Exam invigilator cocked up!

[JadeEmpress]

Hi all,

DS has sat one of his exams today, in which he asked for extra paper for planning an essay. This request was initially granted, yet a second invigilator rushed over and confiscated the additional booklet, saying it wasn't allowed for his paper (an Edexcel language exam), and it seems to have put him off track and adversely affected his performance - not very happy at all, as I would've thought that it was common practice and its referenced all over the internet!! Now have a stressed DS who has 4 more papers to go.

He has done the same in mocks, and there has never, ever been a problem. Google searches and JCQ information go at odds with what the examiner has done. He has uni offers to meet and this frankly isn't acceptable...

We have put in an appeal with the school and are hoping for special consideration, though I'm not confident of whatever the outcome will be - does anyone have any experience with this sort of dilemma? What should we be doing? What sort of special consideration, if any, is accorded? Google seems to be saying 1-2%, but this is ridiculous, surely, there's more consideration?

Would appreciate any input, v stressed

There's literally nothing to indicate OPs DS is going into that sort of job. There are plenty of jobs that don't involve any form of hankering and salvaging, plenty of jobs that aren't 'high pressure
Environments'

I definitely think it sounds like he could do with building resilience, and I would be concerned that doing 5 A levels and getting upset about something so minor indicates he's under an awful lot of pressure, but he also has ASD And it's a bit harsh to put a random comment slating a 18yos ability to work a pretty specific type of job

Did it really unsettle them though? Or did they think better make a fuss so we get extra marks

Yes, my nephew’s mum died completely unexpectedly just a couple of weeks before exams started, and could only claim 5%.

It was automatically applied.

@KittyMcKitty

Special needs can have an impact on the invigilation of his exams depending on if he is deemed to need access arrangements put in place. That is why I was asking if he had specific access arrangements in place. Because maybe he didn't need any, or there hasn't been time with an early diagnosis or as the OP mentioned that school have been unsupportive, maybe they have just neglected to give him any? I also have the JCQ handbook. It doesn't say anything about whether allowances can be made in certain circumstances - again, that is why I asked if there were specific access arrangements stating that he could have extra paper.

It's 6 A Levels, isn't it, as also doing history.
Hopefully one blip won't affect the overall result. Is this one of the subjects he wants to study university?

6 A Levels? Why?? Particularly when there are extra needs involved that make it difficult to navigate stuff that other people take in their stride.

I'm amazed that the school allowed him to do SIX a levels... Even if 2 are native language ... That's still a hell of a lot of work (and pressure) for what?

I know. Seems like madness! Don't universities only use grades from the top three A levels anyway?

Unless this is the language he wants to study but even so - a university demanding A* for Russian - doubt it somehow.

I'm a bit out of the loop now, but I used to teach EFL and students took A level foreign language in their own language. Obviously they'd get brilliant marks but it was unfair for native British speakers. The universities then started to refuse to accept them as part of their entry requirements. They were included in the application action just as proof they could pass at that level.
Of course, I haven't taught for a while and that might have changed again. Or maybe that's why he's doing 6 A levels?

Even if he has two native languages, that still leaves 4 A Levels.

You’d have to wonder how necessary this is, when he appears to be struggling with managing very mundane “stresses”.

He'd still presumably e attending lessons and doing the work? It isn't always that easy for them to do even in native tongue. We have overseas kids wobble at their native A levels.

Plus doing 4 other A-levels, including 2 further languages? That's a fuck ton of work....and for what?

@Hannahsbananas and @00100001

Sorry, I wasn't really commenting on the rights or wrongs. Just on how some students end up doing more A levels than the average. I guess it's up to the school to say whether they'd allow that or not.

I was with you all the way until you said he needed it for planning. Planning should be done in the booklet and then crossed through. He shouldn't be given a new booklet or additional sheets until he had used the entire booklet.

It's obvious why invigilators shouldn't give out extra paper unless they are convinced it's needed and monitor its distribution carefully.otjerwise people would be getting their hands on/knocking up headed paper and bringing it into the exam with crib notes on

As an invigilator I don’t monitor how much paper is given out. Not sure if other exam centres do. I am often part of a team where we have 400 students in the same room taking different exams with different boards. My main concern with the extra paper is that I don’t want anything to get lost or separated from the candidate’s main answer booklet. Some boards eg OCR do not want extra paper to be tied to the original booklet with a treasury tag, just place the paper in the booklet (with candidate’s details on paper), which I am not keen on personally.

I'm surprised about the extra paper thing - surely if they need it they need it? I believe my daughter asked for extra paper in her first History exam. She does write loads (nine pages for one answer and she said her friend wrote even more). She often says her writing gets smaller and smaller and she fills in every little space.
And don't see how a student could bring paper in - surely they only have their pencil case?

I don't think there's any problem getting more paper if you have filled the booklet you have.
The issue is this case was OP DC wanted more to do planning while still having space in the original booklet.

Ah gotcha. Still don't see the issue having extra paper at the start - surely they hand everything in?
Anyway guess they have their reasons.
Last exam tomorrow - whoop whoop!

Exams are designed to be the right length for most of the candidates, so extra sheets shouldn't generally be needed. All notes are supposed to be in the answer sheet, not thrown. And also, by providing 3 sheets per candidate (let's say) you're increasing the amount of paper by tons!!