MAIDEN ERLEGH SCHOOL A Guide to Public Examinations for Students and Parents Issue date: October 2017 This guide contains information that students and parents need to know for all public examinations. Examination times are very important times in your life at Maiden Erlegh School. The public examinations that you will be taking over the next few years will influence what you do in the future, so it is vital that they run as smoothly as possible. It is our aim that you and every other student in the school are given the same, fair opportunity to complete your examinations to the best of your ability. There are a number of rules and regulations for examinations about which you must be aware, mostly set by the examination boards not by the school. If you do not stick to these rules then you run the risk of being disqualified from your examinations, so please make sure that you read through the following information carefully. If there is anything that you do not understand then ask Mr Godfrey, Examinations Officer, your head of year or Mr Gillett, Assistant Headteacher, who will explain. MOST IMPORTANTLY, DO NOT LOSE THIS BOOKLET Parents should contact your head of year in the first instance, if they have any queries regarding the public examinations.
1. EXAMINATIONS INFORMATION FOR CANDIDATES It is YOUR RESPONSIBILITY to read and understand the examination boards Information for Candidates which is attached to this booklet and posted on the examinations page of our website along with other important documents. A larger copy of the information will be displayed outside most examination rooms. 2. CANDIDATE EXAMINATION NUMBER You have been given a 4-figure examination number that refers only to you and will stay with you throughout your examination life at Maiden Erlegh School. You will need to remember this number as you will write it on all your examination papers. In most examinations you will be seated in numerical order within your subject. When you enter the examination room you must always ensure that you sit at the correct desk as stated on your candidate timetable or on the relevant examination seating plan displayed outside reception. 3. PERSONAL TIMETABLES When you receive your examinations statement of entry and later your individual candidate timetable you must check them very carefully. If there are ANY mistakes (e.g. name, date of birth, examination entry etc.) you MUST inform the examinations officer immediately. Mistakes that are not spotted at this stage could mean that your examination certificate is incorrectly printed later. Check each examination date carefully and check to see if the examination is in the morning or the afternoon. If there is an examination on the list that you were not expecting to take (e.g. if you know you have dropped a subject or been withdrawn from an examination) you MUST inform the examinations officer immediately. Your candidate timetable will also show your exam room and seat assignment for each exam. YOU ALONE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR CHECKING YOUR EXAMINATION STATEMENT OF ENTRY AND TIMETABLE. IF YOU LOSE YOUR TIMETABLE, ASK YOUR HEAD OF YEAR FOR A NEW ONE. Please note: it would be worthwhile making copies of your timetable to keep safely at home. 4. ROOMS AND SEATING PLANS Examination rooms seating plans will be displayed in the windows by Reception before each morning and afternoon examination sitting. 2017-18 Examinations Guide for Students and Parents - v1 Page 2 of 10
5. LOCATION OF EXAMINATIONS Most examinations will take place in the sports hall, gym or main hall. During busy examination times, however, you may have to sit examinations in other venues. Your individual candidate timetable will show the location of each of your exams. Unless your examination is in the sixth form block, all candidates should assemble under the Covered Way no later than 15 minutes prior to the start time of the examination. Candidates whose examination is in the sixth form block should assemble outside that block no later than 15 minutes before the start time of the examination. You will be told when you are allowed to enter the examination room and you MUST sit at the desk that is assigned to you unless the invigilator instructs otherwise. IF YOU DO NOT SIT IN THE CORRECT SEAT YOU COULD BE MARKED ABSENT. You are NOT allowed to enter the examination room before the examination time under any circumstances. 6. EXAMINATION TIMES AND LATENESS Unless otherwise stated on your examination timetable or clash instructions, all examinations at Maiden Erlegh School start at 9.00am for morning papers and 1.00pm for afternoon papers. We sometimes start examinations a few minutes earlier than this hence the importance of assembling on time as stated above. If you will be late arriving to an examination please telephone the school (0118 9262467) so that the examination team can be made aware and know your estimated time of arrival. On arrival you should report to the exams officer. If the exams officer allows you to sit the examination, you must remember that the examination board may still decide not to accept your answer paper. 7. CLASHES If you notice on your candidate timetable that you have a clash of examinations, arrangements will have been made for you to take these papers one after the other in the same examination sitting or at another time during the same day. If the latter is arranged and there will be a break between your exam sessions, an invigilator will supervise you and you will be in quarantine. This may involve being escorted to another room. You will be informed in advance if you have any quarantine time and of any special arrangements that have been made. 2017-18 Examinations Guide for Students and Parents - v1 Page 3 of 10
