Centre Number 41268
A Guide to Students for all
GCSE, AS and A2 Examinations
to be held at
Nunthorpe Academy
in the academic year
2015/2016
Failure to comply with the enclosed rules may result in you being
disqualified from one, some or all your examinations.
Please ensure you read the following information carefully.
If there is anything you don’t understand, ask for help.
Keep this booklet safe!
Introduction and Context
It is the aim of the Examinations Staff at Nunthorpe Academy to ensure the
examination periods run smoothly, with as little stress as possible for our
students.
We hope this booklet will provide some helpful information regarding
examinations here. Please take some time to read the following information
carefully as examination regulations can change frequently.
The Awarding Bodies set down strict criteria, which Nunthorpe Academy must
follow, for the Conduct of Examinations. Therefore please pay particular
attention to the Notice to Candidates at the end of this booklet.
If you have any questions or if you need help or advice at any time before,
during or after the examinations, please contact the Academy on, 01642
310561 ext 156 to speak with Mrs Debbie Robson, Examinations Officer.
Key Examinations Dates for 2015 - 2016
GCSE Key Dates 2015/2016
GCE Key Dates 2015/2016
November Examinations
02 November - 13 November 2015
Results Thursday 07 January 2016
Summer Examinations
16 May - 29 June 2016
Results Thursday 18 August 2016
Summer Examinations
11 May - 29 June 2016
Results Thursday 25 August 2016
Certificate Collection Day
Tuesday 15 November 2016
3:30 – 5:00pm Nunthorpe Sixth Form
There are a number of subjects which take examinations before the published
starting dates, (Art, Drama, Music, MFL, & All Vocational Qualifications), these
are arranged at a convenient time during the year and particularly in the run
up to the summer examinations, please liaise with the relevant Curriculum
Director Leader for the dates or alternatively check the Nunthorpe Academy
Calendar on our website www.nunthorpe.co.uk.
Before The Examinations
Examination Boards
The following Examination Boards are used throughout the Academy: AQA,
Pearson, OCR, WJEC, BCS, Asdan, ifs, and NCFE.
Examination Information
Information regarding the examinations can come from various sources,
please be aware of this. In the run up to examinations you need to pay
particular attention to the following to ensure you receive all the correct
information; Subject Teachers, Form Tutors, and the Examination Notice
Board, (situated outside the main dining area for GCSE, and in the social area
in the Sixth Form for GCE).
Examination Timetables
Examinations take place throughout the year at Nunthorpe Academy:
November (re-sits only), January (vocational), March (vocational) and
Summer. Controlled Assessments are arranged within the faculty and do run
throughout the academic year.
An individual provisional examination timetable will be issued as soon as entry
is made to the examination board for the coming examination series. This will
give students the important information they need for the forthcoming
examinations. Please check your individual provisional examination
timetable VERY carefully. If there are ANY mistakes (e.g. name, date of
birth, examination entry etc.) you MUST tell Mrs Robson immediately.
Mistakes that are not spotted at this stage could result in the final results
certificate being printed incorrectly later.
Where you are timetabled to take two or more examinations at the same time
(i.e. you have a ‘clash’), one will be taken after the other with a short
supervised break in between. Check each examination date carefully, and
check to see if the examination is in the morning or the afternoon. If there is
an examination on the list that you were not expecting to take (e.g. if you know
you have already dropped or been withdrawn from a subject) you MUST tell
Mrs Robson immediately.
Approximately two weeks before the first timetabled examination you will
receive a final timetable with your venue and seat number on, (e.g. Sports
Hall, seat A3).Make sure you know which venue and seat number you
need to be in for each examination. A seating plan will be on the
Examination Notice Boards (as described above) the day before the
examination so students can confirm their room and seat number. Failure to
sit in the correct seat could result in the invigilator making a call home to
report non-attendance to parents.
Extra time will not be permitted if you have simply misread your timetable. You
alone, are responsible for checking and keeping your examination timetable
safe, re‐prints will not be issued by the academy’s Examinations Office. If you
lose your timetable, you must see your Pastoral Director immediately who
may be able to give you a replacement.
Examinations Equipment
Please make sure you have all the necessary equipment for EVERY single
examination, as you are responsible for providing all equipment needed for
your examination.
The examination boards INSTRUCT that all examinations are written in
BLACK INK. You are allowed to bring black pens, pencils, rubbers and rulers make sure you have an adequate supply for ALL examinations you sit.
Some examinations will allow the use of calculators, your subject teacher(s)
will inform you which papers they are allowed in. Calculator lids/cases must be
placed under your desk before the start of the examination.
Please do not bring:Gel Pens
Tippex/Correcting pens
Scrap Paper
Dictionaries
Books
Bags
Anything brought into the examination room that is not allowed to be there will
be placed outside the room.
Mobile Phones –THIS IS VERY, VERY, VERY IMPORTANT!
Mobile Phones (of ALL types), iPODs, iWATCHES, MP3/4 PLAYERS or
any POTENTIAL TECHNOLOGICAL/WEB ENABLED SOURCES of
INFORMATION MUST NOT be brought to the examination - even if they
are turned off.
If you have such equipment with you, you will be asked to place them in an
envelope which will be removed from the examination room and stored in
Student Reception.
The academy will not accept responsibility for your mobile phones etc. and it
is your responsibility to collect them at the end of each examination.
Possession of a Mobile Phone or any other technological enabled
source of information whether switched on or not, can result in
disqualification from the examination as well as the overall qualification.
Minimum penalties imposed by the examination boards are as follows
(without exception):
1. Device found on you and turned ON: disqualification from entire
subject award – i.e. from the whole qualification;
2. Device found on you and turned OFF: disqualification from that
component i.e. from that part of the qualification.
The Academy is in possession of a Mobile Phone Detector, which will be used
randomly during the examinations to ensure this rule is adhered to.
