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Reading Blue Coat School
GCSE, AS and A2 Public Exams
Examinations Handbook 2015
Examinations Handbook 2015
Contents
Introduction
Who is responsible for the exams?
What are the arrangements for study leave?
What information have candidates received about their exam entries?
Where will the exams be held?
How do I know the date of each exam?
At what times do the exam sessions begin?
What happens if a candidate has more than one exam at the same time?
How are candidates supervised?
What happens if a candidate cannot find his/her place in the exam room?
What happens if a candidate is late?
What should candidates bring to the exams?
What should candidates not bring with them?
May candidates bring a drink?
What are the regulations regarding mobile phones?
What is meant by malpractice?
What happens if a candidate does not turn up for an exam?
How are exams started?
What standards of behaviour are expected during exams?
What should candidates wear for exams?
What do I do if my son/daughter is unwell at the time of one of the exams?
What do candidates do when they finish early?
What do I need to do if a candidate has problems that may affect his/her exam
performance?
How can parents best support their son/daughter during the exam period?
When and how are the results distributed?
What can I do if results are substantially different from what is anticipated?
How do I go about obtaining copies of marked exam scripts?
How do candidates apply to re-sit?
How should fees be paid?
When do candidates receive certificates?
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Examinations Handbook 2015
Introduction
Public exams can be a stressful time for candidates and parents and it is important that all
those involved are as well-informed as possible. The rules and regulations that are in place
are designed to ensure fairness and minimise disturbance, as it is in the interest of all that
the exams run smoothly.
The School will make every effort to ensure that candidates receive the best possible
preparation for their exams, that the administrative arrangements run smoothly and that
the exams are conducted to help candidates achieve their best.
This booklet is intended to provide information about the exam procedures, to answer
some of the most frequently asked questions and to help guide and support candidates
and parents through the exam process.
It also contains the formal notices that we are required by regulation to give to each
candidate.
If you have any questions please feel free to make enquiries via the Exams Office. You can
contact Mrs Blackwell in the Exams Office by telephone on 0118 933 5818 or by email to
[email protected].
On exam days, it is best to contact the main school reception on 0118 944 1005 and leave
a message, with the nature of your query, since the main priority will be the starting of exam
sessions on time.
Who is responsible for the exams?
Mrs Blackwell, the Examinations Officer, is responsible for administering all public exam
arrangements and for overseeing candidates during exams. The Headmaster is the Head
of Centre. There is a team of adult invigilators who will be present during the exams at all
times and who are directed by Mrs Blackwell.
The Awarding Bodies or examination boards set down strict criteria which must be followed
for the conduct of exams and the school is required to follow these precisely.
What are the arrangements for study leave?
In 2015, study leave begins for candidates on the following days:
Year 11
Year 12
Year 13
Friday 8th May 4.10pm
Friday 8th May 4.10pm
Thursday 21st May 11.00am
During the exam period, pupils do not attend lessons but are expected to fulfil any school
commitments. For exams which occur before study leave commences, candidates may
have the morning off to revise for an afternoon exam but no study leave is granted for a
morning exam. During study leave, candidates may study in school should they wish to or
they may seek help from their teachers at a mutually agreed time.
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Year 12 students will return to school on Tuesday 9th June.
Years 11 pupils will be required to attend school on Friday 19th June at 10.30am to return
their textbooks in the Sports Hall. Information about the book return will be sent out nearer
the time.
What information have candidates received about their exam entries?
All candidates have received a Candidate Entry Summary, detailing the subjects and tiers
for which they been entered. They have also been given an individual timetable, showing
the subjects entered and giving the dates of the exams. These should have been checked
and kept safely by the candidate, as they are evidence that an entry has been made.
They should be brought by the candidate to each exam as an additional check on papers
entered, tiers of entry, candidate number etc. The document should not be written on.
Sometimes candidates will receive updated timetables if the entries made for them
change.
Where will the exams be held?
Candidates will be advised where each exam will be located. Most will take place in the
Sports Hall and Way Hall. Candidates are asked to be there ten minutes before the
advertised start time to enable seating procedures to be carried out efficiently and to
allow for any unforeseen room changes. They are asked to wait quietly outside the room
until invited to enter. Where a candidate sits will be determined by their candidate number,
which appears on all individual timetables. The candidate will sit at the desk bearing a
card with their candidate number. This arrangement follows exam board rules and the
School cannot change it.
How do I know the date of each exam?
The main period for exams is from the start of May until the end of June/early July. Some
oral exams and practical exams will take place earlier. All candidates have received
individual entry statements from the exam boards, which also give them the dates and
sessions (am or pm) of the papers they are taking. It is helpful if parents make sure a copy
of this timetable is available to them at home.
