To wonder what will happen if exams are impacted by Corona

[B1gbluehouse]

Starting to think they aren’t going to want halls filled with 100s of kids if it spreads more.

What will happen to GCSE and A level students if they can’t take their exams?

in Scotland I'm sure they wouldn't use prelim results as they're no longer used for any real purpose other than a practice at exam.conditions and the experience.

There is no way that mock results would be used. As stated before, they are never used.

Mock exams couldn't be used for millions of reasons. Never going to happen.

I think a lot of people underestimate the time and effort that goes in to ensuring that every single students sits the same exam, under the same conditions, is marked using the same mark scheme + guidance and that the grades awarded are a true reflection of the student's knowledge and understanding of the subject. Thousands of schools up and down the country running their own version are just not comparable.

I didn't know teachers could still invigilate at their own school though - so as a physics teacher I could be in a maths exam? I don't teach maths, but can certainly do a gcse paper with little effort. Tbh, I wouldn't want that - I'd invigilate English / history / art etc, but I'd be wary of false accusations of cheating if it were a subject I was capable in.

A friend has told me they are considering re test dates in the summer

This is worrying, as if it’s not stressful enough for our kids without this. It’s unprecedented - we just have to wait and see. My sons been working so hard, as many others have. They can’t use mocks. My son hasn’t even finished the syllabus with sole subjects, so totally unfair to be tested like that. They will have to be pushed forward if May / June isn’t possible. Sitting exams at home simply wouldn’t work

Ofqual's non statement

*Ofqual, the examinations regulator for England, has issued an updated statement on coronavirus and the annual exam season, with BTecs, GCSEs and A-levels in England, Wales and Northern ireland starting in May:

“We recognise that students, parents, schools and colleges will be concerned about the possible impact of coronavirus on the 2020 summer exam series. Our advice at this time is to continue to prepare for exams and other assessments as normal.

“We continue to work closely with exam boards, other regulators and the Department for Education [in England] and we have met to plan for a range of scenarios, as the public would expect. Our overriding priorities are fairness to students this summer and keeping disruption to a minimum.

“It is still many weeks until exams start and we will issue updated advice if necessary, giving schools and colleges as much notice as possible.”*

I'm not sure what else you would expect ofqual to do, carry on as normal is, imo, the correct advice

I would like the to issue mireguidance to schools, have to be honest! So at least we could get our ducks in a row.

I think a lot of people underestimate the time and effort that goes in to ensuring that every single students sits the same exam, under the same conditions, is marked using the same mark scheme + guidance and that the grades awarded are a true reflection of the student's knowledge and understanding of the subject. Thousands of schools up and down the country running their own version are just not comparable

We don't underestimate. But in times like these, who knows? What is worse? Kids not having GCSE grades at all, having rubbish ones because their learning was massively disrupted, or having predicted grades that may not be entirely fair across the board but allow them to progress to the next stage?

It’s unprecedented Not really. Last year you would also have been worried due to the risk of a no deal Brexit which was only alleviated at the end of March. Especially if you had been in Kent and didn't know how clogged the roads were going to get.

Hopefully next year we won't have anything like this!

Not really. Last year you would also have been worried due to the risk of a no deal Brexit which was only alleviated at the end of March.

I don't remember there being huge concern about GCSEs and A-levels last year. I am in my 50s and can't remember any situation like this before.

My plan would be exams to go ahead as normal in schools in May/June with as many kids as possible attending.

Second mop-up exam season in July possibly in centralised marquees, using back-up papers.

Start of university pushed back a month to account for marking/clearing.

Kids only need to sit 25% of assessments to have a grade extrapolated so this should mean as many students as possible can get a grade.

Close eye on KS2 results versus GCSE results to account for disadvantage of first versus second sitting etc.

Unfortunately I don’t think anything can be done about disruption to learning due to schools being closed before exams - it’ll be up to schools to keep preparing kids via online systems.

I get that but my subject is almost impossible to teach remotely...

noble I would hope that is what will happen. I think it’s pretty likely exams will go ahead, hopefully extra measures will be put in to keep exam halls clean (tables cleaned after each exam). For dd her GCSE results could effect uni entry as she’s wanting to go to oxford, at the moment she’s getting mainly 7/8/9’s in all subjects except German, she’s meant to be having extra lunch time sessions for German as she’s the only one in her year sitting the higher papers, it’s not something I can teach her as home as I don’t speak German so if schools close she will struggle to improve her grade for this subject, she also still has work to cover in science and is attending extra lessons (this maybe accessible online somehow). Dd isn’t stressing at all but I am 😐

hopefully extra measures will be put in to keep exam halls clean (tables cleaned after each exam)

Although i agree with the principle im not sure its feasible

It would be very interesting to see what could be put in place though

lover

Rearead and see your concern about your child

Dd is doing her A levels...she only has two but I’m hoping its all calmed down by then. Apparently her college has been told to make sure their lessons are downloadable

Although i agree with the principle im not sure its feasible

I don't think it would be that hard to wipe each table with a disinfectant wipe.

I don't think it would be that hard to wipe each table with a disinfectant wipe

No dead easy to do it

I’m just not sure who is going to do it

Perhaps they will simply put exam season on hold if the situation becomes a greater issue. This is having a massive impact on everything so I wouldn’t be surprised if this is a potential solution. It will have a knock on effect across the board though with 6th Form applications, university applications.

Exceptional circumstances deem exceptional responses though. I wouldn’t worry too much about it, there is diddly squat parents can do, right now I say keep the focus on study and revision.

It’s not hard to wipe down tables and door handles, other than that students won’t really be touching much else? Takes a few seconds to wipe each table?

It’s more to do with the close proximity to eachother in an exam setting.

I doubt invigilators would be happy to be walking around a room with x number of students potential spreading the virus for 2+ hours.

Well to do it properly it’ll be slightly more than a few seconds

But like i said who is doing it...teachers, invigilators, cleaning staff, caretaking staff, hiring people?

Though children do pack and unpack the desks and chairs...which obviously you need to wipe as well...so maybe they could do it

Its obviously not impossible...its more than doable...but its not as easy as ‘just wipe them’

And if I’m honest I’d rather whoever was wiping them was doing a thorough job...otherwise whats the point

I doubt invigilators would be happy to be walking around a room with x number of students potential spreading the virus for 2+ hours

Well id want a set of tongs to take the papers from them at the very least

(Thats a joke).

I’m marking Y11 work at the moment. I’d like to think that they wash their hands, but they’re more likely to exuberantly rub themselves up against each other while yelling ‘coronavirus forever’.

Does anyone know what’s happening about exams in countries where the schools are shut?

We are in Hong Kong in GSCE year and our children have not been to school since the end of Jan and will not go back to school until the 20th April at the earliest. That is 12 weeks of missed school and 12 weeks of home learning. We have just heard from the exam boards that at the moment the exams will take place as normal and that there will be no considerations made for any distributions and school closures. This may change but as of now this is where they stand and it is so disappointing

The UK's exam system with its be all and end all focus on terminal, life event exams differs from many countries so this does complicate things rather more.