INTRODUCTION

BEFORE THE EXAMS

  • DOUBLE CHECK YOUR DETAILS
  • CHECK YOUR EMAILS
  • ACCESS ARRANGEMENTS
  • EXAM TIMETABLES
  • CLASHES
  • EQUIPMENT AND STATIONERY

DURING THE EXAMS

  • EXAM REGULATIONS
  • IDENTIFICATION
  • ATTENDANCE IN EXAMS
  • LATE ARRIVALS
  • IDENTIFYING YOUR EXAM ROOM AND YOUR EXAM SEAT
  • MOBILE PONES, POTENTIAL TECHNOLOGICAL/WEB ENABLED SOURCES OF INFORMATION AND OTHER FORBIDDEN ITEMS
  • STATIONERY AND OTHER EQUIPMENT
  • COATS AND BAGS
  • INVIGILATORS AND OTHER STAFF
  • RELIGIOUS CLOTHING
  • INSIDE THE EXAM ROOM
  • FIRE ALARMS
  • ILLNESS AND OTHER DIFFICULTIES
  • BAD WEATHER

AFTER THE EXAMS

  • SOCIAL MEDIA
  • NOTIFICATION OF RESULTS
  • POST RESULTS
  • CERTIFICATES

OTHER INFORMATION

  • BTEC REGISTRATION NUMBERS

ANSWERS TO FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS CAN BE FOUND HERE

Here at Huddersfield New College, it is our aim to make your exams experience as successful and stress-free as possible.

The awarding bodies set down strict rules regarding how exams are conducted which we must adhere to. Many of these rules will be familiar to you from sitting exams at your previous school, but there may be some differences in how we deal with and enforce these regulations here at College.

This document gives an overview of how we administer exams here. Please take the time to read it carefully. It is very important that you are aware of the regulations and the procedures which you have to follow when you sit your exams.

If you have any queries, or would like advice at any time, please contact the Examinations Manager Jane Harrisonor the Assistant Examinations Manager Matthew Darlington. To reach us by phone, please ring the College’s central switchboard on 01484 652341, and then enter extension number 4612 or 4613.

If you would like to speak to us in person, the Exams Office is located just off the Dining Room (by the corridor which leads down to the Guidance & Careers Centre), so feel free to pop in.

Good luck to you all!

The Exams Team

DOUBLE CHECK YOUR DETAILS

  • Please check on your Cedar record that all personal details (including your date of birth and the spelling of your name) are accurate as these details will appear on your certificates. If you notice any errors, go and speak to a member of the Student Services team as soon as possible. Once certificates are awarded it will be difficult (and costly) to have your details changed.

CHECK YOUR EMAILS

  • You will receive a numberof emails from the Exams Team throughout your time here at College. These emails always contain very important information which you must read. If you do not read your emails, you will miss this information. Please be aware that if your inbox becomes too full, you will not be able to receive emails; it is vital that you check and deal with your emails regularly. If you have any IT problems, please email the IT Technical Support Team. If the issue is with your email account, the IT team can be found near to the Early Years department. Please ask your tutor/teachers if you do not know where this is.

ACCESS ARRANGEMENTS

  • Access arrangements are adjustments that are made for students, based on evidence of need. Examples of such adjustments include having extra time for your exams, having a reader or having enlarged exam papers.
  • If anything like this was in place for you when you sat your exams at your previous school, please be aware that in order to get the same for your exams here at College, you must be assessed again. To be assessed, please visit the Study Centre and make an appointment.
  • We cannot put any access arrangements in place until you have been assessed. Deadlines and procedures are in place which must be conformed to. If you have any questions or queries, please contact the Study Centre.

EXAM TIMETABLES

  • For the majority of the qualifications taken here at College, we use the awarding bodies AQA, Edexcel/Pearson, OCR and WJEC. These organisations set the dates and times for all the exams, not the College.
  • Before each series, when the date and time of the exams have been finalised, your exam timetable will become available to view on your Cedar record (click on the ‘Exam Timetable’ link on the side bar). This exam timetable will show the date and time of all the exams you are due to sit during a particular exam series. Please check that your exam entries are correct, and speak to your teacher or one of the Exams Team immediately is you think there are any issues.
  • Make a note of the time and date of all your exams. Put them on your calendar, put them in your phone, tell your parents; you must know the dates and times of your exams. If you miss an exam, there is nothing we can do. You cannot sit an exam on another day or at another time. Please, please check and double-check the time and dates of your exams carefully.
  • The details of where you are sitting your exams will start to appear at the side of each record on your exam timetable. These details may change prior to the exams, so it is vital that you check the finalised seating plans. These plans can be found on the Exams Notice Board (on the corridor leading down to the Guidance and Careers Centre), and are put up each afternoon for the following day. We use a large selection of rooms in College for exams, so if you are unclear where your exam is taking place, please ask. Do not simply assume that you are in the same room where you sat your last exam.