8. QUARANTINE If you are required to go into quarantine over the lunch break, you must bring a packed lunch and a drink with you, as you will not be allowed to use the canteen. Mobile phones, ipods, MP3/4 players, pagers, smart watches, or any electronic communication devices are not allowed into any quarantine room. You will be notified in advance of any quarantine arrangements. While in quarantine you will be escorted and supervised at all times. Once in the quarantine room you may revise for your next examination or talk quietly. Please be respectful to your supervisor and be sure to leave the room clean and tidy. 9. ABSENCE FROM EXAMINATIONS You must attend all examinations that are allocated to you on your statement of entry and your individual candidate timetable. Misreading the timetable will not be accepted as a satisfactory explanation for absence. If you will be absent from an examination you must telephone the school (0118 9262467) as soon as possible on the morning of the examination. If you are ill, to avoid charges for missed exams, you must also send a medical certificate from a GP to the examinations officer within three days of the missed examination or, if you missed several due the same illness, within three days of the last examination you missed. Please also read the section on Special Consideration. 10. EMERGENCY EVACUATION PROCEDURE If an alarm sounds students will be notified by the invigilator whether evacuation is necessary or not. Students should not stop writing unless told to do so by the invigilator. Should it be necessary to vacate the examination room, students must: Leave all examination materials and belongings Leave the examination room as directed by the invigilator in an orderly manner and in silence. Not communicate with any other students at all Not go to their normal assembly point, but remain as a single examination group on the astroturf or other assembly point as instructed by the invigilator. 11. BAGS, BOOKS, NOTES AND VALUABLES You are not allowed to keep any bags, books or notes with you, or on the floor next to you, at your examination desk. If your examinations are during normal school times, then bags etc. should be placed at the front of the examination room or where directed by the invigilator. If you are off-timetable for examinations, then bags should be left at home. 2017-18 Examinations Guide for Students and Parents - v1 Page 4 of 10
Please do not bring valuables with you when you come into school for an examination. Under no circumstances should you leave any money or valuables (including keys) unattended in your bag. IF YOU DO SO, IT IS AT YOUR OWN RISK. MAIDEN ERLEGH SCHOOL CAN ACCEPT NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR VALUABLE ITEMS THAT ARE LEFT IN BAGS. 12. MOBILE PHONES, PAGERS, SMART WATCHES ETC. Mobile phones, pagers, organisers, music players, headphones, stop-watches, smart watches, Fitbits or any type of electronic communication or storage device are not allowed in examination rooms at any time. The examination boards do not allow you to bring any of these items into any examination room or into any room being used for quarantine. You are strongly advised not to bring any such devices with you to school when you have an examination as Maiden Erlegh School will not take any responsibility if they are lost/damaged or stolen. IF A MOBILE PHONE, PAGER, SMART WATCH OR OTHER ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATION DEVICE IS FOUND IN YOUR POSSESSION (INCLUDING ON THE FLOOR NEXT TO YOU) DURING AN EXAMINATION OR DURING QUARANTINE, THE DEVICE WILL BE TAKEN FROM YOU AND A REPORT MADE TO THE APPROPRIATE EXAMINATION BOARD. NO EXCEPTIONS WILL BE MADE. THE MINIMUM PENALTIES IMPOSED BY THE EXAMINATION BOARDS FOR POSSESSION OF SUCH ITEMS ARE AS FOLLOWS (WITHOUT EXCEPTION): Device found on you and turned ON: disqualification from entire subject award Device found on you and turned OFF: disqualification from that component 13. EQUIPMENT You must provide all your own equipment. Borrowing equipment from other candidates during an exam is NOT allowed under any circumstances; please do not ask invigilators if you may borrow items from them. The only equipment which will be provided by the school immediately before the start of the relevant exams are permitted texts, art equipment, or equipment provided for Access Arrangements. Ordinary pencil cases or boxes are not allowed in the examination room. You should bring your equipment in a clear plastic bag or transparent pencil case. This is so that the contents are clearly visible. Students must not take geometry set tins into the examination rooms. This 2017-18 Examinations Guide for Students and Parents - v1 Page 5 of 10
