EXTERNAL EXAMINATIONS

Academic Year 2012-13

INSTRUCTIONS &

INFORMATION FOR

STUDENTS AND PARENTSMrs A Wilson

Examinations Officer

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Contents

Page 4 DatesTimesTimetable

Page 5 ClashesAbsence from ExamsLatenessSpecial ConsiderationsWarnings

Page 6 Exam RegulationsCheatingMobile Phones & Electronic DevicesProhibited Materials

Page 7 EquipmentBags & CoatsResultsExamination AppealsCertificates

Page 8 CourseworkMobile Phones, iPods & MP3 Players in Examinations and the penalties awarded by Examination Boards

Page 9 What to do if Ill on the day of an Exam

Page 10 Exam Checklist

Page 11 Information for Candidates Written Exams

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Page 12, 13 & 14 Information for Candidates Coursework and Controlled Assessments

Page 15, 16 &17 Self Certification Form 14 in event of exam absence.

Examination Instructions to Candidates

Neville Lovett Community School hopes that all students will be successful in their examinations. In order that the examinations that you take run as smoothly as possible, there are a number of rules and regulations that you must be aware of.

The following information is important so it is essential that you read this booklet carefully. Please take the time to do so.

DATES

November 2012 5th – 16th November 2012January 2013 9th January – 1st February 2013March 2013 28th February – 4th March 2013Summer 2013 22nd April – 27th June 2013

TIMES

Unless otherwise stated, all examinations at this school commence at:

ALL Morning exams – 9.00 am Afternoon exams – 1.30pm

Candidates should report to the appropriate exam room printed on their exam timetable.

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TIMETABLES

You will receive a separate timetable for your examinations well before the first exam. Please check your personal timetable carefully. If there are any errors (e.g. name, date of birth, gender, examination entry), please notify the Examination Officer immediately. Dates and times of the exam are given on the timetable issued to you. Check carefully to see if the examination is in the morning or the afternoon – extra time will not be permitted for candidates who misread their timetable. Take special note of any re-arrangements due to a timetable clash. You alone are responsible for checking your examination timetable.

CLASHES

If you have an examination clash involving different subjects, you will be contacted as to which exam you will take first.

ABSENCE FROM EXAMINATIONS

You must attend all examinations to which you are allocated on your personal timetable. If you miss an exam you will NOT be able to do it again. Misreading the timetable will not be accepted as a satisfactory explanation for absence. Candidates may be invoiced for the full cost of the GCSE if they fail to attend an examination that has been paid for by the school, currently £28.10 per subject single award £56.20 per subject if double award.

LATENESS

If you know you are going to be late, phone the school as soon as possible after 7.30am. If you arrive before 10.00 am for morning exam or 2.00 pm for afternoon exam you will be allowed to take the exam. If you arrive after 10.00 am for the morning exam or 2.00 pm for an afternoon exam you may be allowed to sit the exam, however the exam board will be notified and may decide not to accept your script. For exams lasting less than 1 hour if you arrive after the examination has finished you will NOT be allowed to take the exam under any circumstances.

SPECIAL CONSIDERATION The awarding bodies will not apply special consideration for anything other than serious reasons. Special consideration can only be applied for if an event has affected the candidate’s performance on the day of the examination or absence due to illness. Special consideration will only be applied if at least 35% of the total exam (written exams & coursework) has been completed.

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WARNINGS

All the awarding bodies’ make it clear that: Their official examination sessions must be run under strictly fair

conditions, with no form of deception – this rule severely excludes any form of communication between students during an examination, as well as any other practice that could conceivably be seen as an attempt to deceive.

Anyone attempting unfair practices can expect cancellation of examination entries and possible exclusion from GC(S)E/AS and A2 level examinations for a period of up to five years.

EXAMINATION REGULATIONS

It is the candidates responsibility to familiarise themselves with the copy of the awarding bodies’ regulations ‘Information for Candidates’ which is on pages 11-15 of this booklet.

