Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to want to complain about this exam invigilationr?

316 replies

bibbitybobbityyhat · 20/05/2019 17:21

One of my children was in an A level exam today.

They started 15 minutes late.

Without announcing it, the invigilator turned the clock back at the front of the hall to the time it should have started. So turned it back from 2.15 to 2.00pm.

She did this without announcing it, I'll just say that again.

However, there was another clock in the hall telling the correct time.

My child was completely distracted by the question of what was the correct time and when would the exam actually end throughout the exam.

In the event, it ended 15 minutes before she was expecting and she missed out on answering her final question properly.

AIBU to be livid?

OP posts:
Thread gallery
7
TheFallenMadonna · 20/05/2019 17:59

I would definitely contact the exams officer. All the clocks should say the same thing and we have never changed the time on the clock either.

Bluetrews25 · 20/05/2019 18:00

When I did exams, they wrote on a board the time the exam started, and the time it was due to finish. Does this not happen now?
I also wore a watch and planned accordingly. Are watches not allowed now?

Joopy · 20/05/2019 18:02

The clock should not have been turned back, I had invigilator training a month ago and they were very clear (though different boards might have different rules). I would call the school ask to talk to the exams officer.

Nonnymum · 20/05/2019 18:03

Seems an odd thing for the invigilator to do. I invigilate and exams in schools often start late but we don't change the clock. Instead we always display at the front the actual time the exam starts and when it is due to end.

NailsNeedDoing · 20/05/2019 18:03

People taking A levels really aren't children, nor should they be completely distracted throughout a 2 hour exam for something like this. Why didn't your 'child' ask?

GrannyWeatherwaxsHatpin · 20/05/2019 18:04

I’ve worked as an exam invigilator and while we always started exams on time so had to need to either change the start time
(eg 2.03 instead of 2pm) or change the clocks to show the correct time, I have had situations where there was a clock in the room that was incorrect. Once it was brought to our attention we took it down and told student to go by the clock at the front of the room.

If a student was unsure I’d expect them to ask.

TheFallenMadonna · 20/05/2019 18:04

You are allowed a watch, removed and placed on the desk.

callmeadoctor · 20/05/2019 18:06

Invigilator here, definitely breach of rules. If you are sure that your DC is telling the truth (no reason that she would make up something so spurious) then yes I would complain as the invigilator needs more training. I couldn't say that there would be a change to her mark though, sorry.

CherieBabySpliffUp · 20/05/2019 18:07

No you aren't TheFallenMadonna where I am. Where are you that they allow that?

callmeadoctor · 20/05/2019 18:08

Rules now state that invigilators are not allowed to tell students how much time they have left though (just to confuse the issue)

callmeadoctor · 20/05/2019 18:09

Cherei, the watch rule is allowed at my school (watch taken off and put on desk)

ScreamingValenta · 20/05/2019 18:11

Wouldn't someone of the age and intelligence to be sitting A-Levels either

  • ask

or if too timid to do this

  • work to the earlier time to be on the safe side?
NeatFreakMama · 20/05/2019 18:13

YABU I'd expect her to ask if she was confused between the two and she shouldn't have been distracted for the whole two hours about it.

Piggywaspushed · 20/05/2019 18:13

They ARE children , and they are under stress (such a MN view to minimise their stress and expect them to have adult capabilities : and - let's be honest- many adults would get thrown by this). I feel for the student concerned. There is enough to worry about without a time suddenly changing.

I'd moreover be interested to know why an exam started 15 minutes late. That's a considerable delay.

Acis · 20/05/2019 18:13

So, if this was a 3 hour exam, does that mean that they only had 2 hours 45 minutes, or 3 hours? If the former, you would have very good cause to complain. If the latter, really your daughter can't reasonably have thought she was going to get 3 hours 15 minutes.

TheFallenMadonna · 20/05/2019 18:14

England.

Zakidoodles23 · 20/05/2019 18:15

I'm an exams officer and I highly recommend you contact the exams officer and ask for special considerations to be applied for. The awarding body will then decide what/if any compensated marks are appropriate. The invigilator did not follow the current regulations and the students shouldn't be disadvantaged. The exam officer will want to know so this is not repeated when the JCQ inspector attends!

CastleCrasher · 20/05/2019 18:16

If she saw the invigilator change the clock, then surely she knew what had happened and therefore, what time the exam would end?

TheFallenMadonna · 20/05/2019 18:17

My 17yo, also taking an A level paper today would have found this confusing.

That's why the JCQ has rules about it!

letsgohooray · 20/05/2019 18:18

So was the exam time 15 mins short or was it the full time? If it was the full time, YABU

ScreamingValenta · 20/05/2019 18:20

They ARE children , and they are under stress (such a MN view to minimise their stress and expect them to have adult capabilities

If they're sitting A-Levels, they must be 16, 17 or 18. Do young people of that age not have adult capabilities nowadays? Do people think of them as 'children'?

KittyMcKitty · 20/05/2019 18:22

You must show the actual time and record the actual start time - here’s the excerpt from JCQ. I would speak to your exam office. What time was recorded on board and did they specify which clock they were timing from if they said different times?

to want to complain about this exam invigilationr?
IvanaPee · 20/05/2019 18:23

Ok, it shouldn’t have happened but it’s ridiculous to be so distracted that you miss a question.

Sounds like poor time management and an excuse to me!

KittyMcKitty · 20/05/2019 18:24

So was the exam time 15 mins short or was it the full time? If it was the full time, YABU

Actually the OP is definitely not BU as this was a very clear breach of several JCQ regulations and would be malpractice.

slipperywhensparticus · 20/05/2019 18:25

She knew how long the exam was though? And saw which clock was changed? So where was the confusion?

Sounds like she is stressed