CLASHES

  • Once you have accessed your exam timetable, you may notice that two or more exams are timetabled for the same day at the same time. This is known as an exams clash. In the months leading up to the exams, one of the Exams Team will email you and let you know how your clash will be resolved. Please ensure that you check your College e-mail regularly, particularly in the run up to the exams. The resolution of a clash depends on the duration of the exams in question. If you are entitled to extra time for your exams, this will be taken into account.
  • If the duration of the clashing exams added together is no more than 180 minutes (3 hours), candidates will normally sit one exam after the other. You will sit one paper, have a short supervised break and then sit your other paper.
  • If the duration of both exams exceeds 3 hours, one or more of the clashing exams will be moved to the other session on that same day i.e. if you have two exams which clash on the morning of a particular day, one of the exams will be moved to the afternoon. If this situation arises, you will supervised by College staff or an invigilator during the break between the morning and afternoon sessions. They will collect you from the exam room, supervise you and deliver you back to the exam room in the afternoon. During the supervision period, you will be free to revise and talk to the person supervising you, and any other students being supervised in the same manner, but you must not communicate with anyone else. Your mobile phone must remain switched off and in your bag. Please do not worry if your clash has to be resolved in this way – it is not unusual, and we will talk you through everything that will happen well in advance of the affected exam day.
  • In very rare circumstances, we may have to move one of your exams to the next day. This will only happen if the total duration of the exams you are due to sit exceeds 6 hours on a particular day (for AS and A Levels. The limit for GCSEs is 5 ½ hours). If this happens, there are rules which must be followed, but again, please do not worry – we will discuss everything with you.
  • Most importantly, if you think you have an exams clash that has not been identified, please come and see us in the Exams Office as a matter of urgency.
EQUIPMENT AND STATIONERY
  • It is your responsibility to bring what you need for your exams. Information on the acceptable stationery and equipment can be found in the next section of this booklet. It is vital that you do not bring anything to an exam that is not allowed. If you are in any doubt about the stationery that you will need for a particular exam, speak to your teacher for that subject. Further information can also be found here.

Exam Regulations

  • A copy of the ‘Warning to Candidates’ poster, which is issued jointly by all the awarding bodies, is displayed outside all exam rooms (and can be viewed here).Breaking any of the exam rules could result in disqualification from one, some, or all of your subjects. The College must and will report any breach of regulations to the awarding bodies.
  • The awarding bodies also regulate controlled assessments, coursework and onscreen exams. The rules for these are just as strict as for written exams; failure to conform to these rules could lead to disqualification. The ‘official’ regulations for all these types of assessment can be found here, along with other useful information.

IDENTIFICATION

  • You should have your College I.D. card with you at all times when you are in College. When it comes to sitting your exams, you must have your I.D. card with you, as the awarding bodies demand that we identify every candidate who sits an exam. Failure to bring your I.D. will result in the following;

-You will receive a Stage 3 Verbal Warning

-Your tutor will be informed

  • If you misplace your I.D. card, you must go to Student Services as a priority (within the Guidance and Careers Centre) to organize a replacement. If you are waiting for a replacement card, you must bring some other form of photographic I.D. to your exam. This could be a driving license (including provisional), a bus pass, etc.
  • Failure to bring any form of I.D. will result in the start of the exam being delayed whilst checks are carried out to identify you in line with the awarding bodies’ regulations. The Exams Team, the invigilators and your teachers will not be happy if this has to happen!

ATTENDANCE IN EXAMS

  • You are responsible for checking your own exam timetable and arriving at College on the correct day and time, properly equipped.
  • Having seen your exam timetable, you will notice that the start times of the exams are standardised; morning exams start at 9:30 am, and afternoon exams start at 1:30 pm.Please arrive at the exam room at least 15 minutes before the start of every exami.e. at 9:15 am for a morning exam and at 1:15 pm for an afternoon exam. We have numerous announcements to make before each exam begins – we have to ensure that you do not do anything/have anything in your possession which is not allowed by the awarding bodies, and which could lead to your disqualification. If you arrive after 9:15 am or 1:15 pm, it is highly likely that you willmiss important information. Equally, rushing into an exam at the last minute will almost certainly have a negative impact on your concentration and focus in the exam. Leave plenty of time to get into College on exam days and comply with the 15 minute rule.
  • As stated previously, all morning exams start at 9:30 am and all afternoon exams start at 1:30 pm. If your exam timetable is showing a start time for an exam which is different to either of these times, and you have not received additional information from the Exams Office (for example concerning an exams clash), please come and see us as a matter of urgency.

