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Parents FAQs

What if my personal details are incorrect on my exam timetable or if I am entered for the wrong exam?
It is vital that you check all the information on your exam timetable. If your personal details are not correct, they will appear incorrectly on your certificates. If you think you are entered for the wrong exam please let the Exams Officer know as soon as possible and before the exams start. If you do not let the Exams Office know, you may not be able to take your exam.
What if I have an interview/course/training session/sports event during my exams?
Only if you represent your country at an International level in sport, will you be allowed to re‐schedule your exam. You should talk to the exams office as soon as possible.
What if I have two exams at the same time?
If you have 2 exams timetabled at the same time and the total time is less than 3 hours you will have to
sit these exams one straight after the other. However if the total length of both exams exceeds 3 hours, you will take one exam in the morning and the other in the afternoon. You will be supervised all the time between the two exams and you will not be able to have communication with anyone, including using the internet or your phone.
You should see the exams officer to sort out the arrangements as soon as you can after receiving your timetable.
Where do the exams take place?
Normally the exams take place in either Riding Hall, Riding Gym, The Space or KDS.

You can find out where your exam is taking place and your seat number by checking your timetable. If you are in Riding hall or gym you should wait outside the music area before your exam. All of your belongings will be left in the Riding Dining area where they will be supervised.

Outside the music area, there are also lists of every exam taking place that day that show which room the exam is in, as well as which seat you should sit in. Exams may also take place in the Hub or Classrooms. If your name is not on any seating list, you must inform an invigilator or exams officer straight away.
Do I have to wear school uniform?
If you are taking your GCSE exams and are in year 11, you must wear school uniform for all your exams.
What time do the exams start?
Morning exams start at 9.00am and afternoon exams start at 1.30pm. We ask students to arrive at least 10 minutes before the exams start to ensure the exams begin on time.
Can I bring food and drink into the exam?
Only bottled water may be taken into an exam room. This must be in a clear bottle with the label taken off and should be placed on the floor under your exam desk. The only exception to this is on medical grounds e.g. if you are diabetic.
Can I take my mobile phone into the exam room?
No. Mobile phones, MP3/4 players, iPods, smart watches or any other potential technological or web based enabled sources of information are not allowed in the exam room. Possession of any unauthorised items, such as these, is a serious offence and could result in disqualification from your exam and your overall qualification.

Please leave these at home on exam days. If you bring them into school, you must leave them in the designated room for bags and coats, which will be supervised. If you bring any of these items into the exam room, you must hand them to an invigilator before the start of the exam. They will be kept safely and returned to you after the exam.
Can I leave the exam room if I finish early?
Candidates are not allowed to leave the exam room early. If you finish early, you should use the time to check your work.
Can I ask questions?
You cannot ask the invigilators questions relating to the content of the exam paper. Invigilators can only read you the instructions on the front cover of the paper. However, if you think there is something missing from your paper, please tell an invigilator who can then investigate with the Exams Officer.

