SPECIAL CONSIDERATION

Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ) Instructions

What is Special Consideration? – GCSE and GCE

Special consideration is a post examination adjustment to the marks or grades of a candidate who is eligible for consideration.  Special consideration can only seek to go some way to assist the candidate affected by a potentially wide range of difficulties, emotional or physical, which may influence performance in examinations.  Special consideration cannot remove the difficulty faced by the candidate; there will be situations where candidates should not be entered for an examination because they are not in a fit state to cope with the assessment.  Only minor adjustments can be made to the mark awarded because to do more than this would jeopardise the standard of the examinations.

There are minimum requirements for enhanced grading in cases of acceptable absence:

GCE specifications: 50% of the total assessment must normally be completed before enhanced grading may be considered in cases of acceptable absence.

GCSE legacy specifications: (English, English Language, English Literature, Gaeilge, Welsh First Language, Welsh Second Language, Welsh Literature, ICT, Mathematics and Sciences) 35% of the total assessment must be completed.

GCSE mew specifications: 50% of the total assessment must be completed before enhanced grading may be considered in cases of acceptable absence.

All examinations are measuring what a candidate knows and can do.  The overall grades must reflect the level of attainment demonstrated in the examination.  They do not necessarily reflect the candidate’s potential level of ability, if attainment has been considerably affected over a long period of time.  It is not necessarily the case that the grade issued will match the estimated/forecast grade.  Where long term circumstances have prevented the candidate from reaching the competence standards it may not be possible to make an adjustment.

Candidates who are present for the assessment but disadvantaged

Special consideration will normally be given by applying an allowance of marks to each component affected in a particular scheme of assessment.  The size of the allowance depends on the timing, nature and extent of the illness or misfortune.  The maximum allowance given will be 5% of the total raw marks available in the component concerned, including controlled assessment/coursework.

The decision made by the awarding body will be based on various factors which will be different from one subject to another.  These might include the severity of the circumstances, the date of the examination in relation to the circumstances, the nature of the assessment, for instance whether the written papers are affected as opposed to controlled assessment/coursework, whether an oral or practical is involved.  Each case is assessed individually.

The following circumstances must apply at the time of the assessment and be supported by appropriate and up-to-date evidence.  Awarding bodies will not enter into discussion with candidates or their parents as to how much special consideration should be applied.  The examples listed below are provided for illustrative purposes only.

5% – This is the maximum allowance and will be reserved for the most exceptional cases, such as:

• Terminal illness of the candidate
• Terminal illness of a parent/guardian/carer
• Very recent death of a member of the immediate family
• Very serious and disruptive domestic crises leading to acute anxiety about the family.

4% – Very serious problems, such as:

• Life-threatening illness of candidate or member of immediate family
• Major surgery at or near the time of the examination
• Severe disease
• Severe injury arising from a car accident
• Very recent death of member of extended family
• Severe or permanent bodily injury occurring at the time of the examinations
• Serious domestic crisis at time of the examinations.

3% – A more common category, many more cases will fall into this group, including:

• Recent traumatic experience such as death of a close friend or distant relative
• Recent illness of a more serious nature
• Flare-up of severe congenital conditions such as epilepsy, diabetes, severe asthmatic attack
• Recently broken limbs
• Organ disease
• Physical assault trauma before an examination
• Recent domestic crisis
• Witnessing a distressing event on the day of the examination.

2% – The most common category of allowance – the majority of cases might fall within this category:

• Illness at the time of the assessment
• Broken limb on the mend
• Recent viral illness
• Concussion
• Effects of pregnancy (not pregnancy per se)
• Hay fever on the day of an examination
• Extreme distress on day of examination
• Allowance on last paper taken in a day when a candidate has exceeded 5 hours 30 minutes at Level 1 or Level 2 (GCSE) or 6 hours at Level 3 (GCE).

1% – Reserved for more minor problems

• Noise during examination which is more than momentary
• Illness of another candidate in the examination room
• Stress or anxiety for which medication has been prescribed
• Minor ailments
• Headache
• Minor upset arising from administration problems, such as wrong time allocated.

0% – Consideration was given but the addition of marks was considered inappropriate (where the request fails to meet the criteria, it will be rejected.)

Candidates who are absent from a time-tabled component/unit for acceptable reasons

When a candidate has missed a time-tabled component/unit for acceptable reasons and the centre is prepared to support an application for special consideration, an adjustment may be made to the terminal grade as long as the component/unit was missed in the terminal series and the minimum requirements (see above) have been satisfied.  Awarding bodies cannot give advice as to whether a candidate is fit to take an examination.  Centre staff should follow procedures for dealing with candidates who feel unwell on the day of an examination.

For modular examinations taken in an examination series prior to certification, candidates should be re-entered for any missed units at the next assessment opportunity.  Unless there are difficulties arising, eg group performances which cannot be repeated, special consideration will not be awarded.

This principle also applies where entire cohorts miss units due to adverse weather conditions or for any other reason, or where individual candidates miss units as a result of a change of centre.