Private Candidate Exams Handbook June 2017

Transcription

1 St Albans Girls School Specialist Business and Enterprise Academy Head Teacher: Mrs M C Chapman Sandridgebury Lane, St Albans, Herts, AL3 6DB Tel: Fax: admin@stags.herts.sch.uk Learning for Life in a Community where all can Excel Private Candidate Exams Handbook June 2017 Name: T.Ward Date: 4 th November 2016 Version: 2016/2017 v.1

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3 INTRODUCTION A private candidate is someone who pursues a course of study independently but takes an examination or assessment at an approved examination centre. A private candidate may be a part-time student, someone taking a distance learning course, or someone being tutored privately. Please note that this guide is not applicable to students who wish to retake an exam the year immediately after they have sat an exam at St Albans Girls School. Exam time can be a busy and stressful time for candidates. In addition to the pressure of studying, the processes surrounding exams are complex and can change from year to year. Though awarding bodies support private candidates the Exam Officer at the Exam Centre will be your first port of call. This handbook aims to provide some useful information to help guide candidates through the exam period at St Albans Girls School and to provide answers to frequently asked questions. Please take time to read through this handbook before submitting your entry and sitting your exam. As the Exam Officer I am happy to help with any questions or concerns. Members of the Exam Office can be contact by telephone on: x 260 or by , TW@stags.herts.sch.uk. Theo Ward Examinations Officer T:\Staff Resources\Exams\Private Candidates 2016\Private Candidate Handbooks\JCQ\Private Candidate Exam Handbook June 2017.docx2

4 GENERAL ADVICE Places offered to private candidates are limited. Preliminary entries DO NOT guarantee you will be accommodated at this centre. St Albans Girls School is unable to accept any of the following: Any CIE qualification Any GCSE or GCE qualification which includes Controlled Assessment or Practical Assessments It is essential that you check the Awarding Body websites to ensure you are clear on what subjects have controlled assessment elements. AQA OCR Pearson WJEC A list of subjects available to private candidates for June 2017 at St Albans Girls School can be found below: GCE A2 GCE AS GCSE Subject Awarding Body Subject Awarding Body Subject Awarding Body Business Pearson Classical AQA Computing OCR Studies Edexcel Civilisation Economics Pearson Edexcel Further Maths Pearson Edexcel Mathematics Pearson Edexcel English AQA Govt and OCR Religious OCR Literature Politics Studies Further Pearson Religious OCR English AQA Maths Edexcel Studies Literature Geography Pearson Psychology AQA Sociology AQA Edexcel (resit) Govt and OCR Sociology OCR Politics (resit) Maths Pearson Classical AQA Edexcel Civilisation Psychology AQA RS OCR Sociology AQA T:\Staff Resources\Exams\Private Candidates 2016\Private Candidate Handbooks\JCQ\Private Candidate Exam Handbook June 2017.docx3

5 CENTRE NUMBER Our centre number is: IDENTIFICATION You must bring photo identification with you on the day of your exam. This is a JCQ requirement (ICE Booklet Section 9). JCQ state that: In cases where it is impossible to identify a candidate due to the wearing of religious clothing, such as a veil, the candidate should be approached by a member of staff of the same gender and taken to a private room where they should be politely asked to remove the religious clothing for identification purposes. Once identification has been established, the candidate should replace, for example, their veil and proceed as normal to sit the exam. EXAM ENTRY PROCEDURE Once you have completed all the sections of the Private Candidate Examination. All forms must be submitted with Photo identification, such as Driving Licence and/or Passport and full payment. Should you not possess a current and valid passport or driving licence with photo you MUST complete the AQA Private Candidate Identification form which can be found on the AQA website or found in the Appendices. The form needs to be witnessed and you must provide two passport-sized photographs. Details of exam costs can be found in the Appendices. Please submit your entry form by the 13 th December Once you have submitted your entry form a meeting will be arranged with you, at a mutually convenient time, and a member of the Exam Office to talk through the Examination Procedures, before any decision will be made regarding the acceptance of your application. Once entries have been made all candidates will receive a Statement of Entry. You are responsible for ensuring the Exams Office receives all your entry/entries information on time. It is your responsibility to check the Statement of Entry and inform the Exams Office of any necessary amendments within seven days of receipt. Subsequently to entries being made to the Awarding Bodies you will receive a Personal Timetable with details of the time of your exam and your seating arrangements. You will also receive a Candidate Handbook. EXAM TIMETABLE Be sure you understand your personal timetable as it is YOUR responsibility to turn up for your exams on the right day and the right time If you miss an exam or are very late you cannot take it on another day. T:\Staff Resources\Exams\Private Candidates 2016\Private Candidate Handbooks\JCQ\Private Candidate Exam Handbook June 2017.docx4

