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Original poster

Will DD likely be penalised for this

432 replies

curiousitygotthebetterofme · 04/06/2022 22:44

DD(15) sat a GCSE exam yesterday, which she prepared so well and worked hard for.

She is aware of all the exam hall rules including that you can’t bring mobile phones in with you.

Yesterday, she had her phone with her but forgot to leave it at the school reception until after the exam was finished.

She was not using her mobile phone during the exam nor did she attempt to. The phone was also switched off.

It was in her pocket and it fell out onto the floor and invigilator seen it happen.

Her head of year rang me yesterday to inform
that they are obliged to report it to the exam board and that they could very well take marks off her or disqualify her.

I feel sorry for DD as she worked so hard for these exams and she has been quite distressed over it all and the possibility of being penalised. It just slipped her mind but she knows to be more aware for future exams.

I get that exam boards have to follow procedures, but surely the fact she wasn't actually using the phone will work in her favour?

OP posts:
Jalisco · 05/06/2022 11:35

Kool4katz · 04/06/2022 23:03

Surely it's up to the exam board to prove on the balance of probabilities that she had used her phone to gain an advantage in the exam?

If they do attempt to penalise her, appeal the decision and get them to justify it.

No, it isn't up to them to prove that she used it. The rule is not that you can't use a phone. The rule is that you must not have a phone in the exam room. She had a phone in the exam room, and so the rule was broken and that must be noted. What impact that may have on her grades will be determined - they may or may not take some form of action. But you can't appeal against a decision to impose a sanction for breaking a rule that you actually did break, and they don't have to justify anything. It is very sad, and I would hope that perhaps they can find a way of confirming her results without needing a sanction, but rules are there for a reason.

MmeMeursault · 05/06/2022 11:35

There are enormous signs everywhere in exam halls and throughout schools. Assemblies are held to explain the rules; teachers and tutors go over them again and again. Students get written notices when they get their exams timetables explaining it all. It's really not rocket science.

Which bit wasn't she paying attention to?

MmeMeursault · 05/06/2022 11:36

What makes her so special that she's entitled to ignore the rules or not have the rules apply to her??

Interested in this thread?

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15 year olds General education Primary education
StripeyDeckchair · 05/06/2022 11:39

She broke the rules so will be penalised / disqualified.

There will be signs outside clearly stating what is not allowed in the exam hall and the invigilators will have stated phones not allowed outside the exam hall and inside the exam hall before the exam started.

The assumption will be that she was cheating.
This is drummed into the kids for months prior to the exams so I don't see how she could have "forgotten".

The penalty is usually disqualification from the exam.

Andouillette · 05/06/2022 11:40

I think it is fruitless and possibly a bit unkind to speculate on whether OP's DD might have done this on purpose. Whether she did or not the result will most likely be the same, DQ from this paper at the very least. This will be a huge wake up call either way whether it's a mistake or not.
OP I hope your DD can move beyond this and still do well in her other exams, either now or as retakes. I wish her the best.

MmeMeursault · 05/06/2022 11:42

There will also have been an audio/video recording played at the start of each and every exam reminding students of the rules and consequences for breaking them. Exams officer will also have verbally repeated the same before the exam started. There really is no excuse for "forgetting" or whatever is being claimed here.

orwellwasright · 05/06/2022 11:45

Where did she sit a GCSE exam on a bank holiday?

coffeecupsandfairylights · 05/06/2022 11:46

orwellwasright · 05/06/2022 11:45

Where did she sit a GCSE exam on a bank holiday?

RTFT. OP is in NI and the DD sat her exam on Wednesday.

burnoutbabe · 05/06/2022 11:48

I remember sitting my gcse a few years ago and a mobile going off in the exam.

There were 2 of us, both private candidates and we looked around (our bags were at beck of the hall so did have mobiles in)

Invigilators looked at us! I had to then comment that it appeared to be coming from behind them. Ie front of the room. Was their phone!

Seems weird now as I am sitting masters level exams at home with full access to the internet. Yet 2 years ago a smartwatch was banned to wear.

Original poster
curiousitygotthebetterofme · 05/06/2022 11:48

Hi everyone,

thanks for the advice and comments. It does look like unfortunately she will be disqualified but I guess the rules are the rules. I’m heartbroken for her as I know only too well how hard she worked for these papers right from the very start.

