Laptop crashing during GCSE exam

[Maladicta]

Hi

Asking this for a friend. Her daughter has dyslexia and uses a laptop in exams with 25% time.

In a written exam (think maybe RE) at the end of last week, the school laptop she has been given to use crashed four times. The school recorded it in the exam log after my friend insisted... School assured her this wouldn't happen again.

Fast forward to this morning's English Lit, it crashed three times so a replacement had to be found. This has obviously caused great disruption to an already stressed student.

Friend has asked to speak to the exams officer but has had no call back yet. What should she be asking to happen next (apart from a better laptop obviously..)? If it's recorded in the invigilator log, will it be taken into consideration when the papers are marked?

She's obviously now seriously worried that this will keep occurring so it has added another layer of anxiety.

TIA

You need to ask the school to apply for special consideration for the two papers already sat (this probably comes under 'failure of practical equipment') which will give her maybe an extra 2% added to her marks.

In addition, I would insist on a better laptop. This can't keep happening and I would write an official complaint to the school it occurs again.

Friend should insist on speaking to the exams officer. Special consideration can only get up to 5% extra marks in exceptional circumstances. Another route, which she would have to really push for, would only apply if the exams affected have more than one paper or include coursework - in which case the school can ask the exam board to discount the affected paper and award a grade based just on the other paper(s) or coursework.

Thanks so much, I'll pass your advice on. I want to 'arm' her as the school seem to have been particularly useless in all of this...

I am assuming that she saves as she goes along and that sutosave is slso enabled. Although it is on a laptop it should be connected to the school network. Yes what a pain it's crashing but I also assume they stop the clock on the exam and restart when up and running again.

People above have already spoken of special consideration

What noble said. Special consideration will be applied for though will only be 1 or 2%, the maximum for 5% is only very exceptional circs such as recent death of parent or sibling.

She should definitely have been saving work regularly throughout but laptop will not be connected to the school network as a pp said. It needs to be stand alone to comply with exam board regulations.
School should be pulling out all the stops to prevent it happening again.

The other option is too ask if it's too late to have a scribe on standby or to arrange for a scribe instead of a laptop.