equipment must be carried inside your transparent pencil case or plastic bag, not in the opaque tin. The following equipment should be brought to EVERY examination: 2 pens black only 2 HB pencils Ruler (marked with millimetres) Pencil sharpener (preferably one which catches the shavings) Eraser For certain examinations you will also need the following: Compass Protractor Calculator Coloured pencils or crayons Dictionaries may not be used in examinations unless they are specifically permitted by the subject specification (your teacher will tell you if they are allowed) or by an individual s Access Arrangements. 14. CALCULATORS Calculators may be used in most examinations; your subject teachers will tell you if they are not allowed for a particular paper. Your calculator should be no larger than the regular handheld size; no printed instructions or lids or cases are allowed. YOU MUST BRING YOUR OWN CALCULATOR IF YOU NEED ONE. YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO USE A MOBILE PHONE OR OTHER DEVICE AS A CALCULATOR. The examination boards do not make any allowances for calculator failure or operational mistakes YOU are responsible for making sure your calculator works properly. If you are going to buy a new one, please check with your maths teacher to see what they recommend and make sure you understand how to use it BEFORE the examination. Calculators must not: Have retrievable information stored in them, e.g. databanks, dictionaries, formulae, text be of a type that breaches the JCQ rules www.jcq.org.uk Have noisy keys which could disturb others All stored data in calculators must be deleted before the start of the exam. 15. FOOD AND DRINK You are allowed to take into the examination room a drink of still water in an uncoloured, clear plastic bottle without text and with any label removed. No other drinks or containers are allowed. You will not be able to leave the examination room to refill a bottle of water and invigilators cannot leave to do this for you. Chewing gum is against school rules and along with any other food or drink is not allowed in the examination room. There will usually be a supply of tissues in the examination room but do not rely on this. If you know you will need them, bring your own which must be removed from packets and placed on 2017-18 Examinations Guide for Students and Parents - v1 Page 6 of 10
your desk before the start of the exam. 16. CONDUCT IN THE EXAMINATION ROOM All students are expected to wear full school uniform for all public examinations. You must be silent at all times when you are in the examination room. This includes when you enter and when you leave. These rules are set by the examination boards and any communication between students when they are in the examination room is classed as misconduct. All cases of misconduct have to be reported to the examination board. If you need assistance during the examination or do not understand what you are required to do, raise your hand and wait for an invigilator to attend to you. If you need to leave the examination room because you are feeling ill, you must be escorted by an invigilator or a member of staff at all times, otherwise your examination paper will be invalidated. You will not be permitted to leave an examination early, even if you have finished. Please do not write on examination desks. responsible for cleaning the damage. It is regarded as vandalism and you will be You must do all rough work in the answer booklets provided, NEVER use ordinary lined paper as this will not be accepted by the examination boards. You should always cross through neatly, anything that you do not wish to be marked. Highlighter pens must not be used in answer booklets, but you are allowed to highlight parts of printed questions if you wish to. You are not allowed to use correcting fluid, pens or mice in any answer booklets. This is to protect you; if correction devices were allowed then someone could tamper with your examination answers and it would be undetectable. 17. MISBEHAVIOUR IN THE EXAMINATION ROOM If you are being disturbed by other students during your examination, you should raise your hand to attract and inform an invigilator immediately. This should not be regarded as getting someone into trouble, but more that you are giving yourself the best chance to do well. 18. CHEATING If you are caught cheating in any way in an examination or attempting to, you WILL be reported to the examination boards. Cheating, or misconduct, means doing anything that is against the rules stated in JCQ s Information for Candidates and includes: Being in possession of, including on the floor next to you, a mobile phone/smart watch, switched on or off, or any other electronic communication or memory device. 2017-18 Examinations Guide for Students and Parents - v1 Page 7 of 10
