Displaying personal data on notice boards

As a rule, personal data should not be posted on a public notice board, especially if it constitutes special category data. However, the Information Commissioner’s Office accepts that publishing exam pass lists in this way is a long-standing practice and may be allowed to continue. It is important to note though that any student who objects is entitled to have their name removed from the lists.

In order to ensure compliance with the first principle of the General Data Protection Regulation we must ensure that personal data is processed fairly, lawfully and in a transparent manner. Students must therefore be informed of the means where their examination results will be made available to them and, if it involves public disclosure, given the opportunity to object and ask for an alternative means of notification.