmare because exam organiser appears to crash while importing them and often just errors out for no reason. The only way I managed to get the results in was to attempt it about 20 times, eventually one import worked.

 

So looking for a better solution :)

Edited by zag
Sivadam

Sivadam

Posted
Posted (edited)

I assume you are uploading the Results files produced by the Boards and that you are using SIMS!

This error can happen with very large results files. If done on the server there is usually no problem.

There is a KB on SupportNet - KB77977.

Edited by Sivadam
PEO

PEO

Posted
Posted
exam officer does all that... never had to do anything (puts feet up on sofa and takes a large slurp from the coffee mug) ;)
MattMitchell

MattMitchell

Posted
Posted

Sims works nicely but we have a lot of qulifications that don't come in through the edi route - those were less fun!

 

Sims does an excellent job of calculating derived stats like capped points score (in exams organiser) so it's well worth putting them in that way. Our exams officer uses sisra as well, which is particularly good for residuals and allowing subject leaders a bit of interactive reporting.

john

john

Posted
Posted

We do all entries in Serco it make as file that gets sent off using a program called Exam Centre made by Avco (They make Anycomms which many LEAs use for central returns to them), they are our carrier and the boards collect from them. The results back to us is that in reverse, Avco get the results from the board, we then use the program to Send/Receive them, we get them back in to the Exams Inbox, Serco then picks them up from there and off we go. Very quick and easy, we used to use RM's Exam Program but it was just so Win NT still, and had become expensive so I ditched it and replaced with the Avco product which is much quicker and simpler. The built in BaseData Downloader is a big time saver as well!!!

 

All has gone well, had a good 4 days with it all :) All over until November time I think now.....

Sivadam

Sivadam

Posted
Posted (edited)

We also use Exam Centre and have done for many years.

I had assumed that the original contributor of this thread was obtaining the results using this or a similar piece of software - hence the assumptions in my first response.

Edited by Sivadam
Gatt

Gatt

Posted
Posted
exam officer does all that... never had to do anything (puts feet up on sofa and takes a large slurp from the coffee mug) ;)

 

Ditto - as long as SIMS and the Internet is working - jobs a good 'un... :D

jcollings

jcollings

Posted
Posted

We import them into SIMS which I tend to do on the server to prevent large results files causing problems. We then produce spreadsheets from SIMS and add in all the bits SIMS doesn't have results for like Wider Key Skills & CoPE etc.

 

Do a few formulas to produce the headline figures etc. and that's about it. I have to say the exam results days are one of my favourite times of year and I really enjoy being part of the process.

Sivadam

Sivadam

Posted
Posted (edited)
.... and add in all the bits SIMS doesn't have results for like Wider Key Skills & CoPE etc. ....

 

If you had upgraded to August Release then you could have put all the extra quals into EO before results day and then the Headline Figures would have been ready a couple of minutes after the Results Import, via the EO Performance Report.

No need to have fancy Excel Spreadsheets or SIMS Marksheets to do that procedure now!

Edited by Sivadam
jcollings

jcollings

Posted
Posted
If you had upgraded to August Release then you could have put all the extra quals into EO before results day and then the Headline Figures would have been ready a couple of minutes after the Results Import, via the EO Performance Report.

No need to have fancy Excel Spreadsheets or SIMS Marksheets to do that procedure now!

 

That would have been fine if August release was available to us but it was withheld until after exams day by our support people!

 

We also use our spreadsheets for a lot more analysis and to generate a file for our local paper who only accept specific formats so still very necessary!

Sivadam

Sivadam

Posted
Posted
That would have been fine if August release was available to us but it was withheld until after exams day by our support people!

 

We also use our spreadsheets for a lot more analysis and to generate a file for our local paper who only accept specific formats so still very necessary!

 

What a big mistake by the support people!!!

 

And yes - we still export the results for use elsewhere but the Headline Figures are needed early morning. Ours were there as soon as we got the results. And I have posted CRs on SupportNet to try and get Broadsheet Results next year showing all the quals in EO. These could then, hopefully, be exported to be used in Excel for whatever purposes you want.

Support for the CRs would be appreciated.

Stuart_C

Stuart_C

Posted
Posted

1: exam's officer downloads exam results starts

2: Head's office phones to find out where the results are

3: Exam's officer starts uploading results

4: Head's office phones to find out where the results are

5: Exam's officer uploads another file

6: Head's office phones to find out where the results are.

7: I end up uploading the results on the server to speed things up.

8: Head's office phones up to find out where the exam's results and to find out why our exams office didn't come into work at half six in the morning to download the results so they were ready for the head first thing.

9: Exams officer downloads results onto spreadsheet for head\smt.

 

We download the results electronically and upload them into SIMS it all works fine except that it takes about 10 minutes to import each file. SIMS will run the import though then stall on a couple of records then get going again then stall so it takes time. If I run the import on the server then it takes about 30 seconds per file and, bar any results bassed errors, the import works fine.

Gatt

Gatt

Posted
Posted

IIRC we used something called SISRA??

 

Was too busy trying to finish my image deployment to concern myself with it - all i did was ensure the SIMS server was ok and internet was available!

matt40k

matt40k

Posted
Posted
What a big mistake by the support people!!!

 

And yes - we still export the results for use elsewhere but the Headline Figures are needed early morning. Ours were there as soon as we got the results. And I have posted CRs on SupportNet to try and get Broadsheet Results next year showing all the quals in EO. These could then, hopefully, be exported to be used in Excel for whatever purposes you want.

Support for the CRs would be appreciated.

 

 

What's the CR no's?

Cache

Cache

Posted
Posted
We use a product called WebXchange from Redstone (WebXchange.Net - About webXchange) for the transfer into SIMS Exams Organiser.

 

But like some of you, we have to be "around" just in case something happens, but the examinations secretary does all that .. :-)

 

That's what we use here and in all honesty I'm glad it was this rather then RM Securenet this year since A-Level day we had no internet until 4.15pm. Meant atleast with changing a few paths we could download them at someone's house and get them done in the morning dead quickly. Probably why I was asked to be arround. Thankfully the GCSE one's I just got to sit and have a drink for a while. :)

MattMitchell

MattMitchell

Posted
Posted

We use webXchange (does everyone miss out the 'E's these days) and thence to sims exams organiser and the sisra. It's a shame the btec and OCR stuff was handled awkwardly by the boards though.

 

I'm looking forwards to next year though, as we'll be set to do all the pi stuff in sims early in the morning - much much easier!

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