At what times do the exam sessions begin?
The exam boards dictate the permissible start times for exams. Candidates are asked to
report no later than 8.50am for morning exams and 1.20pm for afternoon exams. The length
of exam papers varies and they will sometimes not finish until after school has finished.
Candidates and parents should be aware of this and make appropriate arrangements for
getting home.
Candidates will not be allowed out of an exam early for any reason, other than
emergencies, to avoid disruption to other candidates.
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Some candidates may also receive an allowance of extra time for the exams and so their
finishing times will be even later. Timings for some papers may deviate from this pattern and
the candidates will be made aware of this. It is the candidate’s responsibility to be aware
of the start time of each exam. Parents should be aware that candidates sometimes
confuse am and pm sessions. Please ensure your son/daughter checks his/her exam
commitments for each day on the previous evening.
What happens if a candidate has more than one exam at the same time?
If a candidate is timetabled to sit two or more exams at the same time, this is known as a
‘clash’. If, however, these are for the same subject, this is intentional on the part of the
exam board and the exams are meant to run one after the other. If not, then the
candidate must immediately notify Mrs Blackwell, who can grant permission for one of the
papers to be taken at a different time on the same day. The candidate will have to remain
under supervision between the two papers. In rare cases, it may be necessary for a paper
to be done the next day and it is a requirement that the candidate is supervised overnight
This is essential to avoid compromising the integrity of the exam and needs to be organised
well in advance through the Exams Office.
If an exam is delayed from a morning to an afternoon session, the candidate will be
supervised over lunchtime. They should bring some revision or reading material, their lunch
and a drink. Even attempting to communicate with another candidate will invariably result
in disqualification and the loss of all relevant exams for all of the candidates involved.
How are candidates supervised?
Adult external invigilators and teaching staff will supervise candidates under the direct
management of Mrs Blackwell. Once candidates enter the exam room, they must remain
supervised and follow the invigilators’ instructions at all times. The invigilators are
experienced in exam procedures and subject to strict regulation, references and police
checks. They usually work in teams and can contact Mrs Blackwell by mobile phone to
resolve any issues.
The invigilators call candidates in by candidate number or subject group. In some sessions,
papers will be on exam desks: these must not be opened until candidates are advised to
do so.
What happens if a candidate cannot find his/her place in the exam room?
Occasionally, problems arise because a candidate’s number card is not where he/she
thinks it should be. There are a number of possible reasons for this. Your son/daughter will be
asked to wait at the front for a few moments whilst the invigilator checks the entry and sorts
the problem out with Mrs Blackwell. Every effort is made to keep these problems to a
minimum and they will not prejudice any candidate’s chance of taking an exam for which
he/she has been entered. It is helpful if the candidate has his/her statements of entry with
him/her – these must not be written on.
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What happens if a candidate is late?
If a candidate is going to be late for an exam – e.g. problems with transport – the School
must be notified immediately and a message sent to Mrs Blackwell. For arrivals later than
thirty minutes after the published starting time, the exam board will decide whether to
accept the candidate’s script, having considered whether the security of the exam might
have been breached. Candidates who arrive after the scheduled finishing time are not
allowed to sit the exam.
What should candidates bring to the exams?
Candidates should bring writing equipment, coloured pencils, erasers etc in a transparent
plastic bag or pencil case. Non-transparent pencil boxes or cases will not be permitted in
the exam room.
Only black ink may be used.
Some subject papers will require the use of dictionaries or set texts, and candidates will be
advised by their subject teachers.
Many exams require the use of rulers, pencils, calculators, pairs of compasses and
protractors.
Calculators are sometimes required in subjects other than Mathematics. However, some
subject papers, including some papers in Mathematics, explicitly prohibit the use of
calculators. Candidates must therefore not bring a calculator into the exams room in these
circumstances. Also calculators with any of the following facilities are prohibited:
• data banks
• dictionaries
• language translators
• retrieval of text or formulae
• QWERTY keyboards
• built-in symbolic algebra manipulations
• symbolic differentiation or integration
• capability of remote communication with other machines
The use, or attempted use, of any such calculators will be regarded as malpractice and
the candidate may be disqualified.
Calculators with graphic displays and programmable calculators are permitted if
information and/or programs stored in the calculator’s memory are cleared before the
exam. Retrieval of information and/or programs during the exam is an infringement of the
regulations. Candidates are responsible for clearing any information and/or program
before the exam.
Candidates are responsible for ensuring that they bring everything they need to the exam.
They should bring their individual timetable to every exam.