Using unauthorised aids Communicating with other candidates (by talking/signing or otherwise) Copying from other candidates Having unauthorised materials (i.e. notes) in the examination room. PENALTIES FOR CHEATING CAN INCLUDE DISQUALIFICATION FROM TAKING ANY EXAMINATION FOR UP TO FIVE YEARS. 19. END OF THE EXAMINATION When your examination end time is reached the invigilators will tell you to stop writing. You must stop immediately; you may not finish your sentence first. Invigilators will then collect your examination papers before you leave the examination room. Absolute silence MUST be maintained during this time. Question papers, answer booklets and additional paper must NOT be taken from the examination room. You will be dismissed from the examination room row by row, and will be told which exit to use. You must remain silent until you are outside the building as the examination is considered still in session until all students have left the room. This is especially important in the busy summer months as there may be examinations continuing in your exam room even though your exam has finished. 20. SPECIAL CONSIDERATION Special Consideration is a post-examination minor adjustment to a candidate s mark or grade because temporary illness, temporary injury or some other event outside of the candidate s control at the time of the exam or assessment had, or might have had, a negative effect on a candidate s ability to demonstrate his or her normal level of attainment in that exam or assessment. Special Consideration can be applied for by the school on your behalf only if something has seriously affected you at the time of an examination. A minor disturbance in the exam room, for example, is not an acceptable reason to request Special Consideration. Examples of acceptable reasons for an application are: Bereavement (death of a close relative or friend close to the date of the examination) Injury Illness if you sat the exam or were absent (you will usually need a doctor s note) If, after an examination, you think you have good reason to request Special Consideration, you need to see the examinations officer or Mr Gillett as soon as possible to ensure you comply with our procedure and evidence requirements. Maiden Erlegh s Special Consideration procedure may be found on the examinations page on the school website. 2017-18 Examinations Guide for Students and Parents - v1 Page 8 of 10
21. RESULTS Results will be released to you in person on the dates and times listed on the examinations page on the school website. Results can be collected only by students who have completed a whole subject award for example, if you are a student who has taken some examination papers in Year 10 but who will not complete the whole award until Year 11, results will not be available for collection until you have completed the whole subject award in Year 11. Results will not be issued by telephone or by email. Your results will not be issued to anyone but you unless we have received written permission from you for another named person to collect your results and the named collector presents their ID at the time of collection. Students taking part in World Challenge in August are advised to organise this before they leave on the trip. Results day can be very exciting but also very confusing. Teachers and examinations office staff will be in school to help you with any queries that you may have. 22. ENQUIRIES AFTER RESULTS If, for any reason, you think your results are incorrect you should discuss this as soon as possible with either your subject teacher or the examinations officer. If your query is non-examination-assessment related then you should discuss this with your teacher in the first instance. Enquiries after results, including requests for scripts and reviews of marking, must be made by the school on your behalf. Note that there are strict deadlines. You must request an enquiry on our form and submit this by our deadline along with any fee payable, to the examinations officer. Priority enquiries must be made within one week of results day - this service is available only for Year 13 students. Our forms will be available from the exams officer on results days and at the start of autumn term, and on the examinations page on the school website. 23. INTERNAL APPEALS - NON-EXAMINATION-ASSESSMENTS (NEA) Our appeals policy is available from the examinations office upon request or via the examinations pages on the school s website. 24. CERTIFICATES Certificates will be issued if you achieve A to G, or 9-1 at GCSE or A-E at A-level. Certificates may also be issued for BTecs and CamTecs etc. Certificates will be available from school from the October after you have completed your award and should be collected by you by the published deadline. Certificates from previous years will not be kept by the school if you don t collect them. 2017-18 Examinations Guide for Students and Parents - v1 Page 9 of 10
Your examination certificates are important documents and will be required to prove to universities and/or employers that you have attained the qualifications that you say you have. YOU SHOULD KEEP YOUR EXAMINATION CERTIFICATES IN A SAFE PLACE AS, IN MOST CIRCUMSTANCES, THEY CANNOT BE REPLACED. WARNING All of the examination boards have very strict rules and regulations. They make it clear that: Their official examination sessions must be run under strictly fair conditions, with no form of deception, cheating or misconduct. This rule absolutely excludes any form of communication between candidates during an examination, as well as any other practice that could conceivably be seen as an attempt to deceive or cheat. Anyone attempting unfair practices should expect cancellation of examination entries and to be charged the fees that this will incur, as well as possible exclusion from GCSE/AS and A2 level examinations for a period of up to five years. Your invigilators HAVE to stick to the rules; they HAVE to report to the examinations officer ANYTHING that they feel is suspicious. This is their job. DON T LET IT HAPPEN TO YOU STICK TO ALL THE RULES DON T RISK YOUR FUTURE More importantly, DON T LET OTHERS RUIN YOUR CHANCES OF SUCCESS. REMEMBER, friends who try to attract your attention during an examination, ARE NOT BEING FAIR TO YOU! If there is anything in this booklet you do not understand, please contact your head of year, Mr Gillett (assistant headteacher) or Miss Cheshire (head of sixth form) or Mr Godfrey (examinations officer). 2017-18 Examinations Guide for Students and Parents - v1 Page 10 of 10