Examination Days
Before the start of any Examination
Examinations at Nunthorpe Academy usually start at:
9.00am for all morning examinations and
1.30pm for all afternoon examinations
However, occasionally, these times are subject to change, particularly to
accommodate students with examination clashes. It is your responsibility to
make sure you arrive for your examination on the correct day and at the
correct time.
You must attend all examinations in full uniform or you will not be allowed in
the examination room, please arrive 10-15 minutes before the scheduled start
of the examination, and do not enter the examination room until you are asked
to do so by Nunthorpe Academy staff or by the Examination Board Invigilators.
Entering the Examination Room
 All coats, hats and bags must be left outside the examination room.
 Remember examination conditions apply as soon as you have entered
the room so settle down quickly and silently
 Listen carefully to instructions you are given from staff or Examination
Board Invigilators
Starting the Examination
The Examination Board Invigilators will distribute the appropriate paper and
materials as indicated by the awarding bodies. You must fill in your personal
details correctly, you must always write your legal surname on your
examination papers.
Please refer to the board at the front of the examination room or your seat
number label for the academy’s Centre Name and Centre Number.
When the examination papers have been distributed check that you have
been given the correct subject unit paper. Always pay attention to the
additional information or messages that Nunthorpe Academy staff or the
Examination Board Invigilators may need to advise you of, and always read
the instructions on the front of the question paper.
Illness/Absence/Late Arrivals for any Examination
Please report any illness/absence from an exam to the academy AS
SOON AS POSSIBLE on 01642 310561 (Extension 157). Failure to do this
may result in receipt of a bill for the missed exam.
A candidate who arrives after the start of the examination may be allowed to
enter the examination room and sit the examination; this is at the discretion of
the academy.
Candidates will be considered very late if they arrive more than one hour after
the awarding body’s published starting time and may not be allowed to enter
the examination room. Even if the academy allows you into the room to take
the examination, the examination boards request that they are informed of all
students arriving after the hour deadline and reserve the right to reject your
work.
During the Examination
Please do not try to attract the attention of other students or share equipment.
If you need anything put up your hand to alert an Invigilator.
Do not give the Invigilator the slightest cause to suspect that you may
be trying to communicate with others.
Any candidate “suspected of cheating, collusion, misconduct, any form
of dishonesty or malpractice” will be reported to the board. It is possible
that the candidate may be disqualified not only from the subject
concerned but from all of their current examinations (and possible entry
to future exams).
At the End of the Examination
At the end of the examination, make sure you have filled in your personal
details on the front of the answer booklet and on any supplementary sheets
you have used.
A treasury tag will be provided by the Invigilator to attach any loose sheets to
the answer book. All rough work should be done in the answer book and sent
to the examination boards. It is your responsibility to ensure any additional
sheets are securely fastened in the correct order.
If there are other students working on different examinations please remember
to leave the examination room IN SILENCE when instructed by the invigilator.
Remember there could be other students sitting examinations in other
locations, try and remember to keep your voices down whilst moving around
the building.
Special Consideration
If you feel there is any reason for which you may be entitled to Special
Consideration, please contact Mrs Robson (Examinations Officer) as soon as
possible. The examination boards are, very much, ‘tightening up’ on reasons
for students requesting Special Consideration but we will be able to advise
you.
Results Days and Certificate Collection
Results Days A Level 18 August 2016 - GCSE 25 August 2016
Students who are unable to collect their statement of results on results day
can nominate someone to collect them on their behalf. An email or letter can
be sent prior to results day from the student, this is an email from an account
in the name of the student to drobson@nunthorpe.co.uk, or a signed letter
from the student confirming that they give permission for a family member or
friend to collect the results on their behalf. A letter can also be given in
exchange for the results on results day but must be signed with consent by
the student.
GCSE & GCE Certificate Collection
Certificates will be available for student collection Tuesday 15 November 2016
3:30 – 5:00pm, students who are unable to attend at that time will be able to
collect Certificates from Sixth Form reception for year 12 &13, and from
Debbie Robson at the Academy for year 11 leavers and after that date for one
year. If you are unable to collect in person and are sending a representative to
collect the certificates on your behalf you will need to provide them with a
signed letter of permission to hand in before certificates can be released to
them.
This section of our Examinations Guide applies to Year 11 Students only
All of the details below are supplied by Mr Yates – Vice Principal - Achievement
Mr Yates makes ALL final decisions regarding entries for ALL Examinations.
If you have any issues about ANY examination entry – AFTER you have consulted
Mrs Robson and/or the Curriculum Director for any subject(s) and your Pastoral
Director - you can then contact Mr Yates.
Firstly some important 2015-2016 dates for your diaries and planners:
November 2 – 13
November 4
November 12
November 13
November 16 - 20
January 18
February 8 – 11
March 2
March 28 - April 10
May 16 – June 29
June 30
July 4-5
July 20
August 25
August 25 & Sept 1
November 15
Autumn Examination Series
KS4 Pastoral Review Evening
Yr 11 Mock interviews
Deadline for Sixth Form applications
Year 11 Application Meetings
Careers Convention
Yr 11 Mock Exam week
KS4 Pastoral Review Evening
Easter Revision School
Summer Examination Series
Yr 11 Promenade Ball (Provisional)
Yr 11 Induction to Sixth Form
Last Day of Term
GCSE Results Day
Sixth Form Enrolment (Provisional)
GCSE, GCE & BTEC Certificate/Coursework Collection
3.30-5.00pm - Sixth Form
As we progress through the year I will send out more detailed information regarding
many of the events listed but feel it is sensible at this point to give you an overview
of the year ahead.