6 A Candidate is considered very late if they arrive one hour after the published starting time of the exam. If a candidate arrives very late for an examination they will be able to sit the exam however the Awarding Body may not accept their work. If a candidate is still living at home and has been marked as absent for an exam, they may be able to attend later on in the day. The school must be contacted and the carer/parent has to ensure the candidate has been supervised at all times until their arrival at school. The Awarding Body will consider each case individually in light of statements from the parent/carer, the candidate and the centre. For exams that last less than one hour, a candidate will be considered very late if they arrive after the awarding body s published finishing time. If a candidate is absent for an exam due to unforeseen circumstances please notify the school immediately. Exam Absences: If you are unable to attend the centre for an exam please notify the Exam Office as soon as possible. Please ring and Selection Option 1 (Exams). Ensure the voic message includes your name, reason for absence and contact number. TIMES OF EXAMS It is essential that you arrive in good time for your exam. Examinations take place in the school Sports Hall and in designated satellite rooms. On site parking is available. On arrival you MUST present yourself at the main school reception. You will need to sign in and you will be issued with a visitor badge. You will be asked to present Photo Identification on arrival both in reception and in the Exam Hall. You will then be escorted down to the Sports Hall by a member of the Exams Office. Candidates will be supervised by a member of Exam Office until the start of the examination. Morning exams start at 8:45am and afternoon exams start at 13:15. It takes time to seat all the candidates and you are therefore advised to be in the Sports Hall Foyer by 8:30am and 13:00pm. BEFORE EXAMS Candidates line up outside their Exam rooms. When asked to be silent all candidates are under exam conditions. It is essential that any external candidates ensure they abide by the exam procedures in place at St Albans Girls School. Candidates are called into the exam room by rows. IN THE EXAM ROOM You must be silent the whole time that you are in the exam room. You must not communicate with others in any way: no talking, passing notes, turning around, waving etc. Check your examination paper at the beginning to make sure that you T:\Staff Resources\Exams\Private Candidates 2016\Private Candidate Handbooks\JCQ\Private Candidate Exam Handbook June 2017.docx5

7 have the correct paper and all the parts of the paper that you are supposed to have for the examination. Tell the invigilator immediately if you find something wrong with the paper. If you need to ask a question, or if you drop anything, you must put up your hand. You are not allowed to leave the exam room to go to the toilet, unless it is an emergency, so make sure you go before the exam starts! You cannot leave the room if you finish your paper early and when you do leave the exam you must remain silent until you are well away from the exam room as there will be other students still completing their exams. Private candidates will be escorted back to the main school reception at the end of their exam. You must sign out and return your visitor s badge before leaving the school premises. SEATING Most exams will take place in the Sports Hall, Leadership Centre or in specific classrooms. You will be allocated a seat for each exam and it is very important that you sit in the correct seat. The seating and rooming plans for each day are displayed on the noticeboards in the Sports Hall Foyer. Details of your seating are also available in your Personalised Timetable, which can be found in the Appendices of this document. Each exam table will have a candidate card on it with your name, date of birth, photo and candidate number. It is essential that you have Photo Identification with you and this must be placed on your exam desk before the exam starts. EXAM ROOM LAYOUT AND EXAM STARTING PROCEDURES The exam tables are set up in rows in the Sports Hall. Row labels can be found on the walls (in the Sports Hall) and each desk has a desk label with the seat number on it. At the front of the Sports Hall you will see 3 screens which will show you the start and finish times of exams. Your exam papers will be on the exam tables as you come in. Once everyone is seated a starting message will be read out by the designated person starting the exam. This is normally a member of the Senior Leadership Team or the Exam Officer. Specific exam instructions are then read out. It is essential that you check you have the correct paper and that you have the correct tier, if relevant. If you are unsure please put your hand up to ask a member of staff. EXAM STATIONERY Details of the paper and your candidate number will be on your desk label. Make sure that you enter the correct candidate number onto your exam paper as papers are sorted by number, not name! Extra sheets must be numbered, named and have your candidate number on. At the end of the exam you may need to record the numbers of the questions you have answered. Any rough work must be handed in with your answers. Cross out with a single line any work that you do not want marked. You must not use any tippex or another ink eraser. You are not allowed to use highlighters or gel pens. T:\Staff Resources\Exams\Private Candidates 2016\Private Candidate Handbooks\JCQ\Private Candidate Exam Handbook June 2017.docx6

