Procedures before, during and after Exams

Timetable

Students must check their own Statement of Entry to find out the dates and times of their exams. Students must arrive 20 minutes prior to the beginning of the session and check their desk numbers. Sessions are as follows:

Morning Exams (AM) 09:00

Afternoon Exams (PM) 13:30

Exam Sessions

The start and end of exam sessions can be quite complicated and take a long time, particularly if students are not clear on what they have to do, so here are the guidelines of what students must know and do, in order to achieve good order and discipline, and the right framework for all to succeed.

At the beginning of the sessions, students need to assemble outside the Sports Hall under the sign which indicate their desk number, i.e., Desks 1 – 50, or Desks 51 – 100, etc., which will be clearly displayed.

Students must remain quiet while their desk numbers are being called in and must line up before the gate in their desk number order.

Once in the ‘bag room’, students must move swiftly and quietly down the corridor, so that they can be registered.

While waiting in the Examinations Room, students must remain quiet, waiting for the whole group to come in. During this time it is a good idea for students to sit comfortably, relax a little and think about the subject they are about to be tested on.

It is essential that no looking around / turning over / talking takes place during this time.

At the end of the session, students are dismissed by rows of desks. For Health and Safety reasons, not all students can leave at the same time. So, it is asked of those who are last, to remain quiet, as any communication could be interpreted as malpractice, i.e., cheating.

Students who do not follow the guidelines described above will have their parents / guardians notified by letter and may have to sit their exams in a separate room.

Lateness

Anyone arriving into the exam room after 30 minutes of the start of the session will have their names sent to the Examination Board as required by JCQ regulations.

Examination Rooms

All exams will take place in the Upper School. Most of the exams will take place in the Upper School Sports Hall. And some exams will be in classrooms. This information is displayed on the timetables around school and will also be shown in the lists published daily.

Bags, books and mobile phones

Students can only bring into an exam room a pencil case (clear plastic), a bottle of water, and any specific resources that an exam may allow. Do not bring MP3 players and / or iPods, as they are not allowed into the exam room, and we cannot guarantee their safe keeping. Mobile phones MUST not be in students’ pockets during exams; it must be switched OFF and left in their bags in the ‘bag room’. If students bring a mobile phone into the exam room by mistake, it MUST be handed over to an invigilator or they risk being disqualified for that exam.

Students should not have notes in pockets or anything which might be considered malpractice.

Clothes

Once exam leave has begun, students may come to exams in sensible non-uniform clothes. Caps and hoodies will not be allowed during the exams.

Sickness

If a student is unwell and cannot sit an exam, it is important to let the school know. We inform the relevant exam board of your condition and ask them to consider whether you might have lost marks because of your ill health. If a student misses an exam because of illness, they must have a doctor’s certificate to tell the exam board officials what was wrong. Exam boards are very considerate over illness, bereavement and other crises which affect candidates during the exam season, but we have to know enough to keep them fully informed.