Revision Conditions – Maximising Achievement at Examinations - Tips for
Students and their Families
During the forthcoming months it is important that students have a number of
considerations paid to them at home as they prepare for their examinations
1. Somewhere very quiet to work and revise (and the odd cup of tea brought
in);
2. Regular and healthy routines – sleep patterns, eating times, fruit/vegetables
and water, rest & relaxation and, of course, family time;
3. Input from home - all students appreciate their parents showing interest in
what they are doing, don’t worry if you can’t offer specific support in say
GCSE German or GCSE Mathematics - just ask how it is going;
4. Rewards/targets to work towards – for some students it is helpful to have
short term rewards for the revision they do as the August Examination
Results day in 2016 can feel so very far into the future.
Expectations for Year 11 Students
At this point in Key Stage 4, it is important that lessons and routines run as
smoothly as possible to allow top quality final preparations for GCSE Examinations
and BTEC portfolio completion. We are eager for students to fully engage in ALL
lessons during these final months of their formal education.
The following apply for all students within ALL lessons and tutorials:
1. Attendance at ALL tutorials on time and positive engagement with their
tutors;
2. Attendance at ALL lessons on time and positive engagement with
subject teachers;
The relationship between attendance and attainment for examination
performance at our academy in 2015 is shown below;
Level of Attainment
5+A*-C
Fewer than 5A*-C
Average Attendance
96.1%
88.5%
3. No more than 10 late marks between November 9 and the Year 11
‘leaving’ date.
4. Positive (Green) engagement and effort within ALL lessons and the
activities planned;
5. Coursework and Homework completed to deadlines and to at least
target grade standard – a MINIMUM expectation in our Academy at all
times;
6. Appropriate adult behaviour within ALL lessons and around the
academy campus.
7. IN SHORT:
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96% MINIMUM ATTENDANCE
100% PUNCTUALITY – TO THE ACADEMY AND TO ALL LESSONS
BEHAVIOUR – ALWAYS GREEN
ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE AT TARGET OR ABOVE – NEVER BELOW
Where teachers and tutors find that students do not comply with the above
expectations, they will refer the issue to Mrs Jeffery (AVP – Standards) who may
decide to issue an incident slip (“Strike”) which will be recorded centrally.
With this in mind, we want to make it clear that students do not have a ‘right’
to attend the Year 11 Prom Ball - in fact, this will be dependent upon their
Attendance, Behaviour and Engagement/Effort throughout Year 11.
Where students are issued with 5 incident slips (5 “strikes”) their right to
attend the Year 11 Prom Ball will be removed by their Head of House through
liaison with Mrs Jeffery. Where tickets have been purchased, monies cannot and
will not be reimbursed as bookings have already been made and deposits paid of
course.
Please discuss this in detail with your son/daughter as we do not want students
disappointed by being refused access to their Year 11 Prom Ball. This is one of the
most memorable events in students’ school lives to this point and we do not want
this to be removed from anyone.
It is important to note that in the last 3 years, we have only had to refuse admission
to a very small number of Year 11 students.
Other consequences of not meeting with these minimum expectations may
include:
 The Academy no longer being willing to pay for the examination entries for
individual students;
 Exclusion at home until the examinations period begins;
 Not supplying local post-16 providers and/or employers with a positive
reference;
 Not accepting an application for progression into our Sixth Form.
Examination Entries
Students will receive a copy of examination entries when Mr Yates instructs them to
be released. Please check these VERY carefully with parents and Form Tutor.
If you have any concerns, please contact the subject teacher in the first instance
and then, after that, the relevant Head of Department and/or Head of House.
Nunthorpe’s expectations regarding Examination Entries
Every year, some students begin to indicate to us through behaviour, effort,
attitude, attendance or punctuality that they are not prepared to do the level of work
required at this point in Year 11.
In these cases, and thankfully they are very rare, we do, and always have, reserved
the right to remove funding for the student’s examinations and issue charges for the
examinations to parents/carers. In these cases, once students attend the
examination(s) and perform to the best of their ability, we do reimburse parents
the cost of the examination entries. Our intention in these cases is to ensure that
we have full support from parents for the examinations their child will undertake.
During the 2015-2016 Examination period, Examinations entries cost us an
average of £60 per subject Therefore, for a student taking, for example, 10
GCSEs, their Examination bill costs the academy approximately £600.
Should we have concerns about the entitlement of a student to examination fees,
parents will be invited into the academy immediately to meet with Mr Yates to
discuss those concerns and agree a way forward.
Information regarding re-sit examinations
Where it is deemed appropriate for a student in Year 11 to re-sit a module or unit
examination (in order to increase their chances of achieving at or beyond their
target grade) all of the above expectations remain.
Where we deem it necessary for a student to re-sit the academy will meet the cost
of one re-sit per subject, beyond this each case will be dealt with on an individual
basis and there will be dialogue between the academy and family to determine who
will pay for subsequent re-sits. However, as the structure of GCSE examinations is
changing so too are rules regarding re-sits and therefore the likelihood of students
re-sitting is becoming increasingly rare.
This section of our Examinations Guide applies to THE SIXTH FORM
Students only
All of the details below are supplied by Mr Duffill – Assistant Vice
Principal for Data & KS5.
Mr Duffill & Ms Jackson make ALL final decisions regarding examination
entries for ALL A Level, Vocational A Level & GCSE re-sit, qualifications
in the Sixth Form – whether or not they have any ‘formal examination
papers’.
If you have any issues about ANY examination entry – AFTER you have
consulted Mrs Robson and/or the Curriculum Director for any subject(s)
- you can then contact Ms Jackson or Mr Duffill.
Please note that in accordance with the KS5 Standards Document
(attached) any student with attendance below 90% will not be entered for
examinations in that subject, unless extenuating circumstances have
been approved by Mr Duffill.
The Sixth Form ‘Standards Document’, outlines expectations in relation
to Year 12 and 13 students. If these standards are not met then students
will not be entered for examinations, or costs for the examinations will
be passed on to the students. Approximate costs for these can also be
found in the ‘Standards Document’.
