Examination Regulations

What you need to know

Know your timetable
Check the date, time and location of every examination.

A printed timetable is given to every student ahead of the upcoming exam season. 

A digital copy is also emailed to parents/carers via The Exams Team - Schoolworkspace.

A whole school timetable can be found here 

Arrive on time
You must arrive at the examination room at the time instructed by the school. If you are late, the school will still let you sit the exam paper, however it is the Exam Boards decision as to whether or not they accept your exam paper. This can affect your overal result for the subject.

Bring the correct equipment
We supply all equipment needed for exams, including calculators. However, the maths department are happy for students to bring their own scientificat calculator if they prefer. If you wish to use your own calculator in the maths exams, you MUST complete the microsoft form below before Friday 23rd April 2027.

Only students who have completed the form before the deadline will be permitted to take their own calculator into the exam room. This is because the Maths department will need to check ahead of the exam that the calculator meets the exam regulations. They will also need to check the calcultors on the day of each exam to clear their history and to check for any notes in or on the calculator. 

Click here to complete the Microsoft form

Check what you can bring into the exam
Some items are prohibited or restricted in examination rooms. Please note that whilst water bottles are permitted in the exam room, these must be clear, transparent bottles and must only contain water, no tea, coffee, energy drinks or any other flavoured drinks are permitted. If you are bringing a shop bought water, please remove all plastic labels before entering the exam room.

You must NOT bring:

• Mobile phones
• Watches: Analogue or Smartwatches
• Unauthorised electronic devices: such as EarBuds, AirPods, Smart Glasses
• Unauthorised notes or materials: this includes, writting, doodles, scribbles on your body

Important: If you bring a prohibited item into an examination, even if you do not use it, this will be treated as a breach of examination regulations and reported to the Exam Boards. This could affect your overal grade for the subject and potentially other exams you have or are due to sit.  

JCQ: Disqualificaiotn Poster

The JCQ Information for Candidates documents provide important information about examination regulations, candidate conduct and what you should expect during your examinations.

JCQ: WARNING To CANDIDATES

View Information for Candidates – Written Examinations →

View Information for Candidates – On Screen Examinations →

View Information for Candidates – Coursework →

View Information for Candidates – Non-Examination Assessments Examinations →

View Information for Candidates – Social Media →

View Information for Candidates – AI →

Examination boards set the official start times for morning (AM) and afternoon (PM) examinations.

Schools, as examination centres, are permitted to move an examination start time by up to 30 minutes either side of the official start time where this is necessary to align the examination with the school's normal timetable.

For example: If an examination board sets an official start time of 9:00am, the school may schedule the examination to begin between 8:30am and 9:30am.

As it stands the Offical Start Times for exams taking place in this academic year are:

AM - 09:00 am

PM - 13:30 pm

All exams and the offical start times for the upcoming school year have been added to the calendar which parents/carers/student can subscribe to. School Calendar

The students individual timetables that will be printed and sent via email to parents/carers will have the School Start Time - AM exams start at 09:00 am (the same as the offical start time), afternoon exams however, are being reviewed as this academic year we have had a change to our school day. Please check your indivdual timetable for updated details. 

 

Examination clashes

In certain circumstances, a student may have an examination clash, where they are scheduled to sit two examinations at the same time.

Where this occurs, the school may make alternative arrangements for the affected students only, in accordance with the examination regulations. This is a normal occurance with Sixth Form Students, but can happen with those sitting GCSEs.

An examination start time cannot be changed for individual students for any other reason. The permitted flexibility around examination start times is not available for requests such as travel arrangements, appointments, medical procedures/recovery, transport difficulties or other personal circumstances.

Important: Students should always follow the examination time published by the school. If you have a query about your examination timetable or believe you have an examination clash, please contact the Exams Office.

JCQ Exam Start Times Infor Graphics

Arriving late to an examination

Students should make every effort to arrive at school in good time for their examination.

We understand that unexpected circumstances can sometimes cause a student to arrive late. Where possible, the school will always aim to allow a student who arrives late to sit their examination.

However, examination boards have strict regulations governing candidates who arrive late, and the school must follow these requirements.

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What counts as "late"?

Examination lateness is measured from the official examination start time set by the awarding organisation, not from the time at which the school starts the examination.

The official start time is generally:

AM examinations: 9:00am
PM examinations: 1:30pm

The school may adjust its examination start time within the permitted arrangements for centres, but lateness is still calculated from the awarding organisation's official start time.

