Covid and A levels

[Neolara]

I've seen the guidance that says if someone tests positive for covid they should stay off school for 3 days and not go in to take exams. What happens if they still feel bad on day 4 /5/6? Must they have a temperature to be considered I'll enough to legitimately miss an A level? Lots of people I know didn't have a temperature on day 4 but felt exhausted/ brain foggy. They didn't feel properly better for up to a week or longer.

They'd need a doctors note in order to apply for special consideration.

My DD is in this position ....

What are you going to do?

I've found the guidance for special consideration in exams for this year that says young people should "resume normal activities when they no longer have a high temperature and they are well enough to attend ". So it's not just about having a high temperature.

Guidelines are the same as for any other instance if the candidate is too ill too attend - if they've sat at least 25% of the exams in that subject they can apply for special consideration.

If your dd is too ill to attend some of the exams then the school submits the appropriate paperwork to the exam board and her grade will be calculated based on the papers that she has taken.

So if an A level has 3 papers and she is well enough to be present for only 1 or 2 of them then her grade will be calculated from the paper(s) sat. This can work out better than being present for an exam when you aren't well enough.

If the A level is based on 2 papers and your dd obtained a grade A mark on the paper before she was ill and then sat the second paper when feeling ill and obtained the mark for a C, then this would likely average out as a B. If she missed the second exam due to illness then it should work out as an A. I hope that helps.

Universities wouldn't make any concessions on Offer day, unless the course was undersubscribed.

We have read the guidance - my child was positive on Thursday so is allowed to take the exam but as she still has a cough and fatigue (has had no revision time until today as a result if being unwell) then we will apply for special consideration which if the Joint committee guidance is right should be awarded at 2% of that paper