Important 2015-2016 dates for your diaries:
Easter Holidays Friday 25 March – Friday 8 April – Easter Revision School
more details of specific courses and times will follow on the website.
Year 12 – Students will not have any study leave and will be expected to
attend all lessons until the end of term (20 July 2016). If students are sitting
some AS exams then structured revision will take place in their lessons in the
lead up to their exam. If a student has an afternoon AS exam, he/she will be
allowed to stay at home to revise in the morning of that exam, if the student
wishes.
Year 13 – Students will commence 'study leave' on Monday 23 May 2016.
They will still be expected to attend all subject lessons until the date of their
last exam in that subject, but they will no longer have to attend morning
registration or their Monday tutorial period. They may choose to stay in the
sixth form building for independent study periods or work at home.
Results Day Thursday 18 August - Both AS and A2 results will be available
for collection from Nunthorpe Sixth Form. Year 13 students will be able to
collect their results from the Sixth Form between 9.00am – 9.30am. Year 12
9.30am - 10.00am.
University Clearing Arrangements for Year 13 Sixth Form Students
It is important that you are aware of Clearing procedures in advance of results
day. Ms Jackson will provide you with a sheet which outlines the Clearing
procedure in due course. The tutors, Ms Jackson, Mr Duffill and Mr Coe will
be around to offer support and guidance on results day, but all contact with
universities has to be done by students.
Sixth Form Enrolment Dates 2016 - Thursday 25 August & Thursday 1 Sept
If for any reason you are unable to enrol on the two dates above, you must
contact Ms Jackson or Mr Duffill immediately. Failure to do so will mean your
place cannot be guaranteed.
You will need to bring the following items when you enrol:
 Examination results slip
 Parent/Carers email addresses and mobile phone numbers
Monday 5 September - Year 12 & Year 13 term starts 8.40am to 3.00pm.
Celebration Event - September (date to be confirmed).
Tuesday 15 November – 3.30pm to 5.00pm Certificate Collection for all Year
12 and Year 13 students in the Sixth Form building. Students who are unable
to attend at that time will be able to collect Certificates from the Sixth Form
reception after that date for one year. If you are unable to collect in person and
are sending a representative to collect the certificates on your behalf you will
need to provide them with a signed note of permission to hand in at reception
before certificates can be released to them.
Standards Document September 2015
Attendance and Punctuality
Students are expected to attend sixth form between 8.30am – morning
registration and 3.00pm – end of period 5, every day as a bare minimum.
Registration and the tutorial period (Monday, Period 3) are a compulsory element of
attending sixth form and follow a programme designed to support individuals through
one to one mentoring, study skills, current affairs, presentation and social skills,
UCAS, Apprenticeship and Employment applications, topical debate and outreach
work with outside agencies, to name a few. All opportunities are designed to create
a rounded individual prepared for their next step after life at the sixth form.
If students do not attend morning registration they will be marked absent and this will
affect their overall attendance. Their attendance figure will be reported in any
reference written by the sixth form staff and will obviously be vital in these highly
competitive times whether applying for work, training or university. Students with
attendance below 90% will be asked to pay for their exams and may not be
entered for exams. (Extenuating circumstances can be discussed with T Duffill).
In real terms any student whose attendance is at 90% equates to 2.5 periods (out of
the 5 per week per subject) per week missed. Over a year, 90% is the equivalent of
3.6 weeks missed.
Definitions:
Authorised absence
An absence which has been reported eg illness, doctor’s appointment, an approved
holiday in exceptional circumstances.
Unauthorised absence
Any period of absence which has not been accounted for or approved.
Both of the above absences will affect the overall attendance grade of your son or
daughter and will be taken into account when making exam entries and assessing
student progress. There are clear links to poor attendance affecting the overall
grades attained by students.
Only present marks will count as being present, anything else affects this overall
percentage.
Absence
Any absence from the sixth form due to illness must be phoned in to the sixth form
reception before 8.40 am on 01642 304550.
Leave of absence requests must be made on the appropriate ‘Request for
Absence Form’, which can be obtained from student reception, but must be
returned to the Head of Sixth Form for authorisation. Returning the form is not an
automatic agreement for the absence; this must be approved before any leave is
taken. Holidays in term time must be avoided due to the level of content delivered
Standards Document September 2015
within the programme of study for level 3. Please see the Nunthorpe website for
holiday periods. The sixth form remains open for independent study on PD days.
Students needing to leave the site for any legitimate reason, which has been
approved by their Form Tutor and/or Head of Sixth Form, must sign out at reception,
and sign back in on return. Driving lessons must not be arranged during sixth form
hours with the exception of Wednesday 1.00 pm – 3.00 pm for Enrichment. Medical
appointments should be made outside of sixth form hours where possible, failing
this a phone call or medical appointment card should be shown at reception before
signing out.
Lesson and Independent Learning Commitment
Each L3 course has 5 hours of lesson commitment and a minimum of 5
additional hours independent study, comprising of set homework, reading,
research, practice questions, etc. Students are expected to attend all lessons on
time and complete all work set. Failure to complete work set could result in students
being excluded from the lesson until the work is caught up at the discretion of the
teacher.
Independent Study (IS) Periods
All students are expected to stay on site for Independent Study (IS) periods to
support their learning. A quiet study area is provided within the Learning Resource
Centre on the first floor of the sixth form, Student Group Rooms are available, for
silent study, for certain timetabled sessions (timetables on all SGR doors), in addition
to the Common Room on the ground floor. Therefore environments to suit all
learners are provided in addition to research facilities and ICT equipment. Students
are also encouraged to bring in their own laptops, netbooks, i-pads, etc to assist in
their learning, which can access the sixth form internet and ‘my document’ areas of
the Nunthorpe network.