For Example: If the awarding organisation's official start time is 9:00am, but the school has scheduled the examination to begin at 9:15am, a student arriving at 10:00am is considered to have arrived one hour late, not 45 minutes late.

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What happens if I arrive late?

If you arrive late, the school will make every effort to allow you to sit the examination.

However, the circumstances surrounding your arrival will need to be recorded and may need to be reported to the awarding organisation.

Less than one hour after the official start time

The school will follow the relevant examination regulations and record the candidate's arrival time and circumstances.

The candidate will normally be permitted to sit the examination, subject to the applicable regulations.

One hour or more after the official start time

A candidate who arrives one hour or more after the official start time is considered a Very Late Arrival.

The school must report the circumstances to the awarding organisation and provide as much information and supporting evidence as possible.

This may include:

• The exact time the candidate arrived
• The reason for the lateness
• When the candidate came under supervision
• Details of the arrangements put in place to maintain examination security
• Any relevant evidence available to the school

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Why is very late arrival a problem?

Examination papers are subject to strict security arrangements.

If a candidate arrives significantly late, there is a concern that they may have had access to information about the examination, including through mobile phones, the internet or communication with other candidates.

For this reason, awarding organisations have strict procedures for dealing with Very Late Arrivals.

Where a candidate arrives around an hour or more after the official start time, the awarding organisation may determine that the candidate's script cannot be accepted for marking.

However, this is not an automatic decision.

If the school can provide evidence that the candidate was appropriately supervised and had no access to a mobile phone, internet, electronic devices or other information about the examination, the awarding organisation may decide that the script can be accepted for marking.

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Who decides whether my paper will be marked?

The awarding organisation makes the final decision.

The school is required to:

1. Allow the candidate to sit the examination where possible.
2. Record the circumstances and timings accurately.
3. Ensure the candidate is supervised appropriately.
4. Provide the awarding organisation with all relevant information and evidence.
5. Submit the required report regarding the Very Late Arrival.

The school does not make the final decision about whether the examination script will be marked.

The awarding organisation will consider the information provided and make the decision in accordance with its regulations.

IMPORTANT: The school cannot guarantee that a script will be marked, even where a student has been allowed to complete the examination. 

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What does "under supervision" mean?

For examination security purposes, the awarding organisation is particularly concerned with when the candidate came under supervision.

Once a candidate is identified as being late, the school must ensure that appropriate supervision arrangements are followed.

The candidate must not have access to:

• A mobile phone
• The internet
• Unauthorised electronic devices
• Other candidates who have knowledge of the examination
• Information about the examination paper

The exact supervision arrangements must comply with the relevant awarding organisation's regulations. This normally means under school supervision, that can be within the school building or potentially under the supervision of a member of school staff.

However, the awarding organisation may accept supervision provided by a parent/carer while the student is travelling to school. This is not guaranteed, and the final decision rests with the awarding organisation.

Where possible, the parent/carer should be able to confirm that:

• All electronic devices, including mobile phones, smartwatches and earbuds, have been switched off and placed securely inside the student's bag.
• The student has had no contact with other students who may already have seen or have knowledge of the examination paper.
• The student has remained under the continuous supervision of the parent/carer from the point they left home until they arrived at school.
• The parent/carer has accompanied the student into school and formally handed responsibility for their supervision to a member of school staff.

This information can then be provided to the awarding organisation as supporting evidence when the school reports the Very Late Arrival.

Please note: Even where all of the above can be confirmed, the awarding organisation will make the final decision about whether the examination script can be accepted for marking. The school cannot guarantee the outcome.

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Important

If you are going to be late, contact the school immediately.

Do not assume that because you are late you will not be allowed to sit the examination. Where possible, the school will always try to allow you to sit the examination.

However, the later you arrive after the awarding organisation's official start time, the greater the risk that the awarding organisation may not accept your examination script for marking.

If your paper is not accepted for marking

If the awarding organisation decides that a candidate's examination script cannot be marked, this may affect the candidate's overall result for that qualification.

The school cannot override the awarding organisation's decision.

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JCQ: Very Late Arrival Guidance

Examination rules

Once inside the examination room:

• Follow all instructions given by the invigilator.
• You must not communicate with another candidate.
• You must not have unauthorised materials or devices.
• Raise your hand if you need assistance.
• You must remain in the examination room unless permitted to leave.
• Do not leave the examination room without permission.
• At the end of the examination, remain silent until you have left the examination room - you remain under exam conditions until you have left the exam room. 

Important: Students should familiarise themselves with the full JCQ regulations before their examinations.