School gave the wrong physics A-level paper

[PhysicsMess]

Just wondering what on Earth happens now.

It was the right question paper but the wrong formula sheet. A pupil questioned it near the start but was told it was correct.

So they didn't have the right formulas for the six mark questions. The formula sheets were from a previous years exam and had obviously been used before as some had workings out, writing on them.

School don't know how it happened and have said something like an extra 3% will be added. Which doesn't seem like enough.

Will it be the school who have messed up or the exam board?

I would speak to your Exams Officer. For GCSEs all inserts (periodic tables etc etc) come already inserted into each exam booklet which in turn arrive at the school in sealed packages and are opened under very strict conditions with only a limited amount of people being able to do this / have contact with the paper. I imagine A Levels are exactly the same.

Exams officer has just said that they're investigating in conjunction with the exam board who they've told about it. I can't imagine the exam board would send old, used formula sheets?

If it is the exam board the issue may have affected everyone taking the exam, so a general adjustment of some kind will probably be applied. If it was specific to the school, regardless of whether the school or the exam board messed up, the exam board can use the "special consideration" process. This can result in an adjustment of up to 5%, although 3% is more common.

Following with interest.

My DD's history paper had the same incorrect date for serving Prime Minister in four different source questions.

How many people must look at this and no one caught it! Assume as it will be whole exam board it will be adjusted accordingly?

mum if everyone sat the same exam paper then there won’t be any adjustments as everyone will be equally affected - the grade boundaries are set to ensure the right proportion of students get each grade. There is more of a problem if only a subsection of pupils did the dodgy question (like when students who studied Romeo and Juliet were affected by a duff question last year). Then they have to look more closely.

2 years ago, DD1 had the wrong formula sheet given out for Physics. A student realised just before the exam started. Unfortunately for DD, she had an exam clash with English; she was taking Physics first, then English, so there were a lot of students in the hall.

The exams officer asked the students sitting English if they would be happy to wait for the Physicists to start and they all said they were happy to wait. She rang the board and was emailed something that she printed out and brought over to the hall. It took around 30 minutes to sort. Both exams started c30 minutes late. DD finished Physics then had a slightly shorter break between exams in isolation before taking English. No ill-effects were suffered but they all checked very carefully that they had been sent the correct information in subsequent papers.

OP, don't worry. It happens and as long as the exams officer reports it, there should be no problem.