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At Oxford, the exams department covers three functions and has a dedicated building for these purposes: the rooms are used during term-time as the university's central lecture facility; during appropriate periods exams take over room use; and out of term, we act as as conference/meeting venue. Our alarm system has two stages, similar to the two-stage alarm cited by Robin Walker, but with the added advantage that the first stage is also "behind-the-scenes" (our occupancy being almost entirely "customers" means that an "invisible" first stage is vital); we also have two "modes". During most of the year (lecture use, conference use) the alarm system is kept in "normal mode", so that the first stage is the triggering of buzzers and lights in my office, at reception and at other relevant staff offices and at the site of the activated alarm/detector. The first stage is thus only known to staff and not to occupants of the building. At these signals, investigation is undertaken and the second stage of notifying occupants by klaxon of the need to evacuate is ordered only for a proven emergency. For the exam period, we switch the system to "exam mode", in which the first stage buzzers and lights happen only in my office and at reception, so that there is no disturbance at or near exam rooms unless absolutely necessary. The second stage of investigation and alerting by klaxon would happen as above if necessary. Clearly the two stages reduce problem situations, as evacuations are minimised; but an additional plus of our system is that there is (apparently) no alert in response to a malicious act, so perpetrators are discouraged through lack of Pavlovian reward! Were an exam to be abondoned due to an evacuation it would be dealt with under our Regulations entitled "illness or other urgent cause affecting examinations" under which a "suitable strategy" is identified. These are usually invoked by a college for one (sick) student, but in such a case it would have to be by me, for up to 1150 students (ie the whole building!) and I cannot cite an example of an approach, as it has not yet happened (I am of course touching wood as I write, in an attempt to avoid uttering famous last words...). I hope this information is useful. Catherine Hogan Assistant Registrar & Clerk of the Schools Examination Schools University of Oxford High Street Oxford OX1 4BG E-mail: [log in to unmask] Tel: +44 (0)1865 276900 Fax: +44 (0)1865 276904 ====================================================================