Home Study (2 hours)
The only exception to the IS rule is for Year 13 students who have a proven track
record of successful independent study, which has been formally agreed by their
Form Tutor. All aspects in this ‘Standards Document’ are taken into consideration
when assessing the application from a student for home study for 2 hours per week.
Students are expected to register for IS which also contributes to their overall
attendance percentage.
Interim Data
Assessment data is reported every half term.
Students will receive
Red/Amber/Green grades for Attendance, Punctuality, Classwork and Homework,
along with a current grade and end of A2 target grade. Tutors will have a follow up
one to one with each student to discuss targets and progress made. If there are any
concerns these will be raised initially with the student and subject teacher, if
Standards Document September 2015
resolution cannot be found and no progress is made then contact home will follow.
All parents are however encouraged to make contact with teachers directly
if/when any issues arise so that they can be dealt with immediately. Emails for
all staff can be found on the Nunthorpe Academy website.
Grades will need to be at an appropriate level in relation to personal targets, for
students to be entered into exams. If this is not the case, students may be withheld
from entering an exam or requested to pay for the entry themselves.
Exam Entries
Entries will be made in accordance with students meeting the criteria stated in this
document and professional judgement on behalf of the staff and students of the sixth
form by either
Ms H Jackson Head of Sixth Form or Mr T Duffill, Assistant Vice Principal Data &
KS5.
If these requirements are not fulfilled then costs for exam entries will be passed onto
the students and parents/carers. These cases are thankfully rare, and once the
student has attended the examination(s) and gained their target grade(s), we do
reimburse parents the cost of the exam entries. Our intention in these cases is to
ensure that we have the full support from parents for the examinations their child will
undertake.
Approximate costs for 2015-16 exam entries for:
AS examinations are £50:00, the usual is 4 AS subjects costing £200:00
A2 examinations are £50:00, the usual is 3 – 4, therefore costing £150:00 - £200:00
L3 BTEC Certificate costs £91:20
L3 BTEC Diploma costs between £143:20
L3 Subsidiary Diploma £124:80
L3 Extended Diploma £180:10
AQA
City & Guilds
CCEA
OCR
Pearson
WJEC
Warning to Candidates
1. You must be on time for all your examinations.
2. You must not become involved in any unfair or dishonest practice
in any part of the examination.
3. You must not:
• sit an examination in the name of another candidate;
• have in your possession any unauthorised material or
equipment which might give you an unfair advantage.
4. Possession of a mobile phone or other unauthorised material is
breaking the rules, even if you do not intend to use it, and you
will be subject to penalty and possible disqualification.
5. You must not talk to, attempt to communicate with or disturb
other candidates once you have entered the examination room.
6. You must follow the instructions of the invigilator.
7. If you are in any doubt speak to the invigilator.
The W arning to Candidates must be displayed in a prominent place outside each examination room.
This may be a hard copy A3 paper version or an image of the poster projected onto a wall or screen
for all candidates to see.
Effective from 1 September 2014
©2014
AQA
City & Guilds
CCEA
OCR
Pearson
WJEC
Information for candidates
For written examinations – effective from 1 September 2015
This document has been written to help you. Read it carefully and follow the instructions.
If there is anything you do not understand, especially which calculator you may use, ask your teacher.
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Regulations – Make sure you understand the rules
Be on time for all your exams. If you are late, your work might not be accepted.
Do not become involved in any unfair or dishonest practice during the exam.
If you try to cheat, or break the rules in any way, you could be disqualified from all your subjects.
You must not take into the exam room:
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notes;
potential technological/web enabled sources of information such as an iPod, an iWatch, a mobile phone, a
MP3/4 player or a wrist watch which has a data storage device.
Any pencil cases taken into the exam room must be see-through.
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D
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F
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© 2015
Remember: possession of unauthorised material is breaking the rules, even if you do not intend to use it, and you will be
subject to penalty and possible disqualification.
Do not use correcting pens, fluid or tape, erasable pens, highlighters or gel pens in your answers.
Do not talk to or try to communicate with, or disturb other candidates once the exam has started.
You must not write inappropriate, obscene or offensive material.
If you leave the exam room unaccompanied by an invigilator before the exam has finished, you will not be allowed to return.
Do not borrow anything from another candidate during the exam.
Information – Make sure you attend your exams and bring what you need
Know the dates and times of all your exams.
Arrive at least ten minutes before the start of each exam.
If you arrive late for an exam, report to the invigilator running the exam.
If you arrive more than one hour after the published starting time for the exam, you may not be allowed to take it.
Only take into the exam room the pens, pencils, erasers and any other equipment which you need for the exam.
You must write in black ink.
Coloured pencils or inks may only be used for diagrams, maps, charts, etc. unless the instructions printed on the front of the
question paper state otherwise.
Calculators, Dictionaries and Computer Spell-checkers
You may use a calculator unless you are told otherwise.
If you use a calculator:
•
make sure it works properly; check that the batteries are working properly;
•
clear anything stored in it;
•
remove any parts such as cases, lids or covers which have printed instructions or formulas;
•
do not bring into the exam room any operating instructions or prepared programs.
Do not use a dictionary or computer spell checker unless you are told otherwise.
Instructions during the exam
Always listen to the invigilator. Follow their instructions at all times.
Tell the invigilator at once if:
•
you think you have not been given the right question paper or all of the materials listed on the front of the paper;
•
the question paper is incomplete or badly printed.
Read carefully and follow the instructions printed on the question paper and/or on the answer booklet.
Fill in all the details required on the front of the question paper and/or the answer booklet before you start the exam.
Make sure you fill these details in on any additional answer sheets that you use.
Remember to write your answers within the designated sections of the answer booklet.
Do your rough work on the proper exam stationery. Cross it through and hand it in with your answers.
Make sure you add your candidate details to any additional answer sheets that you use.
Advice and assistance
If on the day of the exam you feel that your work may be affected by ill health or any other reason, tell the invigilator.
