SOLAR Centre Operating Guide

Your centre must have one nominated Centre SOLAR Co-ordinator. This may also be your centre’s SQA Co-ordinator. The Centre SOLAR Co-ordinator will be:

• our main point of contact for all SOLAR related communications
• responsible for maintaining access to SOLAR for any other staff within your centre who require it.
   

You must notify us if your Centre SOLAR Co-ordinator leaves your centre and nominate a replacement. Requests to change your Centre SOLAR Co-ordinator should be submitted by your centre’s SQA Co-ordinator.

Centre access

If you are an SQA-approved centre, you can request access to SOLAR. Access will be granted to your nominated Centre SOLAR Co-ordinator, who will be responsible for managing SOLAR access within your centre. 

Your Centre SOLAR Co-ordinator is responsible for managing SOLAR access within your centre. They must only grant access to additional centre users when necessary and must retire centre users who no longer require access to SOLAR or who have left your centre.

We periodically review centre SOLAR user accounts, and any accounts that have been inactive for 24 months will be retired. Retired users will no longer have access to SOLAR. If you need to reactivate a retired account, please contact our Digital Services Support Helpdesk at das.helpdesk@sqa.org.uk.

When requesting access to SOLAR, your centre can request assessments for any qualification it is approved to deliver. You can also request access to additional assessments at any time provided your centre is approved to deliver those qualifications. All access requests must be submitted by your Centre SOLAR Co-ordinator or an authorised SOLAR user at your centre.

Candidate Access

Candidates entered via SQA Connect for units in specific qualifications will be automatically created in SOLAR. This applies to the following qualifications:

• Level 2 Certificate in Introduction to the Role of the Professional Taxi and Private Hire Driver
• Certificate Introduction to the Role of the Professional Taxi and Private Hire Driver SCQF level 5
• Health and Safety in a Construction Environment Award SCQF level 4
• Street Works
   

For all other qualifications, candidates must be manually created in SOLAR before they can access the system. Only valid candidates with a Scottish Candidate Number (SCN) should be added.

Candidates access SOLAR to sit assessments, including practice assessments, and to review feedback, if provided. Access to assessments and feedback is controlled by keycodes, which are generated when scheduling each assessment or review.

The centre is responsible for managing candidate access. This includes scheduling assessments and reviews, issuing keycodes, and ensuring that only permitted candidates receive them.

Access to SOLAR is controlled and managed using role-based permissions. You will be assigned a role based on your position within the centre, either as a Centre SOLAR Co-ordinator or a Centre SOLAR User. This role determines the specific areas and function in SOLAR that you are permitted to access.

You must ensure that access to SOLAR, and the information it contains, is protected at all times. SOLAR must only be used for the purposes for which you have been granted access.

You must not:

• share your SOLAR password or security question and/or answer to anyone
• allow anyone else to use your SOLAR account
• disclose any of the information held in SOLAR to anyone unless it is specifically required as part of your role
• access the content of any live summative assessments in SOLAR unless it is specifically required as part of your role.
   

Any actual or potential breaches of SOLAR information security must be reported immediately to the Digital Assessment Services Helpdesk at das.helpdesk@sqa.org.uk.

Centre users

To create a Centre SOLAR Co-ordinator account, we require your name, email address, centre name, and centre number.

When your account is created, a username will be generated in the format InitialSurnameCentreNumber. When creating accounts for other centre users, you must use the same format for usernames.

Candidates

To create a candidate in SOLAR, you must provide the candidate’s name, SCN and date of birth. No other personal data should be entered.

For more information on how we use your personal data and that of your candidates, please refer to the SOLAR website privacy statement.

It is your responsibility to ensure that all devices, software, and internet connection being used to deliver SOLAR assessments meet the minimum system requirements.

Where candidates are using their own devices, software, and internet connection you must ensure they are aware of the minimum system requirements and that their setup meet these requirements.

The software that SOLAR runs on is periodically updated. If any updates result in changes to system requirements, we will notify you as soon as practicable.

To administer assessments on SOLAR, your devices, software, and internet connection must also meet the minimum system requirements.

Access the SOLAR system requirements.

Before using SOLAR, you must refer to the user guides and training materials available via the SOLAR website to ensure you understand how to use SOLAR effectively.

Testing and practice

Before candidates sit any SOLAR assessments, you must test that any devices, software, and internet connection are functioning correctly.

We recommend that you practise using SOLAR by using the available practice candidates to familiarise yourself with how SOLAR works and to understand the requirements and conditions of the assessment you will deliver.

Candidates should also have the opportunity to practice using SOLAR before sitting any live assessments.

Practice assessments are available in SOLAR for centre users and candidates to use for testing and familiarisation.

It is your responsibility to have contingency arrangements in place when delivering SOLAR assessments. Many SOLAR assessments are only available online via SOLAR and do not have paper-based alternatives available as a backup.

Contingency arrangements you should have in place include, but are not limited to:

• having spare devices available in case of device failure before or during a SOLAR assessment
• having a backup option in case of significant internet connection failure before or during a SOLAR assessment, such as a mobile internet connection or access to an alternative location.
   

