External-exam officers and school administrators

Exam management & returns

Before you start: Have the exam body’s current requirements, centre number, candidate information, subjects and fee schedule ready. Check external submission requirements with that body.

Open Exam management & returns

Actions depend on your school’s enabled modules, your permissions and the record’s current status.

Find your way around

Entry cycles · Ministry returns. Select these tabs inside the module; scroll the tab row sideways on a phone.

Exam management & returns module heading and available primary action in ZivoERP — Actual local ZivoERP interface, 14 September 2026. Navigation overview cropped to the module header; school records are outside the image. Select the image to enlarge it.

1. Create an external registration cycle

Open Entry cycles and create a cycle.
Choose the exam body, level, sitting, year and centre number.
Enter per-subject or per-entry fees and subject limits as applicable.
Save and select Open registration.
Review the subject codes and names before adding candidates.

What to check: The external cycle is open for candidate registration.

2. Register and validate candidates

Open the cycle’s Candidates tab and add a class or individual learners.
Review each candidate’s identity, candidate number and subject choices.
Run validation and inspect every reported issue.
Correct missing numbers, subject mismatches or other flagged data and validate again.
Use the approval action after the list is clean and reviewed.

What to check: The candidate list is validated and approved for the next stage.

3. Raise fees and submit the export

Open Fees and review the amounts implied by approved entries.
Raise invoices and verify the resulting learner charges.
Open Export and review the submission details.
Select Submit and generate file when authorised, then download and inspect the output.
Submit the file to the exam body through its required external process.

What to check: ZivoERP records submission/export. Generating a file does not itself prove acceptance by the exam body.

4. Import results and complete returns

Open Results and use the supplied import format; review candidate and subject matching before saving.
Check the results and statistics and verify a sample of learner academic records.
Close cycle when registration and results work is complete.
For a ministry return, open Ministry returns, choose the return and year, and provide the requested supplementary information.
Generate and inspect the return; after external submission, record its reference with Mark as submitted.

What to check: Results and returns are recorded with the school’s external submission reference where applicable.

Exam management & returns

Before you start: Have the exam body’s current requirements, centre number, candidate information, subjects and fee schedule ready. Check external submission requirements with that body.

Open Exam management & returns

Actions depend on your school’s enabled modules, your permissions and the record’s current status.

1. Create an external registration cycle

Open Entry cycles and create a cycle.

Choose the exam body, level, sitting, year and centre number.

Enter per-subject or per-entry fees and subject limits as applicable.

Save and select Open registration.

Review the subject codes and names before adding candidates.

What to check: The external cycle is open for candidate registration.

2. Register and validate candidates

Open the cycle’s Candidates tab and add a class or individual learners.

Review each candidate’s identity, candidate number and subject choices.

Run validation and inspect every reported issue.

Correct missing numbers, subject mismatches or other flagged data and validate again.

Use the approval action after the list is clean and reviewed.

What to check: The candidate list is validated and approved for the next stage.

3. Raise fees and submit the export

Open Fees and review the amounts implied by approved entries.

Raise invoices and verify the resulting learner charges.

Open Export and review the submission details.

Select Submit and generate file when authorised, then download and inspect the output.

Submit the file to the exam body through its required external process.

What to check: ZivoERP records submission/export. Generating a file does not itself prove acceptance by the exam body.

4. Import results and complete returns

Open Results and use the supplied import format; review candidate and subject matching before saving.

Check the results and statistics and verify a sample of learner academic records.

Close cycle when registration and results work is complete.

For a ministry return, open Ministry returns, choose the return and year, and provide the requested supplementary information.

Generate and inspect the return; after external submission, record its reference with Mark as submitted.

What to check: Results and returns are recorded with the school’s external submission reference where applicable.