Put up your hand during the exam if:
•
you have a problem and are in doubt about what you should do;
•
you do not feel well;
•
you need more paper.
You must not ask for, and will not be given, any explanation of the questions.
At the end of the exam
If you have used more than one answer booklet and/or any loose sheets of paper, place them in the correct order.
Remember to fasten them together with a treasury tag before you leave.
Make sure you add your candidate details to any additional answer sheets that you use.
Do not leave the exam room until told to do so by the invigilator.
Do not take from the exam room any stationery. This includes the question paper, answer booklets used or unused, rough
work or any other materials provided for the exam.
AQA
City & Guilds
CCEA
OCR
Pearson
WJEC
Information for candidates
For on-screen tests – effective from 1 September 2015
This document has been written to help you. Read it carefully and follow the instructions.
If there is anything you do not understand, ask your teacher.
A
1
2
3
4
5
Regulations – Make sure you understand the rules
Be on time for your on-screen test(s). If you are late, your work might not be accepted.
Do not become involved in any unfair or dishonest practice during the on-screen test.
If you try to cheat, or break the rules in any way, you could be disqualified from all your subjects.
Only take into the exam room the materials and equipment which are allowed.
You must not take into the exam room:
•
•
notes;
potential technological/web enabled sources of information such as an iPod, an iWatch, a mobile phone, a
MP3/4 player or a wrist watch which has a data storage device.
Unless you are told otherwise, you must not have access to:
•
•
the Internet, e-mail, data stored on the hard drive, or portable storage media such as floppy disks, CDs and memory
sticks;
pre-prepared templates.
8
B
1
2
3
4
5
C
1
2
Remember: possession of unauthorised material is breaking the rules, even if you do not intend to use it, and
you will be subject to penalty and possible disqualification.
Do not talk to or try to communicate with or disturb other candidates once the on-screen test has started.
If you leave the exam room unaccompanied by an invigilator before the on-screen test has finished, you will not be allowed to
return.
Do not borrow anything from another candidate during the on-screen test.
Information – Make sure you attend your on-screen test and bring what you need
Know the date and time of your on-screen test(s).
Arrive at least ten minutes before the start of your on-screen test.
If you arrive late for an on-screen test, report to the invigilator running the test.
If you arrive more than one hour after the published starting time for the on-screen test, you may not be allowed to take it.
Your centre will inform you of any equipment which you may need for the on-screen test.
Calculators, Dictionaries and Computer Spell-checkers
You may use a calculator unless you are told otherwise.
If you use a calculator:
3
D
1
2
•
make sure it works properly; check that the batteries are working properly;
•
clear anything stored in it;
•
remove any parts such as cases, lids or covers which have printed instructions or formulas;
•
do not bring into the examination room any operating instructions or prepared programs.
Do not use a dictionary or computer spell checker unless you are told otherwise.
Instructions during the on-screen test
Always listen to the invigilator. Follow their instructions at all times.
Tell the invigilator at once if:
6
7
3
E
1
2
•
you have been entered for the wrong on-screen test;
•
the on-screen test is in another candidate’s name;
•
you experience system delays or any other IT irregularities.
You may be given a question paper or the instructions may be on-screen. In either case, read carefully and follow the
instructions.
Advice and assistance
If on the day of the on-screen test you feel that your work may be affected by ill health or any other reason, tell the
invigilator.
Put up your hand during the on-screen test if:
•
•
3
F
1
2
3
4
© 2015
you have a problem with your computer and are in doubt about what you should do;
you do not feel well.
You must not ask for, and will not be given, any explanation of the questions.
At the end of the on-screen test
Ensure that the software closes at the end of the on-screen test.
If you are required to print off work outside the time allowed for the on-screen test, ensure that you collect your own work.
You must not share your work with other candidates. Make sure that another candidate does not collect your printout(s).
Do not leave the exam room until told to do so by the invigilator.
Do not take from the exam room any stationery.
This includes rough work, printouts or any other materials provided for the on-screen test.
This notice has been produced on behalf of:
AQA, CCEA, OCR, Pearson and WJEC
Information for candidates - controlled assessments
This document tells you about some things that you must and must not do when you are
completing your work.
When you submit any work for marking, you will be asked to sign an authentication
statement confirming that you have read and followed these regulations.
If there is anything that you do not understand, you must ask your teacher or lecturer.
Controlled assessment will provide you with an opportunity to do some independent research into a
topic. The research you do may involve looking for information in published sources such as textbooks,
encyclopedias, journals, TV, radio, and on the internet.
Using information from published sources (including the internet) as the basis for your assignment is a
good way to demonstrate your knowledge and understanding of a subject. You must take care how
you use this material though - you cannot copy it and claim it as your own work.
The regulations state that:
“the work which you submit for assessment must be your own”;
“you must not copy from someone else or allow another candidate to copy from you”.
If you use the same wording as a published source, you must place quotation marks around the
passage and state where it came from. This is called “referencing”. You must make sure that you give
detailed references for everything in your work which is not in your own words. A reference from a
printed book or journal should show the name of the author, the year of publication and the page
number, for example: (Morrison, 2000, pg.29).
For material taken from the internet, your reference should show the date when the material was
downloaded and must show the precise web page, not the search engine used to locate it. This can be
copied from the address line. For example:
(http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/16/sosteacher/history/49766.shtml), downloaded 5 February 2016.
You may be required to include a bibliography at the end of your work. Your teacher or lecturer will
tell you whether a bibliography is necessary. Where required, your bibliography must list the full
details of publications you have used in your research, even where these are not directly referred to,
for example: Morrison, A. (2000) ‘Mary, Queen of Scots’, London: Weston Press.
If you copy the words or ideas of others and don’t show your sources in references
and a bibliography, this will be considered as cheating.
