Concerns Regarding Examination Confidentiality, Unauthorized Access, and Potential Conflict of Interest in a University Setting

In most universities the handling of exam papers, grading sheets and other assessment material is governed by internal academic‑integrity policies, data‑privacy statutes and, where applicable, national education‑law provisions that require strict confidentiality of examination content. Allowing student assistants—or any students—to enter a chairperson’s office and view unreleased exam papers after an exam is therefore a policy breach and, if the material contains personally identifiable information (students’ names, IDs, grades), it can also constitute a GDPR violation because the university would be exposing personal data without a lawful basis or adequate safeguards. Similarly, disclosing examination scores or results to anyone other than the authorised registrar, faculty member or the student themselves is an unauthorised processing of personal data and can trigger complaints to the university’s data‑protection officer and, ultimately, to the national supervisory authority, which may impose fines or corrective orders.

Sincerly,

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