What relationship (if any) is there between the UPN and the exam boards UCI (unique candidate identifier)?
The Department had discussions with the exam boards at an early stage, and both strongly supported in principle the idea of the UPN and UCI being one and the same number. In the event that is not possible at this stage because the coverage of the UPN (ie. maintained schools in England) is insufficient for the exam boards purposes – due in turn largely to our agreement with the Data Protection Registrar that the UPN lapses when the pupil leaves school. The exam boards have many candidates from independent schools, further education colleges, adult education centres, overseas institutions, etc, and the UCI needs to be able to cover all of these, and indeed to be a lifelong number since people can continue to take exams at any age. The Registrar has indicated that a lifelong equivalent of the UPN would raise far more serious data protection issues, and require very careful consideration. Nonetheless we hope to make progress in that direction, and to re-open discussions with the exam board
