GCSE's using laptop

[Northernsoul72]

Does anyone have any experience of this? My daughter is in Year 10 and started mocks today. her usual way of working is using a laptop. I was surprised today that she is given a question paper as normal and then just a blank document to write the answers on. She has ASD and dyspraxia and found this really tough. She said to me, as well as trying to think of the answers I have to try to think how to set it out. A fair point I though. While that wouldn't be hard for me for example, I can see how it would be for her.

I'm an invigilator and scribe for GCSEs. She doesn't need to set it out in any fancy way. Literally can just put

1.xxxx
2.xxxxx
3.xxxx

As long as there's a number next to each answer it will be marked.

She will also get extra time so will have time to look over it too. Also the exam officer will print out the work and check it is set out appropriately.

All she has to do is number the questions as they appear in the paper such as 1, 1a etc

If school hasn't shown her her to, please show her how to double space using the formatting function.

but yes... just the question number will do

@Fullofpudding ET is not given automatically and is evidence based. In addition the EO is unable to check work on official exams as this is considered confidential, although schools staff are able to look at internal exam submissions.

This is not actually correct

That's one of the things mocks are for - uncovering issues with exam technique. My DD has reader/scribe, and for English two laptops - one to read paper and one for scribe to write answers. She has a lot of ILS involvement but they did not really think about how it would work - so I had to get DD to ask them to help her practice.

They are generally a very supportive SEN unit, DD has EHCP but somehow they are just not very systematic in what they do. It kind of makes sense. It is teachers job to ensure DD is prepared for exams - ILS are there to support SEN - this kind of thing falls in a gap between them.

It is evidence based but if she has been using the laptop as her normal way of working then she should be able to use a laptop in her exams.

My DS has Hyper mobility in his hands (really struggles to write and has a lot of pain) he has used a Chromebook for all his work at Senior school, his school tested at the end of year 9 and he is doing all his written exams on a Chromebook. He not getting extra time as he doesn't qualify for it. He will be having a scribe for his Math and Science exams.

I would speak/contact with the SEND person and find out why your daughter isn't able to use her normal laptop for her exams.

We wouldn't allow a student to use their own laptop in exams because we couldn't guarantee its security. We have specific exam computer settings to avoid any possibility of malpractice.

My DS has just used a lap top for his A Levels only because he has terrible writing and it was felt he would lose marks because the examiner would not be able to read it. He used it for all assessment, mocks prior to the actual exam to get him used to it. The school provided a lap top and he had to sit in a smaller exam room with others doing the same. Speak to the school. I have a friend who has child in independent school and all pupils use lap tops as standard for all exams where it is possible to use one.

If her usual way of working is using a laptop she should have that in exams too, although it would be one of the schools computers used in exam conditions. Contact the SENCO at school. Get everything in place now.

I invigilate students who use a computer. We have a header where students fill in all the relevant info - candidate number, centre number etc. candidates can choose how to lay out their answers - make sure they are numbered. Some candidates answer some questions in the booklet and type others so it’s good practice to write in the booklet - typed answer. We ask all candidates to use font size 12 and double space. Their work is printed at the end of the exam and the candidate checks it’s complete and signs on the final page.
Nobody checks the work is set out appropriately as invigilators/exam officers are not permitted to read a candidate’s script.
As previous posters have mentioned the mocks and end of year exams are a good opportunity to practise laying out work and knowing how to double space etc.

I've been busy invigilating, quite a few kids have been on laptops. Don't worry too much about layout. Most important thing is to fill in the name /candidate number /centre number, and label the questions clearly. Our IT guy sets up the laptop, shows the student what to do, then checks and prints at the end. Then he hands me the printed off paper which I attach to the question paper ready to send off.

My DS1 has just finished his GCSEs all done on a laptop because his handwriting is atrocious! He was given direction and shown exactly what he needed to do so don’t worry. The only complaint DS has had is that he finishes his exams 15/20 minutes later as they have to download the answers onto a stick and label it before he can leave the exam hall.

My Y10 DC uses a laptop in school because of hypermobility-related pain with a side helping of nerve damage. For exams, I provided the school with a laptop of the same type as DC uses ordinarily (albeit a much older model) and DC takes their own, low profile keyboard in to the exam. A regular laptop isn't appropriate for my DC because of the stretch involved in reaching the letter keys on a keyboard that has a mouse pad. The exams office in conjunction with the IT team has DC's exam laptop set up like all the other exam laptops and DC has been shown what to do with candidate number etc. and has been reassured layout is not something to worry about. The numbering of the responses is what matters e.g. Theme A, q. 3.

If your DD feels under pressure to choose a layout, perhaps you could support her to practise putting candidate: <name/number> centre: <name/number> at the top of each page, to set the paragraph to double space and to put in bold/capitals section/theme/option followed by the question number.

So for internal assessments she might have the following at the top of the page:
Northensoul72child
Northern High School

And for GCSE English lit:
Blood Brothers, q. 4

It sounds like you were expecting her to have electronic versions of the exam papers on her screen with space to type answers? That does not happen. A hard copy of the paper and a blank document is normal.

For science, many students using laptops answer some questions on the paper (tick box, matching, often the chemical formula and maths questions) and type answers for the rest. This is a much better use of time than, for example typing out the correct tick box answer. Mocks give them a chance to practice this.