Exam FAQs

A general timetable of written exams will be posted on our website during the spring term; just select the Exam Timetables tab. Separate arrangements are made for oral and practical exams (your teachers will advise you of these).

Your personal timetable will be emailed to you in the weeks leading up to the exam, and a hard copy provided by your form tutor.

You will be issued with a timetable via your form tutor towards the end of the spring term (usually), and an electronic copy emailed to you, too.

Information you must CHECK

  • Check that you have been entered for the correct units (and that none are missing).
  • Check your date of birth and that we have the correct spelling of your name. This should be your full, legal name.

If anything is incorrect, or missing, please see the school Exam Officer (found in main reception), or email exams@stbedes.cambs.sch.uk.

Keep the timetable as you'll need to refer to this throughout the exam period.

Most GCSE exams take place in the sports hall and media room. Some students may sit exams separately if additional access arrangements are required, such as the need for a reader or prompt.

You can find seating plan templates for the sports hall, media room and sports hall classroom by clicking on the page (Seating Plans). When exam timetables are made available to you, seat numbers will be provided. You can therefore look up your seat using the templates provided in the Seating Plans page.

You should check these in advance and notify the Exam Officer if you notice any errors, or have specific queries.

We also place paper copies of seating plans by the exit of the canteen, on the sports hall main entrance and on the sports hall door itself, on the morning of each exam.

 

For information about access arrangements, see below.

We will already be aware of exam clashes and will work out a strategy for you.  However if you notice a clash first, please contact the exams office (exams@stbedes.cambs.sch.uk), or go to main reception and ask to speak to the Exam Officer. Special arrangements will be made for you to fit the exams into the day.

Morning exams begin at 9:15am and afternoon exams begin at 1:00pm. On some occasions, exams may begin at a different time in order to accommodate potential clashes, which will be shown on your specific exam timetable.

You should aim to arrive at least 10 minutes before the start of each exam. You should wait outside the main sports hall entrance or, if wet, in the year 11 dining area underneath the canopy.

Prior to this, you should ensure you have gone to the toilet and put your bag and other belongings (including, most importantly, your phone and watch) inside your locker.

If you realise you are going to be late, you should telephone the school (01223 568816), so that we know you are on your way.

Generally, the key advice is not to panic! Sometimes students are late for reasons beyond their control, and there is a little leeway to deal with such circumstances.

What happens depends on how late you are, as the exam providers do have strict rules about whether you can sit the exam or not. In most instances, you may be allowed to start the exam a little late, but, in the case of arriving very late, you may not be allowed to sit that paper, which would mean that you wouldn't get a grade.

If travelling by school bus and you realise you are going to be late, don't worry, the bus company will have informed us. We are able to stall the start of the exam for a small period of time if we know in advance that a number of students are going to be late. We still advise you to contact the school, however, using the number above.

Generally, if unsure, you should try to come in and sit the exam. Some students might feel ill, but may only be due to the (understandable) stress of sitting an exam.

If you are unable to sit an exam due to illness however, please contact the school as soon as possible as soon as you are aware (01223 568816). It's likely you will need to provide us with medical evidence, such as a note from your doctor, in order to support our discussions with the exam providers.

It is each student's responsibility to have the correct equipment for each exam.

You should have black pens (biros, not gel pens), and it's a good idea to have a couple of spare pens, too.  You may also need pencils, a ruler, a calculator (unless specified otherwise), erasers, compass and protractor.

If you bring a pencil case, it must be a clear plastic one, and should not contain any pieces of paper/notes. Below is a useful checklist for students, produced by JCQ:

Checklist for students: On your exam day

 

You are permitted to bring water into the exam - in fact, it's recommended to keep good hydration levels throughout exams to help the brain function optimally. It can only be water, however, and must be in a clear bottle with no labels or markings. Any other bottle will be confiscated, as per JCQ guidelines.

You cannot bring food into the exam hall, unless for medical reasons (that should be discussed with and agreed by us, prior to the start of the exams).

It's really important to ensure you have a healthy and balanced diet through the exam period, including a good breakfast and lunch, each day.

All year 11 students will be permitted non-school uniform and should follow the usual guidelines for appropriate clothing.

It's recommended that students wear comfortable clothing and suitable for the conditions on the day, for what may be a lengthy exam.