LATE ARRIVALS

  • If you are running late and think you might miss the start of an exam, for example if the bus you are on has broken down, please ring the College (01484 652341). We will talk you through your options, and do all we can to help you. If you arrive at College after 9:30 am for a morning exam, or after 1:30 pm for an afternoon exam, you must report to Reception and wait there until one of the Exams Team is able to collect you.
  • If you arrive late for an exam, you may still be admitted to sit the paper. However, if you arrive after 10:00 am for a morning exam and 2:30 pm for an afternoon exam, we must report this to the awarding bodies, who will almost certainly not accept your paper. After these times, a candidate is considered very late, as he or she is arriving more than an hour after the official start times set by awarding organisations (9:00 am in a morning, 1:30 pm in an afternoon). Please note that because we start our morning exams at 9:30 am, the window for you to start an exam is only half an hour, rather than a full hour as in the afternoon session. If you arrive very late, you may still choose to do the exam but you must be aware of the possible outcome.
  • We cannot guarantee that you will be given the full time for an exam if you arrive late.

IDENTIFYING YOUR EXAM ROOM AND YOUR EXAM SEAT

  • As mentioned previously, room and seating details will appear on your Cedar exam timetable in the days leading up the exam. However, due to the complex logistics involved in exam planning, we may need to make changes in the run up to the exams, so please check your exam timetable regularly.
  • If we have to make a ‘last minute’ change, please be aware that your seating details may not have time to be updated on Cedar. You will be able to find the ‘finalised’ location of the exam room, and your seat within that room, by looking at the seating plans on the Exams Notice Board (on the corridor leading down to the Guidance and Careers Centre). The plans are put up the afternoon before each exam day, and will also be on the wall outside each exam room on the day itself.
  • We use a large selection of rooms in College for exams, so if you are unclear where your exam is taking place, please ask. Do not simply assume that you are in the same room where you sat your last exam.

MOBILE PHONES, POTENTIAL TECHNOLOGICAL/WEB ENABLED SOURCES OF INFORMATION AND OTHER FORBIDDEN ITEMS

  • The awarding bodies are particularly strict about mobile phones, iPods, MP3/MP4 players and iWatches; you must not bring these items into the exam room, whether they are switched on or not. If you are found to be in possession of any of these, we have no choice but to make a report to the relevant awarding body, and they will almost certainly cancel your paper (or worse).The JCQ’s ‘No Mobile Phones’ poster (viewable here) will be displayed inside and outside every exam room. There is no excuse; do not throw away all your hard work by bringing any of these items to the exam room.
  • We would prefer that you leave electronic items at home or with a friend for safekeeping on exam days. That said, on busy exam days, we operate a valuables service, where you can hand in your phones, iPods, etc. You will be given a ticket in return for your valuables which you must produce at the end of the exam to reclaim your items. Please make sure these items are switched off before you hand them in. The College can accept no responsibility for the loss of or damage to a mobile phone or any other device but we will take every care to make sure it is safe while you are doing your exam.
  • On quieter days and in smaller exam rooms, your bag will be brought into the room with you, and left away from your desk. Phones and other electronic items must be switched off and left in your bag.
  • Immediately prior to the exam, if you find that you still have a mobile phone or any other electronic device in your possession, you must hand it in to an invigilator straight away. If you discover a phone, iPod, etc., during the exam, we still have to report it to the awarding bodies, and they will almost certainly not mark your exam paper.
  • For obvious reasons, you must not take revision notes into the exam room, whether you intend to use them or not.
  • Dictionaries are not allowed unless the exam paper specifies otherwise.

STATIONERY AND OTHER EQUIPMENT

  • It is your responsibility to bring what you need for your exams.
  • All answers must be completed in black pen; do not use any other colour. The majority of exam papers are now scanned and marked electronically. If you use another colour, your paper might not be readable once it has been scanned, and this will affect how it is marked. We recommend bringing at least two black pens with you, but if required, an invigilator will be able to provide you with one. Do not be tempted to write in another colour.
  • Please do not use erasable pens, even if they are black. The ink used in erasable pens can sometimes disappear completely once exposed to the heat of the awarding bodies’ scanners.
  • Corrections pens, highlighters and pale coloured gel pens must not be used on the answer paper, but you may use them to highlight the questions. These and any other items of equipment must be visible to the invigilators at all times; use a transparent pencil case or a clear plastic bag.
  • Calculators are allowed in all exams, except in those exams which expressly forbid them. Before entering the exam room, you must remove your calculator’s lid or case and leave it in your bag. Once inside the room, any lids or cases must be handed in to the invigilators, not left under your desk. It is up to you to ensure that your calculator works correctly and that any information you may have previously stored on it has been cleared. An inspector may carry out a spot check to ensure that this has been done. Failure to do so could result in your disqualification. If you are in any doubt about the suitability of your calculator, speak to your teacher or a member of the Exams Team.
  • You must not attempt to borrow equipment from another candidate during the exam. If you need anything, raise your hand and an invigilator will come to assist you.

COATS AND BAGS