Exams

This page should provide you with everything that you need to know regarding your examinations

Contact The Exams Team

Phone: 01206 500 718

exams@colchsfc.ac.uk

Exam Dates

The dates of examinations are set by the individual awarding bodies. Full details regarding examination timetables are available to students and their parents on our Cedar information system.  

The exam office works continuously throughout the year to enter students for exams; rooming and seating is only finalised in the weeks before the exam series in question – at which time a paper timetable is also issued. 

If you are planning very far ahead e.g. for booking a holiday, note that students should be available for all of the exam series.  The last day of the series (usually around late June in the summer series) are held back as emergency days in case an exam has to be rescheduled nationally. 

Important Information Regarding Your Exams

Some weeks before your exams, you should receive a paper copy of your timetable via tutorial with confirmation of any exam access arrangements, if you have any.  You can also view this information on Cedar.  To see this information go to ‘Exams & Results’/Exam Timetable'.

You should familiarise yourself with your exam dates and times, rooms and seat numbers. You will also need to know your candidate number.  It is a good idea to bring your exam timetable with you to every exam.

You must bring with you a photographic ID – your student ID is perfect!  If the name on your student card is not your legal name, you will need to bring with you some other form of photographic ID such as a passport.

Remember to bring everything you need with you to the exam, e.g. rulers, calculators (if allowed), protractors.  You are not able to borrow equipment.   You MUST WRITE IN BLACK INK. 

DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES bring any unauthorised items into the exam room.  These include:

  • Mobile phones
  • Watches
  • laptops
  • Ear pods
  • MP3/4 players or similar devices

Any items containing digital storage are strictly forbidden, and you may be disqualified if you do not adhere to these rules.  These items should be left at reception, where a ticketing system will be in operation.

Be on time for your exams.  All morning exams start at 09:15 and all afternoon exams start at 13:45.  You should arrive at your exam room 15 minutes before the official start time, so that the exam can start promptly.  If you arrive after 09:15 or 13:45, please report to Main Reception and a member of staff will take you to your exam room.  If you are extremely late, the exam board may refuse to mark your work.

If you are a clash candidate, please make sure that you have read the clash letter attached to your exam timetable.  You must make sure that you bring with you a packed lunch on these days.  You can revise during the supervision period, but you will not be allowed access to your phone or laptop, so please bring with you paper resources only.

If you are ill on the day of your exam please email the exams team before the start of your exam.

Your Exam Results

On results day, there are no arrangements for picking up results on-site - though senior tutors and The Careers Team are all available via email and phone. 

You can access your exam results via the Cedar system from 8.00 am.  To see your results go to ‘Exams & Results’/’Exam Results’.

Results dates for summer 2024 are as follows:

A Level/Level 3 Qualifications:    15th August 2024

GCSE/Level 2 Qualifications: 22nd August 2024

Universities you have accepted an offer from will already have confirmation of your results.  If you are going through clearing and are asked to produce a copy of your results, sending a screenshot of your results from Cedar, should be sufficient.

Understanding your results:

Some BTEC’s and Applied Generals use the following grading:

D* - Distinction *

DS – Distinction

ME – Merit

PA – Pass

FL - Fail

Post-Results Service

To obtain a breakdown of your results and to see how close you are to the next grade boundary, please contact us (see box above) using a student college account so that your identity is verified.  Please be aware that we cannot release or discuss results with parents unless the student has given us permission to do so through their official college email account. We will then respond via email asap.  This may sometimes take a little while as we have many enquires, but we will get back to you as soon as possible.

For a full list of post results services, fees and deadlines, please refer to the downloadable document at the bottom of this section

If you would like to proceed with any post results services, you will need to visit the Exams Office in person to complete paperwork and make payment via debit card.

The Exams office will be open from 09:00 – 15:00, Monday – Friday for this service.

Copies of scripts and outcomes of mark reviews will be sent to your college account. Once you have made an application, please ensure that your check your email account regularly, until you receive a response.

If you would like to enquire about re-sits, unless it is for GCSE English Language or GCSE Maths, which have a November series, please contact the Exams Office in October – December to arrange this.  We won’t have details regarding the exam dates and fees for the next summer any sooner.

Please find information on post results services here

Exam Certificates

Certificates will be available to collect from College from early December. 

Any certificates that are not collected by 14 February will be posted home via second class post, to the address we hold on our system; please do make sure that you notify college if your home address changes.