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Original poster

Wrong GCSE Paper!!!

110 replies

TheOnlyMrsW · 20/05/2022 12:42

Hi, hoping someone will be able to help. DD16 went into school for her first Maths paper this morning, instead of being in the main exam hall she's in a small room to the side with half a dozen other kids. No idea how they've managed it but her and the children in their room have been given the wrong paper - they got the AQA paper instead of EdExcel (the main hall students got the right one).

Phoned school a little while ago and they're apparently trying to work out what happens now..........but what can they possibly do? They obviously can't give them the correct paper at a later date as everyone else has already seen it and they may get details of the questions, will EdExcel have to send a completely different paper, or them just take the grade off the other 2 papers and skip this one?

There's very few gaps in the timetable now until the last week of exams, but what if they don't all have the same day "spare"? Out of all the exams this paper was the one she was dreading the most and now to have this to deal with is crappy 😥

OP posts:
NightmareLoon · 20/05/2022 22:13

CraftyGin · 20/05/2022 20:40

The pack is opened in the room in front of the student, so if there is a pack of 10 papers, there will be 9 spare.

Show quote history

The pack is supposed to be opened in front of the student for CIE exams, but all the other exams boards use JCQ rules.

I worked in exams where we took in home edders all doing different tiers and boards and this was one of my worst nightmares.

xyzandabc · 20/05/2022 21:34

DorotheaDiamond · 20/05/2022 21:19

@CraftyGin not at either of the schools I work at!!! Papers are on desks when they come in

Same here. Sometimes they are opened in the secure room as we need to split packs to share out between the various different rooms. It would be unusual to open the packs in front of the student.

DorotheaDiamond · 20/05/2022 21:19

@CraftyGin not at either of the schools I work at!!! Papers are on desks when they come in

CraftyGin · 20/05/2022 20:40

DorotheaDiamond · 20/05/2022 19:19

I’m struggling to understand why there were so many spare papers for one student??? Normally you have one each for anyone sitting plus one spare.

The pack is opened in the room in front of the student, so if there is a pack of 10 papers, there will be 9 spare.

Bagadverts · 20/05/2022 20:07

This has been a risk for years. It forms my worst experience in an exam. In the dark ages when I was in sixth form we had to runners for the GCSE exams. Two exams - both maths, main and re-sit, different exam boards. Boy who I knew came in late and was shown to wrong side of the hall. I sat for five minutes shaking thinking someone must notice then had to point it out to the deputy head who was the invigilator.

i presume they don’t have students do that now, we were just supposed to find another teacher if someone wanted the toilet so there were enough.

PinkPomegranite · 20/05/2022 19:47

@actiongirl1978 thanks, I literally have 2 year groups doing 4 subjects between them with 3 different clashes. Everything is colour coordinated and I've drafted in SLT to see students in and out so no one sneaks out after their first exam!
@Threetulips there are no teacher grades this year, it will be the normal special consideration. It's not uncommon for a student to sit the wrong paper so there are already processes in place.

The OP will worry obviously but it really is common so not a problem for the exam board to deal with. Given the number of papers many EOs are dealing with it's no surprise there are mistakes sometimes, we're only human.

actiongirl1978 · 20/05/2022 19:40

@PinkPomegranite omg you will be in my thoughts.

DorotheaDiamond · 20/05/2022 19:39

@xyzandabc i was just surprised there would be so many spare in school for only one entry but I hadn’t realised what @PinkPomegranite was saying about pack sizes

PinkPomegranite · 20/05/2022 19:36

@actiongirl1978 I have clashes from hell with both year 10 and 11 siting exams one day next week so I guarantee the inspector will come then 😂

@DorotheaDiamond I have a couple of exams with just 1 student and have been sent at least 5 of each paper.

xyzandabc · 20/05/2022 19:35

DorotheaDiamond · 20/05/2022 19:19

I’m struggling to understand why there were so many spare papers for one student??? Normally you have one each for anyone sitting plus one spare.

Usually minimum pack size is 5 or 10. We always have more than one spare, it's a big school so for core subjects we'll have 10-20 spare papers.

xyzandabc · 20/05/2022 19:33

Different access arrangements, such as reader, scribe, extra time. Also space constraints. Our hall and gym combined hold 200 desks. Yr11 is 350 students. That's 150 kids in 'other rooms' !

Threetulips · 20/05/2022 19:30

You need to look up the exam board procedures.

They detail the procedure where problems occur during any exam beyond the child’s control - such as a fire, an extreme example or down to teacher error as in this exam.

They are able to use teacher assessed grades for this part of the exam as long as they take the other exam -

Look it up, all is not lost -

Same experience here only much worse!

actiongirl1978 · 20/05/2022 19:26

@DorotheaDiamond we are usually sent around 10 spare papers for each tier of entry.

actiongirl1978 · 20/05/2022 19:24

@PinkPomegranite I have a glass of 🍷iin hand as we speak.

Hoping we get the inspection over and done with next week and the inspector doesn't come during french listening...

@TheOnlyMrsW you sound like a lovely mum and I hope your DD nails the rest of her exams.👌

DorotheaDiamond · 20/05/2022 19:19

I’m struggling to understand why there were so many spare papers for one student??? Normally you have one each for anyone sitting plus one spare.