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What should candidates not bring with them?
Some items are strictly banned from exam rooms and should not be brought into the exam
room under any circumstances. The exam boards treat mere possession of these items as
an infringement:
• Mobile phones.
• MP3, iPod or CD players, unless permitted for individual language exams.
• For non-calculator Mathematics papers, please do not bring calculators into the room.
Calculator cases should not be brought into the exam room at all.
These items can be handed to an invigilator before the start of an exam but the school
cannot be responsible for the security of these while the exam is in progress.
The use of Tippex or correction pens is not permitted. Candidates should cross through work
they do not wish to be marked.
Notes, papers and textbooks etc are only allowed in certain exams and candidates will be
informed by the subject teachers in advance.
Candidates should not bring lucky mascots etc. into the exam room.
No food items or chewing gum are allowed.
May candidates bring a drink?
Candidates may bring no more than 500ml of still water with them into the exam room. This
must be in a sports cap bottle. No fizzy drinks, cans or pouches will be allowed due to the
risk of spillage. Drinking too much may cause an issue since candidates may not be
allowed to use toilet facilities during short exams due to issues of supervision.
What are the regulations regarding mobile phones?
The regulations state that mobile phones are not to be brought into exam rooms under any
circumstances. They cause disturbance to other candidates if they ring and can present
opportunities for malpractice. Any candidate found to have a phone in the exam room
even if switched off will be reported to the appropriate exam board for malpractice.
Should this happen they are likely to be disqualified from that paper and possibly from the
whole exam in that subject. It is a very serious offence.
What is meant by malpractice?
Malpractice is the term that the exam boards use for any irregularity or breach of the
regulations of any form. Mrs Blackwell is required to report all infringements to the
appropriate body and they will decide on what action to take based on the nature of the
infringement. There is a tariff system of actions and some infringements carry automatic loss
of marks as a minimum penalty. The exam boards take the integrity of exams very seriously
and it is important that candidates heed Mrs Blackwell’s instructions at all times.
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What happens if a candidate does not turn up for an exam?
Candidates who are absent from any exam without presenting a doctor’s note or a
satisfactory reason for a request for special consideration will receive a grade based only
on those elements of the exams which have been marked.
How are exams started?
Mrs Blackwell will usually announce the start of the exam formally and candidates are
cautioned that they are subject to the regulations. Any instructions or exam board notices,
changes to papers etc will be read out and the candidates asked to complete their details
on the answer papers.
What standards of behaviour are expected during exams?
All candidates are given a copy of ‘Information for Candidates’ produced by the exam
boards, which gives general guidelines for conduct. A copy of this is included at the back
of this booklet.
The School and the exam boards regard breaches of exam regulations very seriously.
Parents should impress on their son/daughter the importance of good behaviour in an
exam, as any activities that may disturb or upset other candidates will not be tolerated and
may result in disqualification.
Before the exam, candidates are asked to wait quietly outside the exam venue and to
enter and leave in silence. This avoids disturbance to other candidates and does help to
maintain a calm atmosphere for those candidates who are nervous about their exams.
Candidates who try to communicate with other candidates within the exams room will be
asked to leave, and the circumstances will be reported to the exam board. This may result
in the candidate not receiving a grade for the whole of that exam.
What should candidates wear for exams?
Exams are a school activity and candidates’ dress and appearance must accord with
normal school expectations. We ask for the co-operation of parents in ensuring that
candidates are correctly dressed as we wish to avoid causing stress to candidates in the
exam room. All candidates know what is expected of them and it is their responsibility to
ensure they observe the guidance. Candidates whose appearance and dress is
inappropriate will not be admitted to the exams room.
Items of jewellery, such as rings or bracelets, should not be worn as they make a noise on
the desk and would be deemed a disruption to other candidates; likewise, keys or jewellery
around necks.
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What do I do if my son/daughter is unwell at the time of one of the exams?
If your son/daughter has any illness or injury, this information should be passed immediately
to the School Nurse. Candidates who are ill on arrival to school or feel ill during the school
day should see the School Nurse. Sometimes a note from the School Nurse will suffice as
medical evidence but usually the candidate will have to see their doctor.
Even if you would not normally visit your doctor’s surgery for minor illnesses, it is important
that you do so at exam time. Your doctor will advise as to whether your son/daughter is fit
to sit the exam. If the candidate takes the paper, your doctor should give you a letter,
which the school can forward to the exam board asking for special consideration on the
grounds of illness. If the candidate is unable through illness to sit a paper, the exam board
may, after examining the doctor’s letter and any evidence of performance on other
papers, decide to award a grade.