CONDUCT IN THE EXAMINATIONS ROOM

Candidates must be quiet at all times when entering and whilst in the examination room. You must sit at the desk with your name and candidate number on it. Should you require any assistance, raise your hand clearly and wait for the invigilator to attend you. Once a candidate has entered an examination room, they are not allowed to leave unescorted until the conclusion of the examination. During the exam you must not turn round or try to communicate with another student in any way. If a student’s behaviour during the exam is deemed unsuitable they will be removed from the examination room, the incident will be reported to the examination board and their paper could be cancelled. You are not allowed to leave the exam room until the end of the examination, even if you have finished your exam, so please do not ask. At the end of the examination you must remain silent until the examination papers have been collected. Question papers, answer booklets and additional paper must not be taken from the examination room.

CHEATING

Candidates caught cheating in examinations, including being in possession of a mobile telephone, using unauthorised aids, copying from and communicating with other candidates, will be reported to the awarding bodies. See ‘Information for Candidates’ on pages 11-13. Penalties include exclusion from examinations for up to five years.

MOBILE PHONES AND ELECTRONIC DEVICES

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We cannot stress enough how important it is NOT TO BRING MOBILE PHONES AND ANY OTHER ELECTRONIC MEANS OF COMMUNICATION into the examination room. The school and awarding bodies’ regulations forbid you to bring any of these devices into any examination room or any room being used for quarantine, either before or after an examination. You are strongly advised not to bring such devices with you to school on the day of the examination. See attached ‘Mobile Phones in Examinations’.

PROHIBITED MATERIALS

The following items must not be brought into any examination room but left in a designated place: Mobile telephones, pagers, or other electronic communications devicePencil cases – use a transparent plastic bag or clear plastic pencil case Calculator cases and instruction books Books (unless set texts for specific examinations), notes, letters, diaries, or other printed material Bags, briefcases etcEQUIPMENT

Black ink or ballpoint pen must be used in all papers. Students may also need further equipment such as coloured pencils, a calculator, a novel and an Anthology depending on which exam you are sitting. Highlighter pens and correcting fluids may not be used in any exam. All rough work must be done in the answer booklet provided and should be crossed out. Dictionaries may not be used unless they are specifically permitted by the subject specification or unless special arrangements have been approved by the awarding bodies. You are allowed to bring a clear bottle of water, with the label removed, into the exam room. However you are NOT allowed to bring the following items:-

Canned or cartons of drinks Chewing Gum Any other food or sweets

BAGS AND COATS

For examinations bags and coats must be left at a designated place. CANDIDATES MUST WEAR SCHOOL UNIFORM WHEN TAKING EXAMS IN SCHOOL. The school accepts no liability for items of value (e.g. money, mobile telephones) which are left in bags. Please do not bring valuables with you when you have examinations. If you do so it is at your own risk. There is limited space to store bags and if at all possible you should avoid bringing one with you on the day of your examination.

RESULTS

Year 11 students may collect their results from school on 22nd August 2013 from 8.00 until 10.00 am. Students should collect their results personally. If the student is unable to collect them personally they may be collected by a third party but they must have a

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letter signed by the student giving them permission to do so. Year 9 & 10 results will be issued to students on their return to school after the summer holidays.

EXAMINATION APPEALS

If you would like a copy of Neville Lovett Community School Examination Appeals Procedures please contact Mrs Wilson, Examinations Officer.

CERTIFICATES

Certificates are issued if you achieve A* to G at GCSE and will be available to collect, together with any other certificates you have been awarded, from January 2014 onwards. Certificates can also be collected by a third party but they must have a letter signed by the student giving them permission to do so. Most awarding bodies will not issue replacement certificates, and those who will, charge a minimum of £35 for their service. Keep your certificate(s) in a safe place.

COURSEWORK

The awarding bodies will return most coursework during October. Students wishing to reclaim their coursework should apply to their teachers by 1st May 2012 as it will not be kept by the school indefinitely.