Original poster
TheOnlyMrsW · 20/05/2022 19:14

@Pandarinio exactly which is why the EO took the invigilator to task at the time when it was suggested, although she will definitely check now!!!!
@AReallyUsefulEngine agreed, we've already asked as DD is hoping to carry with Physics and Chemistry at A Level and this requires a minimum of 6 in Maths (but they prefer a 7 for Physics tbh).
She's really doing ok so I'm trying not to stress her out too much but I'm a tad more worried than I was yesterday.
@actiongirl1978 unfortunately for the EO I didn't speak to him but DD has already said her dad was so mean she felt sorry for the EO and feels like finding him to apologise (we're not together for obvious reasons). I imagine he's already feeling crappy and that won't help, I know that whilst it will be a wake up call we appreciate it's a tough time for everyone in school and what the staff do

OP posts:
PinkPomegranite · 20/05/2022 19:08

I had a similar thing happen years ago (invigilator mixed up single and combined science papers for 2 students who moved seats). In our case the board worked it out based on the other papers the students sat and both students were happy with their grades on results day.

Exam boards are genuinely understanding in cases like this and won't disadvantage the student so it's easy for me to say don't worry but not so easy for you not to worry!

I now have a very strict system and I'm lucky that my school allow me to have invigilators in much earlier than most so we have time to go slowly and do triple checks. This year is particularly stressful for many EOs and the invigilator shortage hasn't helped.

I hope the rest of your DD's exams go well OP. It sounds like she's worked hard and I'm sure she'll do well. 🍀

(🍷for actiongirl1978 first week over!!)* *

Pandarinio · 20/05/2022 19:06

Sh05 · 20/05/2022 13:21

Why didn't anyone of the kids raise their hands and mention that they'd been given a paper by different board?
I'm sure they'll file a special consideration form and take it from there

Because they might not have known what board, I didn't like know, I just turned up and took the exam in front of me.

It's not a students job to check at that age.

AReallyUsefulEngine · 20/05/2022 19:00

While the school are apologetic now might be the time to get written evidence that as DD was on course for a 7 and this situation wasn’t of her making even if her maths grade isn’t as predicted she will be allowed to continue in to sixth form with her chosen A levels regardless of what the actual result is.

PinkCheetah · 20/05/2022 18:59

Wtf

actiongirl1978 · 20/05/2022 18:48

OP I feel so much for you and your DD this evening.

Yes it sounds like they have had a massive malpractice there. I should imagine the EO is on the verge of resigning, I know I would.

I hope you have a lovely evening.

To everyone else, please know that most EOs work their derriere off trying to make this process work well and we especially take great care of our pupils with access arrangements.

Original poster
TheOnlyMrsW · 20/05/2022 18:42

@noblegiraffe apologies, meant to mention you as well............I lurked but didn't post on many of the Republic threads and can honestly say that with a few exceptions all of the teachers in DD's school and that I know have been outstanding over the past two years and have gone out of their way time and again to do the best for the children they look after. So thank you to you all FlowersGin

OP posts:
Original poster
TheOnlyMrsW · 20/05/2022 18:34

Thank you all so much for responding especially @actiongirl1978 and @tellmewhentheLangshiplandscoz as things must be manic for you at the moment, I'll try to answer as much as possible.

We've heard from the school's EO and DD's grade will be from her paper 2 and 3 submissions, there's a fiendishly complicated (to me as Maths isn't my strong point how ironic) way that JCQ work this out based on performance in these exams.

@Johnnysgirl thank you for asking, DD is actually pretty good and has resigned herself to working extra hard for these papers after half term. One of the other girls is very upset, I hope that she feels better after the weekend.
@NeverDropYourMooncup the EO has accepted responsibility, it was the invigilator who was pushing the blame onto the children themselves.
@Shinyandnew1 the papers which DD's group were given were in school as there was a child who came into sixth form that needed to resit Maths and their old school did the AQA syllabus so DD's group got the spare papers. The EO who phoned earlier also said that this student has now withdrawn so the papers should never have left their office (definitely wasn't helpful to know this!).
@OnTheBenchOfDoom not sure how the boards differ tbh, DD said she found the paper she completed easier than expected, and apparently her maths teacher said it was harder than the one everyone else took (again not sure why this is helpful to know!)
@myrtilles nope - only 4 students in DD's room and they all got the same paper, the pupil who should have taken the exam wasn't even there...
@SurpriseSurprise DD is autistic with auditory processing issues so loud noises like bells frighten the living daylights out of her, also has been having panic attacks in school due to exam stress so school have arranged for her to be in a smaller, less crowded room to help her stay calm. I don't know the other children very well but they all have similar reasons for being outside of the main exam hall. In this respect school have been very good and gone out of their way over the last few weeks to make DD as comfortable as possible
@Foolsrule I am absolutely furious and the EO has already said that the exam board are making them do a full investigation and detail how they will ensure that this won't happen again. The school have provided us with details of their complaints procedure, the exam board's and JCQ's procedures as well. However, I'm fairly confident that this won't happen again and at the end of the day it won't help DD to go down this route - it won't give her the opportunity to sit the paper and she's returning for sixth form so will still be within the school.
@Oblomov22 you're right, it's a nightmare - DD has worked amazingly hard to go from 4/5 in her year 10 exam last summer to being predicted a 7 and I hope that she gets the opportunity to do well in the other papers,

We're having a chilled evening with curry and a film and we go again next week, I'll come back and update on results day 😀

OP posts:
noblegiraffe · 20/05/2022 18:02

No, the contingency day is for significant disruption.where exams need to be rescheduled - e.g. the Queen dying or the paper being leaked.

Maths A-level papers have been leaked in the past few years so now they've moved maths A-level exams to the afternoon so that they'd have the time to courier out the alternative to exam centres if necessary.

The contingency day hasn't been used so far.

Littlemissprosecco · 20/05/2022 17:43

Isn’t this sort of thing a reason for contingency day?
yes it’s unfair, but I was of the understanding that extra papers can be sent out if needed

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