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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Invigilator ended test five minutes early

181 replies

NameChange2745637 · 18/04/2021 13:47

I had a test yesterday that was meant to be 1 hour long. I was nearly finished and had four questions to go but was told by the invigilator that the test was finished and to stop what we were doing (there were only two other people left doing their exam at this point). I was a bit surprised because I thought you were normally given about 5 minutes notice, so I said "We're finished" which he replied "Erm yes". This was a computer based exam so I was told there and then that I failed.

I have just signed into my account to see what areas need improving and it said that the duration of the test was only 55 minutes. AIBU here? Should I complain? I didn't notice at the time because I was concentrating.

OP posts:
UhtredRagnarson · 18/04/2021 14:44

It wouldn't make the exam as a whole invalid as other invigilators may have given the correct time, it would only affect anyone in that particular exam room who subsequently didn't have enough time.

Yes, this.

rawlikesushi · 18/04/2021 14:44

I suppose this was human error rather than intentionally malicious, and I am surprised that nobody said 'but we've got another five minutes.'

However - yes I would flag this up as, although you still won't pass, there may be other people affected.

Is it possible that the 60 mins included a five min introduction or explanation, with the independent part only being 55 mins?

FTEngineerM · 18/04/2021 14:45

Yes.. @UrAWizHarry but OP would need to perform better to pass next time, hence the point of my comment. That’s assuming they want to pass, why else would you do a test otherwise.

tigger1001 · 18/04/2021 14:45

"Exactly- so it wasn’t carried out properly. No-one had the full 60 minutes allocated for the test. "

It may well have only affected the people doing the exam in that particular location though, not everyone doing the exam on that day as could have been multiple locations.

Original poster
NameChange2745637 · 18/04/2021 14:46

@EstuaryBird

Was it an online test? I Invigilate a lot of online tests and timing them is not an issue as they automatically end after the allotted time.

Regarding the 5 minute warning - this is now at the Centre’s discretion.

A five minute warning to candidates before the end of the examination is permitted. However, this is at the centre’s discretion. Where candidates have different finishing times, the centre must consider the impact of giving a warning.

From JCQ Instructions for Conducting Examinations

It would be unusual to give a 5 minute warning for an online test .

If it was a manually times exam then the Invigilator has made an error and you should take this up with the Exam Officer (or equivalent).

It was done on a computer but it wasn't an online test with the time counting down. He was meant to tell us when it finished
OP posts:
Original poster
NameChange2745637 · 18/04/2021 14:48

@FTEngineerM

Yes.. *@UrAWizHarry* but OP would need to perform better to pass next time, hence the point of my comment. That’s assuming they want to pass, why else would you do a test otherwise.
Oh I definitely want to pass and will be revising until I can re take. My issue was with the invigilator cutting the test short though and his attitude about it all.
OP posts:
UhtredRagnarson · 18/04/2021 14:50

It may well have only affected the people doing the exam in that particular location though, not everyone doing the exam on that day as could have been multiple locations.

Yes that’s what I meant. I meant cancel the results for the people who sat the exam with OP.

UrAWizHarry · 18/04/2021 14:52

@FTEngineerM

Yes.. *@UrAWizHarry* but OP would need to perform better to pass next time, hence the point of my comment. That’s assuming they want to pass, why else would you do a test otherwise.
Well, you don't know that, 5 minutes might have been enough to scrape through the last few questions if they were ones the OP knew the answer to, we don't know the format of the test.

It is completely beside the point and not helpful to the OP to speculate on it though.

earlydoors42 · 18/04/2021 14:52

GCSEs don't give a 5 minute warning any more - I'm an invigilator. Students are meant to manage their own time by looking at the clock and the start and end times given at the front. Same with A levels I believe. Still shouldn't stop 5 mins early though!

MakingPlans21 · 18/04/2021 14:52

Complain, resit as if it’s your first attempt. Good luck!

Butwasitherdriveway · 18/04/2021 14:52

Yes, they did away with it because of snowflakes complaining they were distracted no doubt.

Butwasitherdriveway · 18/04/2021 14:53

@UhtredRagnarson

It may well have only affected the people doing the exam in that particular location though, not everyone doing the exam on that day as could have been multiple locations.

Yes that’s what I meant. I meant cancel the results for the people who sat the exam with OP.

They can't.

How is that fair on someone who sat and passtsd before the invigilator did that ?