Mobile Phones, iPods and MP3 Players in Examinations and the Penalties Awarded by Examination Boards

The examination boards have issued very clear guidance about mobile phones, iPods & MP3 Players.

Students who carry any of the above with them into an examination room must hand them over to an invigilator who will issue them with a numbered card for collection after exam

All phones must be switched off.

If a phone is not switched off and it rings during an examination - even if it is out of reach - the student who brought it will be reported to the examination board which could result in zero marks for that examination paper.

Students who have not handed their phone over to an invigilator even if it is switched off and are found to have a phone in their possession will be reported to the examination board and face receiving zero marks for

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every examination paper in the subject being sat(if there is more than one paper).

Pupils who actually use a mobile phone, iPod or MP3 Player during an examination - ie who either place or answer a call or take or send a text message –will be reported to the examination board and face being disqualified from all examinations during that series (eg all of the summer GCSEs) and possibly disqualified from taking any examinations for up to 3 years.

The exam boards will apply the penalties shown above whether or not the pupils had any intention of using the phone, and even if they forgot that they had it. A phone brought into an examination room and placed out of reach of the examination desks can be left only on the clear understanding that it is entirely at the risk of the pupil.

The easiest, safest and best course of action is not to bring mobiles to school. If you have any questions about any of this please speak to the Examinations Officer before the day of your examination.

What to do if you are ill on the day of the exam

If you are ill and are unable to attend an exam it is vital you phone the school first thing in the morning (01329 318003) to inform us.

You must also obtain a note from your doctor detailing the reason for non-attendance or alternatively, Self Certification Form14 may be filled in - Part B by doctor or surgery receptionist. There is the possibility of submitting this note to the Examinations Board to ask for special consideration.  The Board looks at this in conjunction with other exam marks from the student in that particular subject, coursework marks and mock exam marks.  This will then sometimes enable them to adjust the mark and grade accordingly.

If you are feeling unwell, but still able to travel, I suggest you come to the exam and we can assess the situation then.  In most cases it is better to take the exam if you can.

If in doubt call the school!

If you do not attend an exam without a valid reason, it is possible that you will be charged for that exam.

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GCSE Exam Check ListEvery pupil will receive an individual statement of entry detailing times and dates of their examinations. It will also tell them which exam room they will be in and their exam number.

Aim to arrive at school 15 minutes prior to an exam AT THE LATEST. It is much better to leave yourself a safety margin on timings in case of problems with the journey.

Pupils should refer to your exam timetable & the seating plans outside the exam rooms and take note of where their desk is by looking for their exam numberWhen taking exams, bags and coats should be left at the back of the room. Pupils are expected to wear full school uniform.

Phones – Students must not have mobiles phones in their possession (either on or off). They can be handed in for safe keeping during the exam if necessary. This is very important – if a phone is found, there is a good chance that your whole exam will be cancelled.

You should not have notes, pagers, MP3 players etc in your possession.

You should bring pen, pencil, rubber and any other writing equipment needed to your exams. Only clear pencil cases are allowed on your desk, any others should be left in your bag. Pens should use black ink. Do not use gel pens – this is because many of the exam papers are now scanned and sent electronically for marking – gel pens do not scan well.

In an exam where you have the use of a calculator, you should not have a calculator cover on your desk.

There is absolutely no talking or communication between students once you enter the exam hall. If you have any

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questions, you should raise your hand once seated and an invigilator will come to you.

No food allowed in the exam roomWater bottles are allowed in the exam room if necessary. These should be clear bottles with a spill-proof cap. There should be no label on the bottle.

In the event of a fire alarm. Please follow instructions of invigilators leaving exam papers on desk and depart through fire exits. If you are in the gym or hall this should be via sports hall entrance. Assemble without talking behind sports hall on the tennis courts.

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Preparing your work/coursework – good practice