Examinations Office Information

The Examinations Office exists to make administrative arrangements to help candidates sit public examinations and receive their results. As far as we can, we try to ensure that each candidate’s only concern is to perform at his/her best in the exams. However, in order for the Examinations Office to work efficiently, it must be kept informed. It is the Candidate’s responsibility (NOT parents, guardians or teachers) to ensure that the information the Exams Office holds is correct.

Examination Entries

Making Entries

Entries will be passed onto the Exams Office by individual departments. Candidates must ensure that they have discussed with their teachers what exams they are being entered for. There are deadlines for examination entries and entries made after the deadline will incur an extra charge made by the Exam Boards and paid for by the Candidate.  Candidates will receive a personalised Statement of Entry for their exams.  It is important that Candidates review their entries and ensure that they are correct. This Statement of Entry must be kept safe during the exam period.

Exam Clashes

Occasionally, Candidates will find that they are expected to sit two exams at the same time. This is often easy to rectify provided that the Candidates inform the Exams Office in advance that they have a clash. Arrangements can then be made, and the Candidate will have one less thing to worry about!

Withdrawing from exams

It is easier for a Candidate to withdraw from an exam than to enter late. If a Candidate wishes to withdraw from a module then, after discussing this withdrawal with their teacher, they must inform the Exams Office in writing specifying the unit and unit code of the exam from which they are withdrawing. Withdrawals made within 14 days of the time of the examination are not refunded to the school and thus costs must be met by the Candidate.  A special form is a available for this. Candidates who fail to turn up for an exam because they have forgotten to tell the Exams Office that they have withdrawn will be billed for that exam.

During the Examination Sessions

Preparation

Candidates will have a copy of their exam timetable.  It is vital that each Candidate knows which day each exam is and whether it is taking place in the morning or afternoon. In the past, Candidates have been at home studying at 9 o’clock, thinking that they’ve got an afternoon exam, only to receive a phone-call telling them that their “afternoon” exam is actually a morning exam! Make sure the School Office has a phone number for you and keep your mobiles on until you get to the examination room.

Equipment

It is the Candidates' responsibility to ensure that they bring in the required equipment for each examination – calculators, writing implements, measuring implements, etc. Some exams (such as Drama) require certain notes to be brought in to the examination. It is imperative that Candidates have hard copies of these notes in advance of the examination.  Last year, a candidate left his notes on his memory stick and couldn’t retrieve them in time for the exam.  BE PREPARED!

Disallowed materials

Mobile Phones, iPods and MP3 players are strictly forbidden in an examination and if a Candidate is found to possess these in an exam, even in their bag at the back of the Hall, it can result in a unilateral disqualification from all exam boards! At the beginning of an exam, Candidates should TURN OFF their mobile phones and put them on the front desk in the hall. Please note, it is NOT the school’s responsibility to look after these, so it is the Candidate who must make sure that items left in the hall are clearly labelled and picked up at the end of the exam before leaving. Any phones left behind will be given into Reception. 

Also, pencil cases must be TRANSPARENT and calculator cases are not allowed on the desk.

Click here for the full set of rules provided by the Examination Boards.

During the Exam

Silence is mandatory and Candidates must not give invigilators any suspicion that they are attempting to converse with another Candidate. If there are problems, then Candidates must raise their hands for an invigilator to help them.

It is an offence to write on any materials provided by the exam boards which are clearly not for the purpose of the exams. This includes Candidate Identity Cards on the desk, formulae booklets and any maps. Any graffiti will be dealt with severely and may be considered to constitute an attempt to communicate unlawfully and thus the candidate may be subject to disqualification.

Clashes

Most clashes are easily dealt with in that one paper can often follow straight on from another. However, if the total of two papers (including any extra time) exceeds three hours, then it may be necessary to move one paper from the afternoon to the morning, or vice versa, and the Candidate will have to be supervised between papers. If a Candidate is likely to sit more than six hours of exams due to clashes, then it may be necessary to arrange for overnight accommodation during which the Candidate will be supervised. If the Candidate has informed the Exams Office of the clash well in advance, all circumstances should be easily catered for.

Access Arrangements

Access Arrangements, such as extra time and the provision of laptops, are implemented by the Exams Office at the recommendation of Mrs Shipp who deals with learning support. A file of students requiring long-term access arrangements is kept by the Exams Office and contains evidence collected by Mrs Shipp to support applications. Candidates who require laptops must let the Exams Office know in which exams they are needed.  There is a form to help with this.

If things go wrong

DON’T PANIC! Things can go wrong, but there is always a solution. Almost every situation has been considered, and there is nothing for Candidates to worry about.  Candidates are recommended to make sure that they have the school’s number at hand and to ensure that the school can contact them if necessary.

If a Candidate is late for an exam, it is most likely that they can be admitted and allowed to sit the full length of the paper. As soon as the Candidate knows that they are going to be late, they should inform the school as soon as possible so that arrangements can be made.

A Candidate is considered very late if they arrive after the awarding body’s published finishing time for the examination or 30 minutes after the awarding body’s published starting time, whichever is later. While they may sit the exam, a report will have to be made. It is possible, however, that the Exam boards will not accept the script.

If a Candidate finds that they are unwell before an examination, the best thing to do is usually to come in and sit the examination where possible. A special consideration can be made, though the maximum percentage that can be awarded from a Special Consideration is 5. However, if the Candidate is contagious they must remain away from the school. In case of illness, the Candidate should try to arrange to see a doctor that day outside of their examinations so that they can provide evidence of illness.

This will also be true if a Candidate is taken ill during an examination. If a Candidate has to leave an exam due to ill health, then their script will still be sent in with a special consideration, and it is possible that a mark may be extrapolated from what is submitted.

It is imperative that the Exams Officers are kept fully informed so that they can decide the best course of action.

Special Considerations

As has already been mentioned, in the event of injury, illness, or other circumstances which affect a Candidate’s examination performance, a special consideration can be applied for. However, this requires the examination officers to receive full and appropriate professional evidence, e.g. from a GP or medical consultant. For full information on special considerations click THIS LINK:
 

Results

A- and AS-level results will be published at 08:00 on Thursday 16/08/12.

GCSE results will be published at 10:00 on Thursday 23/08/12.

It is imperative that Candidates come into Eltham College to collect their results personally so that any problems can be identified and discussed, and so that the next step is clear for the Candidate. Candidates, therefore, are strongly advised NOT to take holidays at a time when their exam results are to be distributed.

If a Candidate cannot attend Results’ Day for any reason then they should notify the Examinations Officer in writing stating who will collect their results on their behalf. Otherwise, results will be sent to candidates by post. Exam results will NOT be given by telephone, email or any other social networking medium.

Post-Results

In the vast majority of cases the results Candidates receive are entirely representative of their performance in the exams. However, it is possible for a Candidate just below a grade boundary to apply to have a module or unit remarked in order to reach the higher grade. It is also possible for photocopies of scripts to be sent here. The priority will always be given to A-level students whose university places rest on the outcome of a re-mark within the first week of receiving their exam results. Re-marks after the first week take longer to arrive and are not considered a priority. Any Candidate wishing to apply for a re-mark is very strongly advised to consult with their subject teacher first.

Any Candidate wishing to apply for any Post-Results service such as a re-mark or access to scripts must fill in a consent form with full details of what they want re-marked. NB: Only the Candidate can give fill in the consent form, NOT Parents, guardians or teachers. There is a cost to this service: it is usually about £50 per re-mark or access to scripts, so a Candidate must be expected to foot the bill for any post-results service.

Finally

We wish all our Candidates the very best of luck and hope that they may reap the rewards of their labours in their examination results.

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