Note: SOLAR has built-in resilience that saves progress during an assessment and can cope with short-term loss of internet connectivity.

SOLAR summative assessments are secure, confidential assessment materials, developed and quality assured by SQA and appointed subject specialists. They are valid and reliable instruments of assessment that meet the standards set out in the unit specifications.

The unit specifications detail the outcomes, knowledge and/or skills, and evidence required to achieve the unit. Some SOLAR assessments are compulsory for achieving a unit, while others are optional and available for centres to use. Where SOLAR assessment are optional, assessment support packs may also be available, or centres may choose to develop their own assessments.

Information on all the assessments available on SOLAR can be found in the List of Available Assessments on the SOLAR website.

You are responsible for scheduling assessments for your candidates in SOLAR and for ensuring that candidates are suitably prepared for sitting a SOLAR assessment.

The assessment conditions for SOLAR assessments are detailed in the relevant unit or group award specification, or assessment strategy for the qualification. You must ensure that these conditions are met, including the invigilation of candidates where required.

Guidance on managing assessment conditions can be found in the Appendix of the Qualification Verification Criteria: Guidance for Centres. The Digital Assessments section is of relevance for SOLAR assessments with assessment conditions which specify that the assessment must be invigilated or supervised.

Be aware of the condition that states assessment environments must prevent candidates from accessing applications that may be of assistance to them in answering questions/generating evidence. As SOLAR is a web-browser-based digital assessment platform, this means you must ensure that:

• the device and web browser being used for the assesssment have no extensions, plugins, or applications installed or enabled that could assist to candidates in answering questions and/or generating evidence
• candidates are unable to install or enable such tools during the assessment.
   

Extensions, plugins, and applications include generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools such as ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot and Google Gemini. See our position on generative artificial intelligence (AI) in assessments.

If candidates are completing the assessment remotely and the assessment conditions specify that invigilation or supervision is required, you must use appropriate technology to support remote invigilation. Refer to our guidance on remote assessment.

You must ensure that the condition that states that environments must prevent candidates from accessing applications that may be of assistance to them in answering questions/generating evidence is met in all assessment scenarios, including:

• in your centre using centre-provided devices
• in your centre using candidate devices
• remotely using candidate devices
• remotely using centre-provided devices.
   

General guidance on assessment can be found in our Guide to Assessment.

Assessment arrangements, also known as reasonable adjustments, provide candidates who are disabled and/or have additional support needs with appropriate support to complete assessments without compromising their integrity.

SOLAR has several accessibility features to support such candidates:

• The duration of assessments can be adjusted when scheduling assessments.
• Candidates can change the colour scheme and contrast of assessments as required.
• Candidates can zoom in and out of assessments as required.
• Assessments can be navigated using a keyboard.
• SOLAR is compatible with assistive technology applications such as JAWS, NVDA, Dragon NaturallySpeaking and Windows Magnifier.
   

If you need support implementing or using these features, please contact the contact our Digital Services Support Helpdesk.

You do not need to contact us to request approval for assessment arrangements used in internal assessments on SOLAR. However, you must

• ensure the candidate's need for the arrangement has been appropriately verified
• ensure the assessment arrangement does not compromise the reliability, validity, or integrity of the assessment
• retain a record of any assessment arrangements applied, including the reason for their use, for verification purposes.
   

For Ofqual-Regulated Qualifications, you must complete form VQ/IA, available from the JCQ website, to record any assessment arrangements applied. In SOLAR, this applies to the Level 2 Certificate in Introduction to the Role of the Professional Taxi and Private Hire Driver qualification.

Further information on assessment arrangements is available in:

• Assessment Arrangements Explained: Information for centres guide
• Guide to Reasonable Adjustments in Regulated Qualifications
• Reasonable Adjustments for SVQs and Related Qualifications guide
   

Any event outside a candidate’s control may negatively impact their performance during an assessment. These adverse impacts include, but are not limited to:

• a personal event - for example, a sudden bereavement, illness or injury shortly before or on the day of the assessment
• a physical interruption - for example, a fire alarm or other emergency evacuation during the assessment
• a technical interruption - for example, malfunciton of the device, software or internet connection during the assessment
   

Personal event

If a candidate experiences of a personal event likely to affect their performance before the assessment begins, and rescheduling is both possible and preferred, the assessment should be rescheduled to a later date.

If the personal event occurs immediately before or during the assessment, the candidate should only proceed if they feel able to. To ensure the candidate receives their full assessment time, you can pause and later resume the assessment in SOLAR. All assessment conditions must be maintained during the break in the assessment.

Physical disruptions

In the event of a fire alarm or other emergency that requires evacuation of the assessment venue, you must follow the venue's evacuation procedures. If it is safe and permitted to return to the assessment location within the remaining assessment time, candidates should be asked to resume and complete the assessment, where possible. Assessment conditions must be maintained during the interruption in the assessment, where possible.

Technical interruptions

If a device, software, or internet connection malfunctions and disrupts an assessment, you must attempt to rectify the issue as soon as possible to allow the assessment to continue. If additional support is required, contact the Digital Services Support Helpdesk.