Pogmaasal · 18/04/2021 14:53

@SteveyFluff @FTEngineerM you're assuming all questions carry equal marks, it's normal for there to be different weighting to the questions so to state that OP definitely wouldn't have passed anyway is absurd.

Definitely flag this with your tutor and go higher up if needed also. Don't focus on the 5 minute warning, focus on the reduced amount of time you all had

UrAWizHarry · 18/04/2021 14:55

@UhtredRagnarson

No decent exam board would ever allow that , as it would be a total farce.

It does indeed happen.

I don't believe that an entire class/ whatever would have their exams completely scrapped because of one or 2 people who were impacted by the exam being cut short. A serious misprint in a paper, maybe, but someone who had finished the test with time to spare would not accept having their work cancelled in this situation. It would be utterly ridiculous and I imagine the 95% of the class who weren't impacted would raise merry hell about it to the point it would be in local press at the very least.

It sounds anyway like this was a professional test or maybe even something like the theory test anyway, and not something being run by a school exam board.

UhtredRagnarson · 18/04/2021 14:55

They can't.

How is that fair on someone who sat and passtsd before the invigilator did that ?

They can. And it’s not fair on anyone having to resit an exam due to an invigilator error.

Butwasitherdriveway · 18/04/2021 14:56

@UhtredRagnarson

They can't.

How is that fair on someone who sat and passtsd before the invigilator did that ?

They can. And it’s not fair on anyone having to resit an exam due to an invigilator error.

But it far more unfair on those who it didn't affect.
UrAWizHarry · 18/04/2021 14:56

@earlydoors42

GCSEs don't give a 5 minute warning any more - I'm an invigilator. Students are meant to manage their own time by looking at the clock and the start and end times given at the front. Same with A levels I believe. Still shouldn't stop 5 mins early though!
If a mistake was made with timing would the exam be scrapped for the ENTIRE class?
UhtredRagnarson · 18/04/2021 14:57

But it far more unfair on those who it didn't affect.

I disagree.

UrAWizHarry · 18/04/2021 14:59

@UhtredRagnarson

But it far more unfair on those who it didn't affect.

I disagree.

So if an exam is being taken by 100 people, and 95 of them finish and leave before 55 minutes, you think it's ok for their work to be deemed null because 5 people were impacted by the exam being cut short?

I'm sorry, but that's just utter bollocks and I don't believe it happens.

KoalaOok · 18/04/2021 14:59

I would complain. Even if you wouldn't have passed in that time. You deserve the whole 60 minutes to fail in. You might have just decided to change all your answers and do a random multiple choice in the last 5 minutes

SeasonFinale · 18/04/2021 15:00

I am assuming you are not in the UK if you are taking an actaul exam as exams are cancelled here.

If it is an in school assessment take it up with the Head of Department.

FTEngineerM · 18/04/2021 15:02

😂 yikes what made you so angry at essentially nothing on the internet today, I said ‘probably’ because of course I don’t know if the OP would have actually passed with a few extra minutes, it just looks likely from the grade.

It’s not bad advice to say swat up a little more before the resit.

Calm down, have a cup of tea in the sun.

UhtredRagnarson · 18/04/2021 15:02

So if an exam is being taken by 100 people, and 95 of them finish and leave before 55 minutes, you think it's ok for their work to be deemed null because 5 people were impacted by the exam being cut short?

The exam was cut short for everyone. It is irrelevant if some weren’t negatively impacted by that. The exams wasn’t carried out properly for any of them.

I'm sorry, but that's just utter bollocks and I don't believe it happens.

Ok.

Butwasitherdriveway · 18/04/2021 15:03

@UhtredRagnarson

But it far more unfair on those who it didn't affect.

I disagree.

So someone who has passed a test should be affected becuase of a mistake made after they left ? Are people really that entitled?
Butwasitherdriveway · 18/04/2021 15:03

@UhtredRagnarson

So if an exam is being taken by 100 people, and 95 of them finish and leave before 55 minutes, you think it's ok for their work to be deemed null because 5 people were impacted by the exam being cut short?

The exam was cut short for everyone. It is irrelevant if some weren’t negatively impacted by that. The exams wasn’t carried out properly for any of them.

I'm sorry, but that's just utter bollocks and I don't believe it happens.

Ok.

But it was!!

In what way was it not carried out right for the ones who had left?