8 FINISHING EXAMS When your exam is finished you will be asked to stop writing by the invigilator. You must stop writing immediately even if you are in the middle of a sentence or have not finished a word. You will be asked to check that you have written all the necessary information on your exam scripts and extra stationery. Your exam papers will be collected by the invigilators. Remember you will still be under exam conditions therefore you must remain seated in silence. You will be dismissed from the exam room by rows. During many exam sessions there are a number of different exams taking place in the Sports Hall with differing finishing times. It is very important that you remain silent and leave the exam room as quietly as possible. Exam dismissal times can be very disruptive for those candidates still working. PERSONAL BELONGINGS Please note that personal belongings cannot be brought into the exam room. Any valuables may be left in the Sports Hall changing room lockers is required to operate the lockers. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS WHAT ARE THE EXAM RULES & REGULATIONS? All candidates should read the JCQ Information for Candidates documents (written exams and on-screen tests). These provide guidance on the required conduct in exams. WHAT SHOULD I WEAR? You are advised to wear comfortable and appropriate clothing. St Albans Girls School reserves the right to refuse admittance to a Private Candidate on the day of the exam. WHAT SHOULD I BRING WITH ME? There may not be any spare equipment in the exam room and you cannot borrow from someone else once the exam has started, so be prepared! YOU SHOULD BRING: YOU MAY BRING: YOU CANNOT BRING: Pens (must be black ink) Maths equipment (if applicable) Calculators (if applicable) Pencils, rubber, ruler Coloured pencils (if applicable) Clear pencil case Small bottle water (label removed) Medication eg. Inhaler Tissues (no packaging) Locker keys Electronic devices Earphones Watches of any type Purse/Wallet Cans of drink Coat Notes Calculator lids Food/chewing gum T:\Staff Resources\Exams\Private Candidates 2016\Private Candidate Handbooks\JCQ\Private Candidate Exam Handbook June 2017.docx7

9 Electronic Devices Mobile phone and other electronic devices should not be taken into an exam room. No digital watches are allowed. If you do take an electronic device into an exam, it must be switched off, handed in to an invigilator who will give you a ticket and place it in a plastic wallet. You will be able to collect it at the end of the exam. Failure to do this could result in disqualification from the current exam and overall qualification WHAT IF I AM UNWELL? If you are very ill and not fit to take the exam please inform the Exam Office. Medical certification is required from your Doctor and this will then be sent to the Awarding Body and they may grant Special Consideration. For terminal examinations or units that cannot be re-entered a JCQ/ME-Form14 must be completed. A copy of this form can be found in the Appendices. WHEN WILL I GET MY RESULTS? Your results will be available at the centre from 10:00am on the following days: A Levels (AS and A2) - 17 th August 2017 GCSE - 24 th August 2017 Your results can be collected or posted to you. Ensure you complete Section 5 of the Examination Entry Form to confirm where you would like your results sent. WHAT IF I AM NOT HAPPY WITH MY RESULTS? If you feel that your result is much lower than expected there are two post-results services available, both will cost you money and have very strict deadlines: You can request scripts and remarks through the centre or DIRECTLY with the Awarding Bodies. The centre will charge an administrative fee of which will be in addition to the cost of the service as charged by the exam board concerned. You will receive a centre EAR request form with your results. A sample of this can be found in the Appendices. JCQ guidelines stipulate that: Awarding bodies will accept an application for access to scripts or an enquiry about results directly from a private candidate. However, an awarding body will ask for proof of identity to be established and may also ask for the appropriate fee to be paid before the request is processed. Private candidates also have the option of seeking an application through their centre in the first instance. The private candidate may appeal to the awarding body if he/she remains dissatisfied after the outcome of an enquiry about results. In any communication with an awarding body, the private candidate should make it clear that he/she is a private candidate. When completing the JCQ EAR form, the private candidate T:\Staff Resources\Exams\Private Candidates 2016\Private Candidate Handbooks\JCQ\Private Candidate Exam Handbook June 2017.docx8