Hats, coats scarves and gloves will not be permitted.

Certificates for Summer exams are given out during the St Bede's Prize Evening, which is typically held in the December following the exam results.

If you are unable to attend your Prize Evening, then we can post your certificates to you via recorded delivery. Please contact exams@stbedes.cambs.sch.uk should you need to discuss further.

Access Arrangements for Exams

Access arrangements are reasonable adjustments designed to give equal opportunities to all students to demonstrate their skills, knowledge, or understanding in exams.

Access arrangements do NOT give students an unfair advantage. They are intended to help students showcase their knowledge, expertise and comprehension during exams.

Access arrangements are not one-size-fits-all. Each student has unique needs so it is essential that any access arrangement put in place enables them to overcome any disadvantage that they might otherwise experience in relation to their peers, without the arrangements in place.

Any student is eligible for consideration for access arrangements. Please contact our SEND team for more information.

 

Normal Way of Working

Access arrangements are only confirmed once it has been shown that a student requires them as part of their normal way of working in internal exams, assessments, mock exams and classroom work. These will normally have to be in place for at least an academic year (normally throughout key stage 4), before being accepted by JCQ as a normal way of working in relation to access arrangements for exams.

Schools are required to demonstrate that any application to the Joint Council of Qualification (JCQ) awarding body for access arrangements is supported by evidence that the arrangements represent the student's normal way of working.

Teachers, parents/carers and students may make referrals for exams access arrangements, throughout their time in school.

 

Types of Access Arrangements

The most common types of access arrangement are:

1. Supervised rest breaks (SRB):

These are a fairly flexible arrangement which can look different for each student, depending on need. For example, a student with visual difficulties may need a minute or so to rest their eyes, or a student with ADHD may need a movement break.

The rules for SRBs, as stated by JCQ:

  • The timing of the examination for that student should be paused and re-started, when the candidate is ready to continue
  • During the supervised rest break the candidate must not have access to the question/answer booklet
  • The purpose of a supervised rest break is for a break from the examination and should not be used as 'thinking time'
  • Students can remain seated at the desk, or leave the room. This must be done with as little disruption as possible to other students
  • If the candidate needs to leave the examination room, an invigilator must accompany the candidate
2. Extra time (25% or 50%):

The JCQ state that, for students with medical conditions (for example, ADHD, Autism, a physical need, a SEMH need) we need to trial SRBs before granting 25% extra time.

If a student meets the threshold (through official testing or for specific medical conditions) for extra time then students should be eligible for 25% extra time (as long as it aligns with their normal way of working, as explained above).

Students with more significant needs can, on occasion, be granted 50% extra time in exams provided certain strict criteria are met. For more information, please contact our SEND team or EXAMS office.

3. Separate invigilation/small group room:

On rare occasions, students may be permitted to sit examinations away from the exam hall. This may be due to a medical need, or through the need of a reader, prompt or human scribe (see below), which may otherwise distract other students.

Students will not be allowed to request a separate room for exam stress or anxiety, which is recognised as normal for many students sitting examinations. Please contact the Head of Year should you have concerns in this particular regard, who will be able to offer support.

4. Word processor/laptop:

Some students will require a word processor in order to be able to present their answers clearly. Students will be used to working this way for all assessments prior to sitting their exams. Some students will work in the main examination hall with a word processor, while some will be seated in a separate room (see above). All students will know in advance which room they will be sitting their exams in, prior to the exam period.

A small checklist will be provided with each exam laptop for students to follow regarding how to safely save their work at the end of each exam.

5. Reading pen and assistive technology, such as voice-to-text software:

Some students will require assistance in reading the questions, or recording their answers, in order to demonstrate their knowledge. Students will be used to working this way for all assessments prior to sitting their exams. As above, some students will work in the main examination hall with a reader pen and headphones, for example, while some will be seated in a separate room if for voice-to-text software (see above). Again, all students will know in advance which room they will be sitting their exams in, prior to the exam period.

 

How do we identify students who may require access arrangements?

The most common way for a student to be identified for an access arrangement is via referral from a classroom teacher (who knows them best), to our dedicated SEND team. Additionally, all students are screened at the beginning of year 9, which enables us to identify any potential, hidden need. Our SEND team will communicate information about this to you, as parents, when your child reaches year 9.