Also please let an invigilator know if you have the wrong paper in front of you, or you have any other
issues during the exam.
What happens if I am late?
If you arrive late, you are still allowed to sit the paper and have the full allowance of time. However, if you arrive more than an hour late, the school has to report this to the Exam board and they may decide that your work cannot be accepted.
What if I am too ill to take the exam?
If you are too ill to take an exam you should ring the school by 8.30am to say you are not attending. You will need to produce a note from a parent/carer or member of staff. Under extenuating circumstances we may be able to arrange for you to take your exam at home or at the hospital. Where you miss an exam through illness, you will not be able to sit the exam later in the same exam season.
What if I feel ill during an exam?
If you are taken ill during the exam, please raise your hand and wait for an invigilator to come to you. You can leave the exam room under supervision, and return to the room when you feel able to. You will be allowed any time you have missed. If you have a cold or suffer from hay fever, bring plenty of tissues.
What is special consideration?
Special consideration is an adjustment to your mark or grade that the exam boards may make. This is only done in exceptional circumstances to reflect temporary injury, illness or other indisposition at the time of the exam/assessment. Before the school can submit the form to the Exam Board requesting special consideration, we need to have received an explanation of the circumstances in writing or a letter from your doctor. It is up to the exam boards to decide whether to apply it. The maximum amount of consideration given is 5%.
What if there is a fire alarm?
If a fire alarm does sound during an exam, you will be told to put down your pen and to sit in silence while awaiting instructions. If the fire alarm is genuine, you will be led onto the field in an orderly manner, where you must not communicate with other people. If the fire alarm is false, you will remain seated in the exam room. In either situation, the length of time of the disruption will be noted and you will be given that time at the end of the exam.
Can I lend any equipment to my friends if they forget theirs?
You cannot pass anything to anyone else in the exam room.
What if I need to go to the toilet?
If you are desperate to go to the toilet during the exam, raise your hand and wait for an invigilator to come to you. The invigilator will have to accompany you to the toilet. We ask you to avoid this if possible as it disturbs other students in the room and also breaks your concentration.
What happens if I forget my exam number?
Your exam number is very important and should be written on every exam paper. Please try to remember it as it is used to identify you to the examiner marking your paper and the invigilators looking after the room. You can put up your hand and ask an invigilator if you forget your number.
Can I talk to my friends in the exam room before the exams starts?
There must be no talking, or communication of any kind, in the exam room. The exam papers may already be out on the desks, so you must stay silent and listen carefully to instructions. Even when the papers have been collected in at the end of the exam, there may be other people doing a different subject in the same room, therefore you must remain silent until you have left the building.
What happens if I forget my calculator or any other equipment?
The exams team have a supply of spare equipment that you may borrow, however this is limited and if this supply runs out you may have to do your exam without the necessary equipment. The best advice is to prepare for your exam the night before and pack all the equipment you will need.
Can I write in pencil or coloured pens?
All exam papers MUST be written in black pen, if you write in pencil or coloured pens your work may not be accepted by the Exam Board. You may do diagrams in pencil if this is needed as part of your exam answer.
What happens if I forget my exam?
You can only take an exam at the set time, so if you forget to come you have missed it and may be charged the cost of the exam unless you have valid reasons for not attending. If you know you are going to be late for your exam you must inform the school as soon as possible.
What happens if I am late for an exam?
If you know you are going to be late for your exam you must inform the school as soon as possible so that we can prepare for your arrival. You may be able to take your exam depending on how late you are although the exam board does not have to accept your paper if you are more than an hour late. You may also have to take your exam in another room so you do not disturb other students who were on time.
What happens if I forget my seat number or I am sat in the wrong seat?
It is very important that you sit in the correct seat. Not everyone in the exam room will know who you are, so we will think that you are missing and try to find you. If you forget your number you can ask an invigilator.
How do I get my results?
You will collect your results from school when they are released in August. Details for collection dates/times will be provided around the exam time. Please note we do not give out results over the phone or to friends. If you are unable to collect them in person you can send someone to pick them up if they have written permission from you. If you would like us to mail them to you, please leave an A4 stamped, addressed envelope with the exams office.
What if I don’t get a C grade in English or Maths?
If you fail your GCSE English or Maths and are coming back into the 6th Form, you can follow the re‐sit course that will enable you to take the exam again. If you are going to college, you should be able to re‐sit the exam again there.
What if I don’t pass an AS or A‐level?
If you fail an AS or A2 exam you may re‐sit it as long as you are still studying at South Hunsley, but you will have to pay for the cost of the exam.
What if there is a problem with my results?
If you think there is a problem you should take your results to your subject teacher. You may be able to get your exam paper back to see where you went wrong, or have your paper re‐checked in case there was a mistake. This can only be done if the subject teacher agrees there is a problem. The Exam Boards charge you for this service. Please see separate sheet re Enquiries about Results, which can be found on the school website and on the VLE.