10 should record their name in the centre name field and fill in their address. He/she must sign the form and must include the fee for the service with the request form. Where private candidates are applying directly to an awarding body, the relevant awarding body should be contacted in advance of the respective deadline date so that a copy of the JCQ EAR form may be obtained. (JCQ Post-Results Services - Access to scripts You can ask to have your script returned so that you can see where you lost and gained marks. Re-Mark You can ask to have a paper re-marked, BUT your mark can go DOWN, UP OR STAY THE SAME. well as up. WHEN WILL I GET MY CERTIFICATES? Certificates will be available from November Certificates can be collected from the centre in person or they can be posted to you for a charge of T:\Staff Resources\Exams\Private Candidates 2016\Private Candidate Handbooks\JCQ\Private Candidate Exam Handbook June 2017.docx9

11 St Albans Girls School Specialist Business and Enterprise Academy Appendices Appendix 1 Appendix 2 Appendix 3 Appendix 4 Appendix 5 Appendix 6 Private Candidate Exam Costs JCQ Self Certification Form JCQ written information for candidates AQA private identification form Enquiry, consent and payment sample form Personalised Timetable T:\Staff Resources\Exams\Private Candidates 2016\Private Candidate Handbooks\JCQ\Private Candidate Exam Handbook June 2017.docx10

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13 A2 Subject Awarding Body Subject Award Specification Code Examined Units Unit Fee No of Units Total Cost Business Studies Edexcel 9BS0 9BS0 9BS0/01, 9BS0/02, 9BS0/ Economics Edexcel 9EC0 9EC0 9EC/01, 9EC/02, 9EC/ English Literature OCR H472 Unit 01, 02, Further Maths Edexcel , 6678, Geography Edexcel 9GE01 9GE01 6GE03, 6GE Govt and Politics (Resit) OCR H495 H495 F853, F Maths Edexcel , 6666, Psychology (Final Resit Opportunity) AQA PSYA3, PSYA Psychology AQA /1, 7182/2, 7182/ RS (Resit) OCR H572 H572 G581, G Sociology OCR /1, 7192/2, 7192/ Sociology (Resit) OCR H581 H581 G673, G AS Classical Civilisation AQA CIV1A, CIV2A Further Maths Edexcel , 6684, Geography Edexcel 8GE01 8GE01 6GE01, 6GE Government and Politics Edexcel 8GP01 8GP01 6GP01, 6GP Psychology (Final Resit opportunity) AQA 1181 PSYA1, PSYA Mathematics Edexcel , 6664, RS (Resits) OCR H172 H172 G571, G GCSE Computing OCR J275 J275 A451, A452. A Mathematics Edexcel 1MA0 Foundation Mathematics Edexcel 1MA0 Higher Mathematics Edexcel 1MA1 Foundation Mathematics Edexcel 1MA1 Higher English Literature AQA 8702 Paper 1 and Paper Religious Studies OCR J621 J621 B601, B602, B603, B Fees are not refundable. T:\Staff Resources\Exams\Private Candidates 2016\Private Candidate Handbooks\JCQ\Private Candidate Exam Handbook June 2017.docx12

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