Bulk School Exam Scanning

Retention periods vary depending on the qualification, the awarding body and your own school’s records retention policy, so there is no single fixed answer that applies to every exam paper. Schools should check current guidance from JCQ and the relevant awarding body, as requirements can differ between qualification types.

Requirements can depend on the specific qualification and awarding body involved, and guidance can change between exam series. Rather than working from an assumed retention period, we recommend confirming current requirements directly with JCQ or the relevant awarding body before disposing of any exam scripts.

Scanning itself is a data processing activity, so it needs to be carried out in line with your school’s data protection obligations, including appropriate security measures and a lawful basis for processing. BPMS supports this through DBS-checked personnel, a documented chain of custody, ISO 27001-certified information security management and secure destruction under certificate where required, but responsibility for overall GDPR compliance, including your retention policy, remains with your school.

Cost depends on the volume of exam papers, the condition and format of the documents, the level of indexing required and your preferred turnaround time. We provide a fixed quotation after understanding your project, so there are no hidden costs once work begins.

Where a school chooses destruction over return of originals, scripts are securely destroyed as part of our confidential destruction process, and a certificate of destruction is issued for your compliance records. This is carried out within our ISO 14001 and ISO 27001-certified management systems for document storage, imaging services and confidential destruction.

JCQ requirements can vary by qualification and exam series, so we recommend checking current JCQ guidance directly rather than relying on a general statement. BPMS is not affiliated with JCQ and does not set or interpret exam script retention requirements on a school’s behalf; our role is to scan and digitise the physical records you instruct us to.

Document digitisation is the process of converting physical documents into digital files. Optical Character Recognition (OCR) is applied during scanning to recognise text within each document, turning a scanned image into a searchable PDF that can be searched by keyword, candidate number or other reference, rather than requiring someone to open and read each file individually.

Digitising exam records reduces physical storage requirements, speeds up document retrieval, supports controlled and auditable access, and makes it easier to respond to Subject Access Requests. It also supports a school’s wider move toward a paperless office and a more structured records retention process.

Call 0333 772 1631 or email info@bp-ms.co.uk with an indication of your exam paper volumes and timescales. We will discuss your requirements and provide a fixed quotation before arranging a secure collection.