It is unlikely that an AS grade will be awarded if a module is missed, as the candidate will
be expected to re-take it the following summer. It is essential that you see your doctor prior
to or on the day of the exam. Retrospective information is not accepted by the exam
boards and any doctors’ letters must be forwarded to Mrs Blackwell without delay, as there
is a tight deadline.
Please telephone Mrs Blackwell if your son/daughter will not be attending an exam or if
he/she will be present but is unwell. It is helpful for the invigilator to be aware that a
candidate is not feeling well.
Please be aware that any medical certificate must contain the date(s) when the
candidate was ill. Otherwise, we cannot guarantee that all relevant exams will be covered.
What do candidates do when they finish early?
Candidates should use all of the available time on their exams and spend any time at the
end checking their answers. They are not permitted to leave before the exam comes to an
end. They must sit quietly at their desk so as not to disturb other candidates.
What do I need to do if a candidate has problems that may affect his/her exam
performance?
Any illness, or family circumstances, which may affect exam performance, arising shortly
before or during the exams, should be notified immediately to Mrs Blackwell so that an
application for special consideration can be made to the exam boards. Parents should be
aware that any adjustment is likely to be small and that no feedback is ever provided.
How can parent’s best support their son/daughter during the exam period?
Exams are inevitably a stressful time for some candidates and support from both school
and parents can be helpful. The School will provide advice about revision programmes and
exam techniques and, if this is followed, it should not be necessary for any candidate to
work abnormally long hours during the revision period.
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It is probably helpful to discuss with your son/daughter how he/she intends to organise
revision and to talk through any anxieties about particular techniques or subject matter.
Testing knowledge of factual material can benefit the candidate if such help is requested,
but often all that is needed is a quiet place to work and lots of encouragement.
Candidates should get plenty of sleep and opportunities for relaxation.
When and how are the results distributed?
A level
AS level
GCSE
Thursday 13th August from 8.00am
Thursday 13th August from 9.00am
Thursday 20th August from 9.00am
Results are distributed in the Buttery. Candidates wishing for a relative or friend to collect
their results must send a signed letter of authorisation with the collector. Results will not be
given over the telephone under any circumstances, unless a prior arrangement has been
made with Mrs Blackwell.
Any results which have not been collected by 1.00pm on the day of the results will be
posted. Prior arrangements must be made with Mrs Blackwell if you require the results to be
posted to an address other than that which is on our database.
What can I do if results are substantially different from what is anticipated?
It must be remembered that exams can only measure performance on the day, and that
candidates can do better or worse than anticipated for a variety of reasons. If there are
serious grounds for concern about a result, then the School can initiate an enquiry with the
appropriate exam board.
Details of the procedures and the fees involved are available from Mrs Blackwell and will
be enclosed with the results. The process should be started as soon as possible after
consultation with the Head of Department concerned; normally this should be done at the
earliest opportunity at the beginning of term (there will be a chance to discuss results with
all Heads of Department at 4.00pm on Monday 7th September in the Sports Hall). The final
date for submission of enquiries about results to the exam board is 20th September.
If the results have serious implications for the candidate’s future plans e.g. university
placement, then an emergency application for a re-mark should be made. There will be
senior staff available to discuss any post-results issues in the days after the results come out
and parents will be notified for the arrangements for this in August.
How do I arrange the return of marked exam scripts?
It is currently possible to have access to marked scripts for most AS/A2 modules and some
GCSE subjects. You will need to complete an ESR1 Form from the school and pay a fee for
each subject/paper. Again, a copy of this form will be enclosed with the results. Returned
scripts may not appear until after half term. A2 candidates may request access to their
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scripts prior to deciding whether to ask the school to lodge an enquiry about results. This
must be done within one week of receiving the results.
How do candidates apply to re-sit?
It will be possible for A level candidates to re-sit modules in May/June 2016, with the higher
mark counting towards the A level grade. Requests to re-sit AS modules must be made via
subject department at the start of the Spring Term. Candidates should discuss their decision
to re-sit with their tutor and their subject teachers.
How should fees be paid?
The cost of all exam entries will be charged to your school account. Fees for post results
services are payable at the time of the request.
When do candidates receive certificates?
The exam boards issue certificates well after the exams have taken place. The school
distributes GCSE and AS certificates to candidates at school. A level certificates are posted
Recorded Delivery. A friend or family member may collect them but only if bearing a letter
of request signed by the candidate and some form of identification.
Certificates uncollected after one year may be destroyed; they can only be replaced by
direct application to the exam boards by the candidate, and will require proof of identity
such as an original birth certificate and a substantial fee per certificate (about £50 each).
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