If the issue is resolved in a reasonable timeframe, candidates should be asked to complete the assessment, where possible. When the connection to SOLAR is lost, the assessment timer will pause and resume once the connection is restored. Candidates will not lose any allocated assessment time unless the scheduled assessment window ends during the interruption. Assessment conditions must be maintained during any interruption, where possible.

Following the assessment - regardless of whether the candidate completed it fully or partially - if the candidate believes their performance was adversely impacted by a personal issue or any tecnical interruption, and they did not achieve the result they had hoped for, you may wish to reschedule the assessment to a later date to allow them to re-sit it. Evidence of the personal issue or technical interruption must be retained as per our published evidence retention requirements.

If the assessment is part of the Certificate in Introduction to the Role of the Professional Taxi and Private Hire Driver at SCQF level 5 or the Level 2 Certificate in Introduction to the Role of the Professional Taxi and Private Hire Driver qualification, special consideration must be applied if the candidate wishes to re-sit the assessment due to an adverse impact on their performance. Refer to the Appendix: Special consideration for further details.

SOLAR assessments may be fully automatically marked, partially automatically marked and partially human marked, or fully human marked. Any assessments that are partially or fully human marked must be marked by your centre.

You may choose to carry out internal verification on any human-marked assessments completed by your centre. It is also possible to review and verify automatically marked assessments, if required.

Marking and internal verification must be completed, and scripts submitted, within 60 days of the assessment being completed. SOLAR will automatically void any human-marked assessments that are not marked and submitted within 90 days of the assessment being completed. After this point, the assessment will no longer be accessible, and the candidate will not receive a result.

Under Condition 4.4 of our Qualification Verification Criteria: Guidance for Centres assessment evidence must be produced by the candidate themselves and generated under SQA’s required conditions. 

Some SOLAR assessments are completed over an extended period, with minimal supervision, limited control, or open-book conditions. With the increasing availability of generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools - such as ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, and Google Gemini - which can quickly produce human-like text, it is important that centres take appropriate steps to authenticate candidates' work.

For further informaton, plesase refer to our position on generative artificial intelligence (AI) in assessments and authenticating learners' work: good practice advice for centre staff.

If a candidate does not pass a SOLAR assessment, re-assessment may be possible. Some qualifications have specific conditions for re-assessment, and you must ensure these are followed.

When re-assessment is carried out throught SOLAR, you are responsible for scheduling the assessment at an appropriate time following the original attempt and only after appropriate remediation has taken place. Candidates may be directed to feedback from their initial assessment in SOLAR to help identify areas where further learning is required.

When re-assessing candidates, you must not give them the same assessment repeatedly. In some cases, re-assessment may not be available through SOLAR.

Further guidance on re-assessment is available in our Guide to Assessment.

For certain qualifications, assessment results are automatically transferred to SQA’s main database. This applies to the following qualifications:

• Level 2 Certificate in Introduction to the Role of the Professional Taxi and Private Hire Driver
• Certificate Introduction to the Role of the Professional Taxi and Private Hire Driver SCQF level 5
• Street Works (Reassessed units only)
   

For all other qualifications, where a SOLAR assessment is a component of the qualification the candidate is entered for, you must submit the result to SQA through the normal resulting process. It is your responsibility to ensure that the result recorded in SOLAR is submitted accurately, either on its own or in combination with other assessment components required for that unit.

Results should only be submitted after any necessary internal verification or re-sits have been completed. Results must be submitted to SQA as soon as possible once the result has been achieved and internally verified in SOLAR.

SOLAR assessments may be subject to external verification. External verifiers will be given access to your centre’s schedule of assessments, invigilation arrangements, results, and all completed candidate assessments in SOLAR for a specified period, for the qualification being verified.

For assistance with using SOLAR, contact the Digital Assessment Services Helpdesk. The helpdesk is available Monday to Friday, from 9am to 5pm.

Contact details:

• Complete the Digital Assessment Services Support Form.
• Email: das.helpdesk@sqa.org.uk
   

Find SOLAR information, guidance, and updates - and access the SOLAR system - via our website at: https://www.sqasolar.org.uk.

This applies only to the following qualifications:

• Certificate in Introduction to the Role of the Professional Taxi and Private Hire Driver at SCQF level 5
• Level 2 Certificate in Introduction to the Role of the Professional Taxi and Private Hire Driver
   

Special consideration may be applied when an event out with a candidate’s control has actually or potentially affected their performance in an assessment. If applying special consideration, you may reschedule the assessment to allow the candidate to re-sit it.

You must notify SQA as soon as possible, and no later than 10 working days after the scheduled assessment date, if you are applying special consideration. Your notification you must include:

• your centre name and centre number
• the name of the affected assessment
• the date and time the affected assessment was scheduled
• the name(s) and Scottish Candidate Number(s) of the affected candidate(s)
• details of the personal event, physical, or technical interruption that affected the candidate(s)
   

Notifications should be emailed to the Higher National and Vocational Qualifications (HNVQ) team at operationshnvq@sqa.org.uk with the subject line Notification of special consideration.

You must retain evidence of the personal event or interruption in accordance with our published evidence retention requirements.