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Original poster

Distracting invigilators during A level paper today - any advice please?

87 replies

GnomeDePlume · 20/06/2017 17:31

DD sat her Core 3 Maths A level paper today. She is very unhappy.

Throughout the exam the invigilators whisper chatted to each other. To add to this, one of the invigilators' mobile phone went off and was not silenced and allowed to ring through.

Just in case this couldnt get worse another invigilator came into the room 20 minutes before the end and joined in the whisper chatter.

Unfortunately the invigilators were sat just a foot in front of DD so she (DD) found this incredibly distracting when she was trying to concentrate. The distraction was so bad that DD was unable to complete the exam in the time.

This is not a subject DD is struggling with and was hoping for an A*. She is a diligent student and has sat many practice papers, completing them to a very high standard with time to spare.

If need be she can retake the paper next year while studying Further Maths.

DD has informed the Exams Officer of this very poor practice. Is there any recourse available to her?

Do any wise MNetters have advice please?

OP posts:
myrtleWilson · 20/06/2017 22:59

ah I do love it when a #manynumbereduser comes onto a thread, spouts bollocks about "their experience" and is put in their place by established non numbered posters....

Gnome - I hope your DD gets the grade she deserves and hopefully the Exams Officer will follow up appropriately

Original poster
GnomeDePlume · 20/06/2017 22:58

user1497480444 they werent in an exam hall but in a classroom temporarily set up as an exam room.

DD has explained a bit more:

The invigilators were discussing airflow in the exam room as well as occasional private conversations which DD could also hear (DD's desk was directly in front of the invigilators). Apart from whispering about the airflow the invigilators were opening and closing windows and doors in the room while discussing whether or not a blind was rattling.

The invigilator who came in 20 minutes before the end joined in the whispered discussion about airflow in the room. She also took the other invigilators into the doorway (not out of the room) to have audible whispered conversations.

The phone which rang wasnt answered. It just rang.

While whispering isnt noisy it is sibilant which is very penetrating.

OP posts:
elephantoverthehill · 20/06/2017 22:51

Gnome if you want to take it further JCQ, as others have mentioned is who you need to contact. Invigilators whispering and phones going off is completely unacceptable.

noblegiraffe · 20/06/2017 22:48

From JCQ document

"The centre is responsible for ensuring that the candidate and scribe cannot be overheard by, or distract, other candidates. (This will also apply if the candidate uses speech recognition technology.)
Normally, the candidate and the scribe will be accommodated in another room.
Where the candidate and scribe are accommodated in another room, on a one to one basis, the invigilator may additionally act as the scribe. "

www.jcq.org.uk/Download/exams-office/access-arrangements-and-special-consideration/regulations-and-guidance/access-arrangements-and-reasonable-adjustments-2016-2017 bottom of page 51.

Sorry OP, this is a bit off-topic for you, but it does suggest that JCQ do not expect candidates to put up with distracting noise in the exam hall.

titchy · 20/06/2017 22:47

Yes do tell us your school user. I wonder how your head would feel if JCQ told them they were no longer able to be an exam centre.

GinSwigmore · 20/06/2017 22:43

Invigilators shouldn't be whispering. End.
I used to be one.
Scribes have always had a separate room as well.

Quadrangle · 20/06/2017 22:43

whispering is not noise! Maybe you were one of the invigilators causing the distraction to op's dd then!

CrowyMcCrowFace · 20/06/2017 22:43

Multiple readers /scribes in an examination room is appalling practice.

Whispering invigilators also fairly crap.

In nearly 20 years of being closely involved with exam practice, I can honestly say I can't imagine either of these scenarios being considered acceptable.

user1497480444 · 20/06/2017 22:43

If a kid has a scribe, they don't need an extra invigilator.

the scribes have to be invigilated. so do the readers.

maybe your school doesn't have many SEN candidates

GoneDownhill · 20/06/2017 22:42

OP, does your DD know if any of the other students were also bothered? It might help if there were a few of them complaining.

One of my D.C. complained about not being given extra paper for ages and ages during some of her exams despite having her hand up.

LineyWimey · 20/06/2017 22:41

Nerves? Shyness?

BurnTheBlackSuit · 20/06/2017 22:40

Is there a reason your daughter didn't put up her hand and ask them to be quiet if they were distracting her that much and for that long?

noblegiraffe · 20/06/2017 22:38

The scribe is the invigilator. If a kid has a scribe, they don't need an extra invigilator.

It happens at my school.

LineyWimey · 20/06/2017 22:38

I smell a whiffy thing.

user1497480444 · 20/06/2017 22:37

Per JCQ, candidates with scribes are usually put in separate rooms precisely because it's so distracting for other candidates

well that just doesn't happen, I don't know what planet you are living on, but one in which schools have 6 times more empty rooms available, and 6 times more invigilators, obviously.

noblegiraffe · 20/06/2017 22:36

6 scribes in the room

Per JCQ, candidates with scribes are usually put in separate rooms precisely because it's so distracting for other candidates.

And given that this wasn't other candidates, but invigilators, about whom a complaint is being made, it is certainly worth trying.

LineyWimey · 20/06/2017 22:35

Yeah, and I'm struggling with the cold.

user1497480444 · 20/06/2017 22:33

My information is completely correct lineywimey

user1497480444 · 20/06/2017 22:32

Clearly it was a noise if it caused a candidate to be unable to complete the paper.

The candidate being distracted is not what defines an exam room as too noisy, Candidates can be distracted by many things, that it would be totally unreasonable to try and eliminate.

Where scribes are being used, the centre has to ensure that they cannot be overheard by, or distract other candidates.

as I said, it is impossible to create an exam environment where absolutely no candidate can claim to be distracted. If there are 6 readers and 6 scribes in the room, you are going to be able to hear them all, even if you can't hear exactly what is being said.Candidates can claim it distracts them, but the answer is basically , tough. There is nothing we can do. We had a candidate using a word processor complaining she was distracted by the sound of other word processors last week. I don't know what she expected us to do about it. We didn't do anything about it, because there is nothing we can do about it, and it certainly didn't qualify as "noise"

LineyWimey · 20/06/2017 22:31

I must say, alligators would have been impressive.

LineyWimey · 20/06/2017 22:30

Well read the OP properly then, usernumberperson.

SylviasLovers · 20/06/2017 22:27

You don't lose anything by applying for special consideration, so I'd do that and then let the exam board decide if whispering is noise.

noblegiraffe · 20/06/2017 22:26

Clearly it was a noise if it caused a candidate to be unable to complete the paper.

Where scribes are being used, the centre has to ensure that they cannot be overheard by, or distract other candidates.

Lancelottie · 20/06/2017 22:25

I misread your title as 'Distracting alligators during A-level'
(I blame the heat).

Now that would be worth a complaint.

user1497480444 · 20/06/2017 22:21

of course its not incorrect, I 've been running the damn things all month. I know all this stuff exactly.