Taking exams while ill

[webwiz]

DD2 has been ill over Christmas and this has now turned into a severe bout of tonsillitis. Her throat is horrible and she is having problems eating and sleeping. Unfortunately she's in year 13 and her exams start on Monday.

Obviously she may feel a lot better by then but if she doesn't does anyone know if she gets any sort of special consideration? Her throat is so vile that a doctors note won't be a problem, we've been once but she's getting better so slowly that another visit is probably a good idea anyway.

You could apply for special consideration and would definitely need a doctor's note to do so. Speak to the examinations officer at your daughter's school/college - have to say that it's really not worth very much in terms of percentage points but could make the difference if she ends up near a grade boundary.

I work for a large awarding body

I knew it wasn't worth many percentage points abgirl but I was thinking it might still help her out a little bit. The Monday exam is a resit and she was just trying to get higher marks to take some of the pressure off in the summer - I can't see that plan working now.

You can apply for special consideration, but it would be worth 5% max.

She has June to catch up.

Oh webwiz I feel for you .
What happens if she's too ill to go in ?
The exams are taken in units and however much some people may wish we had the old A level system where people are tested on 2 years work during one set of exams we have to work with what we've got .
Which will disadavantage your poor daughter - sorry not explaining this well .
Sympathies to you both ( daughter and you )

Hi Webwiz - so sorry your DD is ill. I hope she is feeling better soon.

I am watching this thread with interest as DS1 and 2 have A2 and GCSE exams this month, and the school have already sent out a note advising they are expecting a lot of flu cases and that students should stay away if they have any symptoms to reduce the risk of infection

Thanks gingeroots and Frumpy we've been back to the doctors today and he has doubled the penicillin dose (we have four bottles of it now!) and hopefully that will have some effect. I'm waiting for a phone call back from school about the best thing to do about Monday's exam, fortunately her exams are quite spread out so she doesn't have another one till friday.

Just to tell you that the most you will get for special consideration is 1%. It is based on her condition at the time of writing the exam, not how she was leading up to it. To get 5% there has to have been a very close bereavement or really bad family circumstances. You can check on the exam oard websites and your exam coordinator at school should be able to advise. Unfortunately with modular exams they seem to think you can just take it at the next session - easier said than done.

Webwiz - I hope the antibiotics kick in quickly, but I guess she is unable to do any meaningful revision?

So what would happen if a student was too ill (or contagious) to take the exam?

She is still revising Frumpy - she can manage a bit after having a lie in. It seems a shame though as she was hoping to do really well in the Jan exams and then could comfortably go for the highest of her uni offers. Oh well that's life I suppose.

As the exams can be taken in the June 2011 sitting then its hard lines if you can't take it. The plan is to decide on Sunday evening whether or not to take the Monday exam.

I hope she continues to improve, and is able to take her exams. Is it Maths she wants to study?

Yes it is Maths Frumpy - she is a little better after the mega doses of antibiotics but Monday still seems a bit of a long shot. I've spoken to the head of sixth form and he's offered to mark the past papers she's done if we stick them through his letterbox (he lives around the corner from us) and has said only do Mondays exam if she feels like it.

Fingers crossed webwiz ,guess she has youth on her side and of course antibiotics .

We're ditching the antibiotics as the doctor has just phoned with blood test results to confirm that its glandular fever not tonsillitis

Oh Webwiz, I am so sorry. I hope it's a relatively "mild" case, and she recovers quickly.

If your dd did not take the resit next week, and focussed insted an her A2 exams later in the month (am presuming here based on DSs exams), would she be able to make up the marks? Or does she really need this resit?

I really hope she is feeling better soon, DH had glandular fever when at Uni (a very long time ago), and it was pretty grim

Oh ,I'm really sorry too.
I swear by Goldenseal tincture for throat ,mouth problems and generally to support immune system .
Poor girl .

Its actually a recurrence of the glandular fever that DD2 had in March and she was under the weather and tired till June. The whole thing is a bit frustrating but what can you do. This time her throat is really bad but she doesn't seem to have the overwhelming tiredness.

She's decided to take Monday's exam so we'll see how that goes.

Crossing fingers for your dd webwiz. I hope she feels a little better, and good luck for the exam tomorrow.

DS2 has addl science GCSE exams starting this week, so between him, and DS1s A2 exams at end of month, tensions are quite high in the frumpy household, so we have decided to take a break, and take everyone out for a leisurely lunch

DD2 took her exam this morning and came out looking white as a sheet. She said it was ok but she couldn't work as fast as usual and didn't finish.

Just glad to have it over and done with and hopefully she will be a bit better by friday for the next exam. On the plus side she managed some toast today which we were very excited about