In response to PP saying she may have deliberately took her phone in with her, I have no reason to believe that. I know my DD and I know she wouldn’t cheat, I asked her over and over and she has sworn that it was a genuine accident, she was stressed for the exam and wasn’t even thinking about her phone.

i have no reason not to believe her. She was insistent that it was switched off and she wasn’t using it. She had no intention of cheating.

she is a good kid, works hard and got an A*, a few As and Bs in her most recent mock exams and I know she will do well in these exams.

she has been crying all weekend at the thought of losing her marks, being banned from exams and the thought of being kicked out off school.

i haven’t told her any of this might happen, I have just said it is for the school and exam board to negotiate and we just have to wait and see but she still needs to revise for other upcoming exams

OP posts:
VerifiedBot2351 · 05/06/2022 11:52

There is a good chance that the school won’t report it. I speak from experience of working in schools.

Original poster
curiousitygotthebetterofme · 05/06/2022 11:53

VerifiedBot2351 · 05/06/2022 11:52

There is a good chance that the school won’t report it. I speak from experience of working in schools.

Her head of year confirmed that they are reporting it.

HoY also said on the phone that she knows my DD is a good student and wouldn’t ‘cheat’ on purpose but that they are still obliged to report it.

i have to be realistic so I know they need to report it but at the same time part of me thought “wow, really” because I know she wasn’t cheating and the phone was switched off, it just slid out of her pocket

OP posts:
LetHimHaveIt · 05/06/2022 11:57

'It just slipped her mind but she knows to be more aware for future exams.'

'More aware'? I'm afraid she'll have to do rather better than that. I'd be leaving the bloody thing at home until the exams are over.

I suppose a combination of metadata and internet history might prove she didn't have it turned on/was using it, but I struggle to believe it slipping out of her pocket was her first indication she still had it on her. As PPs have said, schools and invigilators could not go to greater lengths to make students aware of the seriousness of having a mobile on your person.

Snoozer11 · 05/06/2022 11:58

There's absolutely no way you would "forget" having your phone in your pocket during an exam.

VerifiedBot2351 · 05/06/2022 11:59

Of course the HOY will give that message out, but the reality may be otherwise. Has she sat another exam since?

JudgeJ · 05/06/2022 12:01

toomuchlaundry · 04/06/2022 23:20

Can’t it impact prior exams too as they may assume you had phone on you then too?

Certainly where other malpractice has occurred the Board would look at her performance overall. Hope it turns out well and that she's learned a valuable lesson about rules.

Rosscameasdoody · 05/06/2022 12:02

orwellwasright · 05/06/2022 11:45

Where did she sit a GCSE exam on a bank holiday?

Different part of the UK - sat on Wednesday.

MercurialMonday · 05/06/2022 12:02

The standard is to be disqualified from that exam and all exams by the same board.

This is what my DC have been told - it's an issue as here there's only one exam board so that would be them all.

I'm not sure that's the same in N.I as I think some schools take them with English boards - may depend on the school but worth clarifying if it's the one exam or all of them with the school - though I wouldn't mention that to DD yet till you know and get her revising for the rest just in case.

JudgeJ · 05/06/2022 12:02

VerifiedBot2351 · 05/06/2022 11:52

There is a good chance that the school won’t report it. I speak from experience of working in schools.

The school is obliged to report any malpractice, they don't have discretion.

Rosscameasdoody · 05/06/2022 12:03

Snoozer11 · 05/06/2022 11:58

There's absolutely no way you would "forget" having your phone in your pocket during an exam.

That’s very unkind. You don’t know her so aren’t in a position to judge - and that wasn’t the point of the post was it ?

Maireas · 05/06/2022 12:06

What GCSE was it?.

Mrcpy · 05/06/2022 12:06

Sorry, OP, but she broke the rules. The invigilators give lots of warnings before the exam so I can’t imagine how she could have “forgotten” - and I’ve taken a LOT of exams in my time, incl professional ones post uni. I hope she’s not penalised, but if she is, it would be fair. She needs to face up to the fact that she broke the rules, and learn not to do it again.

Original poster
curiousitygotthebetterofme · 05/06/2022 12:11

DD didn’t cheat. I believe my own daughter. Yes, she should have handed the phone in but she had no intention of cheating.

she got out of her DFs car when he left her at school on Wednesday morning and thought she had left the phone with him but obviously it turned out she mistakenly hadn’t left it in the car

OP posts:
SpilltheTea · 05/06/2022 12:11

They're reminded to check for these things when they're sat there.

slashlover · 05/06/2022 12:13

i have to be realistic so I know they need to report it but at the same time part of me thought “wow, really” because I know she wasn’t cheating and the phone was switched off, it just slid out of her pocket

Switched off phones can be switched on though.

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