1
Preparing your work – good practice
If you receive help and guidance from someone other than your teacher, you must tell your teacher
who will then record the nature of the assistance given to you.
If you worked as part of a group on an assignment, for example, undertaking field research, you must
each write up your own account of the assignment. Even if the data you have is the same, the
description of how that data was obtained and the conclusions you draw from it should be in your own
words.
You must meet the deadlines that your teacher gives you. Remember - your teachers are there to
guide you. Although they cannot give you direct assistance, they can help you to sort out any
problems before it is too late.
Take care of your work and keep it safe. Don’t leave it lying around where your classmates can find it.
You must always keep your work secure and confidential whilst you are preparing it; do not share it
with your classmates. If it is stored on the computer network, keep your password secure. Collect all
copies from the printer and destroy those you don’t need.
Don’t be tempted to use essays from on-line essay banks — this is cheating. Electronic tools used by
awarding bodies can detect this sort of copying.
You must not write inappropriate, offensive or obscene material.
Plagiarism
Plagiarism involves taking someone else’s words, thoughts or ideas and trying to pass them off as your
own. It is a form of cheating which is taken very seriously.
Don’t think you won’t be caught; there are many ways to detect plagiarism.

Markers can spot changes in the style of writing and use of language.

Markers are highly experienced subject specialists who are very familiar with work on the topic
concerned — they may have read the source you are using (or even marked the essay you have
copied from!).

Internet search engines and specialised computer software can be used to match phrases or pieces
of text with original sources and to detect changes in the grammar and style of writing or
punctuation.
Penalties for breaking the regulations
If your work is submitted and it is discovered that you have broken the regulations, one of the
following penalties will be applied:

the piece of work will be awarded zero marks;

you will be disqualified from that unit for the examination series in question;

you will be disqualified from the whole subject for that examination series;

you will be disqualified from all subjects and barred from entering again for a period of time.
Your awarding body will decide which penalty is appropriate.
REMEMBER – IT’S YOUR QUALIFICATION SO IT NEEDS TO BE YOUR OWN WORK
©2015
2
This notice has been produced on behalf of:
AQA, City & Guilds, CCEA, OCR, Pearson and WJEC
Information for candidates
GCE, ELC and Project qualifications - coursework assessments
This document tells you about some things that you must, and must not do when you are
completing coursework.
When you submit any coursework for marking, you will be asked to sign an authentication
statement confirming that you have read and followed these regulations.
If there is anything that you do not understand, you must ask your teacher or lecturer.
Coursework provides you with an opportunity to do some independent research into a topic.
The research you do will involve looking for information in published sources such as textbooks,
encyclopedias, journals, TV, radio, and on the internet.
Using information from published sources (including the internet) as the basis for your coursework is a
good way to demonstrate your knowledge and understanding of a subject. You must take care how
you use this material though - you cannot copy it and claim it as your own work.
The regulations state that:
“the work which you submit for assessment must be your own”;
“you must not copy from someone else or allow another candidate to copy from you”.
If you use the same wording as a published source, you must place quotation marks around the
passage and state where it came from. This is called “referencing”. You must make sure that you give
detailed references for everything in your work which is not in your own words. A reference from a
printed book or journal should show the name of the author, the year of publication and the page
number, for example: (Morrison, 2000, pg.29).
For material taken from the internet, your reference should show the date when the material was
downloaded and must show the precise web page, not the search engine used to locate it. This can be
copied from the address line. For example:
(http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/16/sosteacher/history/49766.shtml), downloaded 5 February 2016.
You must also include a bibliography at the end of your work. This must list the full details of
publications you have used in your research, even where these are not directly referred to, for
example: Morrison, A. (2000) “Mary, Queen of Scots”, London: Weston Press.
If you copy the words or ideas of others and don’t show your sources in references
and a bibliography, this will be considered as cheating.
1
Preparing your coursework – good practice
If you receive help and guidance from someone other than your teacher, you must tell your teacher
who will then record the nature of the assistance given to you.
Your parent/carer may provide you with access to resource materials and discuss your coursework with
you. However, they must not give you direct advice on what should and should not be included.
If you worked as part of a group on an assignment, for example, undertaking field research, you must
each write up your own account of the assignment. Even if the data you have is the same, the
description of how that data was obtained and the conclusions you drew from it should be in your own
words.
You must meet the deadlines that your teacher gives you. Remember - your teachers are there to
guide you. Although they cannot give you direct assistance, they can help you to sort out any
problems before it is too late.
Take care of your work and keep it safe. Don’t leave it lying around where your classmates can find it.
You must always keep your coursework secure and confidential whilst you are preparing it; do not
share it with your classmates. If it is stored on the computer network, keep your password secure.
Collect all copies from the printer and destroy those you don’t need.
Don’t be tempted to use essays from on-line essay banks — this is cheating. Electronic tools used by
awarding bodies can detect this sort of copying.
You must not write inappropriate, offensive or obscene material.
Plagiarism
Plagiarism involves taking someone else’s words, thoughts or ideas and trying to pass them off as your
own. It is a form of cheating which is taken very seriously.
Don’t think you won’t be caught; there are many ways to detect plagiarism.

Markers can spot changes in the style of writing and use of language.

Markers are highly experienced subject specialists who are very familiar with work on the topic
concerned — they may have read the source you are using (or even marked the essay you have
copied from!).

Internet search engines and specialised computer software can be used to match phrases or pieces
of text with original sources and to detect changes in the grammar and style of writing or
punctuation.
Penalties for breaking the regulations
If your work is submitted and it is discovered that you have broken the regulations, one of the
following penalties will be applied:

the piece of work will be awarded zero marks;

you will be disqualified from that unit for that examination series;

you will be disqualified from the whole subject for that examination series;

you will be disqualified from all subjects and barred from entering again for a period of time.
Your awarding body will decide which penalty is appropriate.
