Btec exams this week cancelled

[Jeremyironseverything]

Dd due to sit an exam tomorrow. Has been revising solidly for this over Xmas and has spent hours over the last few days, just this second been emailed that it is cancelled!

Gutted isn't the word.

Was on the news last night they woul still be going ahead but obviously this has changed last minute.

Do you have a source for that? Pearson's website says still going ahead.

?? My daughter was contacted this afternoon to attend her exam next week, the A-Level assessments were cancelled.

It seems to have been left to the colleges to decide - ours cancelled just now as they can't guarantee the safety of the students.

www.itv.com/news/2021-01-05/covid-pressure-mounts-to-cancel-btec-exams-set-to-go-ahead-this-week-despite-lockdown

Yes we were told earlier they were going ahead, then at 6 pm another email saying cancelled.

That is utterly horrible for your dd. Absolutely no reason to cancel such an exam - only the exam students in school/college, could have used the whole place to spread the presumably small number of students out over.

Many of my BTEC students are very worried about coming in for the exams, despite all the precautions we have put in.

Sorry wrong thread!

My college cancelled ours - there weren’t enough invigilators available as all staff who can are working from home and a lot of the invigilators who usually work are retired and possibly shielding. Being in a room full of students when you’re 65+ isn’t that appealing right now.

My son's college has just cancelled his. Stating the danger of public transport etc. He got screwed with his level 2 last year as well.

So if some are taking them and some aren't, how will they make the end results fair?
My dd was screwed last year too. I think they were marked down like the a levels but not revised.

It is down to individual colleges whether to go ahead.

Letter from Pearson www.pearson.com/uk/about-us/news-and-policy/news/2021/01/btec-learner-update-on-examinations-going-ahead-5jan-2021.html

Thanks for that. She's worked harder for the exam than she did previously. Still she should have expected it I suppose.

DofE confirmed it’s up to individual schools. My daughters has been cancelled definitely the right decision.

Ours are currently still going ahead.

I've posted on another thread too but my son had a five question exam to be taken over 2 or 3 days. They'd done the first day (questions 1-3) then just as they finished they were told that it had all been cancelled.

They're marking the exam though and the result will count towards his final grade so all is not lost for him.

I’m an exams officer. We’re running our vocational exams this week & next. We owe to the students who’ve worked so hard to make it as safe as possible for them to come into school & do their exams.

My dd is also y11. I’d be really cross if school cancelled exams for their own logistical reasons. You could legitimately complain to governors.

@hoxt We owe to the students who’ve worked so hard to make it as safe as possible for them to come into school & do their exams. I wouldn’t be too sure on that, my daughters cohort are pleased they are cancelled due to lost learning opportunities from self isolating etc.