AQA City & Guilds CCEA OCR Pearson WJEC Information for candidates For written examinations effective from 1 September 2017 This document has been written to help you. Read it carefully and follow the instructions. If there is anything you do not understand, especially which calculator you may use, ask your teacher. A Regulations Make sure you understand the rules 1 Be on time for all your exams. If you are late, your work might not be accepted. 2 Do not become involved in any unfair or dishonest practice during the exam. 3 If you try to cheat, or break the rules in any way, you could be disqualified from all your subjects. 4 You must not take into the exam room: notes; potential technological/web enabled sources of information such as an ipod, a mobile phone, a MP3/4 player, a smartwatch or a wrist watch which has a data storage device. Any pencil cases taken into the exam room must be see-through. Remember: possession of unauthorised material is breaking the rules, even if you do not intend to use it, and you will be subject to penalty and possible disqualification. 5 If you wear a wrist watch the invigilator will ask you to remove it and place it on your desk. 6 Do not use correcting pens, fluid or tape, erasable pens, highlighters or gel pens in your answers. 7 Do not talk to or try to communicate with, or disturb other candidates once the exam has started. 8 You must not write inappropriate, obscene or offensive material. 9 If you leave the exam room unaccompanied by an invigilator before the exam has finished, you will not be allowed to return. 10 Do not borrow anything from another candidate during the exam. B Information Make sure you attend your exams and bring what you need 1 Know the dates and times of all your exams. Arrive at least ten minutes before the start of each exam. 2 If you arrive late for an exam, report to the invigilator running the exam. 3 If you arrive more than one hour after the published starting time for the exam, you may not be allowed to take it. 4 Only take into the exam room the pens, pencils, erasers and any other equipment which you need for the exam. 5 You must write clearly and in black ink. Coloured pencils or inks may only be used for diagrams, maps, charts, etc. unless the instructions printed on the front of the question paper state otherwise. C Calculators, Dictionaries and Computer Spell-checkers 1 You may use a calculator unless you are told otherwise. 2 If you use a calculator: make sure it works properly; check that the batteries are working properly; clear anything stored in it; remove any parts such as cases, lids or covers which have printed instructions or formulas; do not bring into the exam room any operating instructions or prepared programs. 3 Do not use a dictionary or computer spell checker unless you are told otherwise. D Instructions during the exam 1 Always listen to the invigilator. Follow their instructions at all times. 2 Tell the invigilator at once if: you think you have not been given the right question paper or all of the materials listed on the front of the paper; the question paper is incomplete or badly printed. 3 Read carefully and follow the instructions printed on the question paper and/or on the answer booklet. 4 Fill in all the details required on the front of the question paper and/or the answer booklet before you start the exam. Make sure you fill these details in on any additional answer sheets that you use. 5 Remember to write your answers within the designated sections of the answer booklet. 6 Do your rough work on the proper exam stationery. Cross it through and hand it in with your answers. Make sure you add your candidate details to any additional answer sheets that you use. E Advice and assistance 1 If on the day of the exam you feel that your work may be affected by ill health or any other reason, tell the invigilator. 2 Put up your hand during the exam if: you have a problem and are in doubt about what you should do; you do not feel well; you need more paper. 3 You must not ask for, and will not be given, any explanation of the questions. F At the end of the exam 1 If you have used more than one answer booklet and/or any supplementary answer sheets, place them in the correct order. Place any loose additional answer sheets inside your answer booklet. Make sure you add your candidate details to any additional answer sheets that you use. 2 Do not leave the exam room until told to do so by the invigilator. 3 Do not take from the exam room any stationery. This includes the question paper, answer booklets used or unused, rough work or any other materials provided for the exam. 2017