REMEMBER – IT’S YOUR QUALIFICATION SO IT NEEDS TO BE YOUR OWN WORK
2
AQA
City & Guilds
CCEA
OCR
Pearson
WJEC
Information for candidates
Guidelines when referring to examinations/assessments through the
Internet
This document has been written to help you. Please read it carefully.
We all like to share our experiences when taking examinations. However, it is important to consider
what you say. Your comments may lead to an investigation for malpractice and result in the
application of a penalty.
Awarding bodies monitor social media and websites. They do not wish to see candidates jeopardise
their marks or grades as there are significant consequences for anyone caught breaching the rules for
examinations, controlled assessment or coursework.
The rules are set by the Joint Council for QualificationsCIC (JCQCIC) on behalf of all the awarding
bodies and can be found at: http://www.jcq.org.uk/exams-office/malpractice
Examples of statements or activities that will lead to a malpractice investigation include:
•
•
•
•
•
•
copying or allowing work to be copied – i.e. posting written work on social networking sites
prior to an examination/assessment;
collusion: working collaboratively with other candidates beyond what is permitted;
allowing others to help produce your work or helping others with theirs;
being in possession of confidential material in advance of the examination;
exchanging, obtaining, receiving or passing on information by any means of communication
(even if just attempting to);
passing on rumours of exam content from another candidate.
This list is not exhaustive. Other instances of candidate malpractice may be considered
by an awarding body.
If you are found guilty of breaching any of these rules you could find yourself facing:
•
•
•
•
a warning;
the loss of marks for a section, component or unit;
disqualification from a unit, all units or qualifications; or
a ban from sitting exams for a set period of time.
You must familiarise yourself with the rules:
http://www.jcq.org.uk/exams-office/information-for-candidates-documents
Take care to avoid possible malpractice and the application of a penalty.
JCQcic 2014
Produced on behalf of: AQA, City & Guilds, CCEA, OCR, Pearson and WJEC
Information for candidates – Privacy Notice
General and Vocational qualifications
The JCQ awarding bodies will process your personal data in accordance with the Data Protection Act
1998 and the Code of Practice issued by the qualification regulators of England, Wales and Northern
Ireland.
Awarding bodies will undertake the following administrative activities in relation to the processing and
exchange of candidates’ personal data:
1. Personal data relating to the name(s), date of birth, gender, unique candidate identifier (UCI) and
unique learner number (ULN) of an individual candidate will always be collected by an awarding
body for the purposes of examining and awarding qualifications. In some cases additional
information, which may include sensitive personal data relating to health, will also be collected to
support requests for access arrangements and reasonable adjustments and/or special
consideration. Such personal data will be supplemented by the results of examinations and
assessments undertaken by the respective candidate.
2. A candidate’s personal data will only be collected from registered examination centres in the
context of examination entries and/or certification claims.
3. Such data collected will not be used by an awarding body other than for the administration of the
examinations process, conducting assessments and the certification of results claims.
4. Personal data within candidates’ work will be collected and processed by an awarding body for
the purposes of marking, issuing of examination results and providing candidates with access to
post-results services. Examination results will be retained for a minimum of forty years.
In order for an awarding body to achieve this, some personal information may be transferred to
third parties such as examiners, who may in some instances, reside outside the European
Economic Area.
1
5. Awarding bodies may be required to provide a candidate’s personal data to educational agencies
such as DfE, WG, DENI, The Skills Funding Agency, Ofqual, HESA, UCAS, Local Authorities, EFA
and Learning Records Service (LRS). Additionally, candidates’ personal data may be provided to a
central record of qualifications approved by the awarding bodies for statistical and policy
development purposes.
6. Some of the information candidates supply will be used by the Skills Funding Agency to fulfil its
statutory functions, issue/verify a candidate’s Unique Learner Number (ULN) and update/check a
candidate’s Personal Learning Record.
The Skills Funding Agency may share a candidate’s ULN and Personal Learning Record with other
education related organisations, such as a careers service, a candidate’s school or college,
Government Departments and public bodies responsible for education. Further details of how
information is processed and shared can be found at:
http://www.learningrecordsservice.org.uk/
7. Awarding bodies are obliged to confirm what personal data is held, what it is held for, to whom
the data are to/may be disclosed, and disclose the information that they hold about data
subjects, (e.g. the candidates) within 40 days of receiving a formal request for disclosure, subject
to the application of any relevant exemptions under the Data Protection Act 1998.
Candidates should make an application to the appropriate awarding body’s data protection officer.
Awarding bodies may charge a fee for this service.
8. If you have not reached the age of 16, you may first wish to discuss this Privacy Notice with your
parent or legal guardian.
Awarding bodies, schools, Department for Education (DfE), Welsh Government (WG), Department of
Education Northern Ireland (DENI), Local Authorities, the Office of the Qualifications and
Examinations Regulation (Ofqual), Ofsted, and Skills Funding Agency (SFA) are all ‘data controllers’
under the Data Protection Act 1998 in that they determine the purpose(s) for which ‘personal data’
(information about living individuals from which they can be identified) is processed and the way in
which that processing is undertaken.
It is a requirement for data controllers to provide data subjects (individuals who are the subject of
personal data) with details of who they are, the purposes for which they process the personal data,
and any other information that is necessary to make the processing of the personal data secure and
accurate, including any third parties to whom it may be passed to.
2
AQA
City & Guilds
CCEA
OCR
Pearson
WJEC
NO iPODs, iWATCHES,
MOBILE PHONES,
MP3/4 PLAYERS
NO POTENTIAL
TECHNOLOGICAL/WEB ENABLED
SOURCES OF INFORMATION
Possession of unauthorised items, such as a mobile
phone, is a serious offence and could result in
DISQUALIFICATION
from your examination and your overall
qualification.
This poster must be displayed in a prominent place outside each examination room.
©2015