My son is sitting his AS levels and has been given the wrong chemistry paper, the only one in the class! All the others sitting the test got the right paper.
The questions all related to the module that they had been studying so he didn't think anything of it.
Turns out the paper that he was given was for upper 6 and not lower 6.
His teacher has blamed him for not noticing! My son if fumming!
Totally unfair as he has now missed his chance if the school cannot plead extenuating circumstances with the exam board!
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Not his fault - ultimately the school's - I would be fuming as well. I would be at the school gates tomorrow to doorstep the head-teacher. How does he feel he's done ?
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He has just been online to the student forums and is confident that his answers match those posted by upper 6th elsewhere, but the syllabus will be a year more advanced and he suspects he will have missed some of the subtleties.
Will be making an appointment with the head tomorrow.
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I may have mentioned it I am a Governor for an FE College. Top tip is calm, calm calm - let them explain how it happened. Ultimately the school's fault no question. The teacher is covering his tracks.
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Thanks Pug, will be calm and polite but firm!
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Nothing short of being allowed to re-sit the correct paper is acceptable.
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As an ex-teacher (Head of Department, comprehensive school), I have to say that re-sitting the exam in the current exam period is highly unlikely. For a start, the "correct" paper has been sat by the other candidates and a new set of questions would be required for the one candidate affected, which, realistically, isn't going to happen.
It's a pity the lad didn't notice, but it's certainly not his problem. The exam should have been properly administered by those actually running it; getting the wrong question paper is never the candidate's fault. Whether there is a case to be made against the exam board - if, say, the wrong question paper was one anomaly in an otherwise correct pile of question papers when the package was opened - I am unsure. Certainly, in my time it was part of the correct administrative protocol for the packets of question papers to be opened in the presence of the candidates and only exceptional circumstances allowed otherwise. In that kind of situation it might be considered unreasonable for each question paper to be checked, given the need for some haste in giving them out. So it is possible those running the exam may have an excuse, if there was a "rogue" question paper. I suspect that is not the case, though.
Certainly the best approach to the school is to the Head, who may need to involve the Exam Officer (a teacher with this specific responsibility) and those teachers present and running the exam. Give the Head a chance to gather information and respond; any Head worth his/her salt will have immediately grasped the seriousness of the situation.
Door-stepping is not the best approach. Phone and get an appointment and expect to be seen very quickly. Heads are not always in school the whole day, or indeed every day - off-site meetings are common. Accept an appointment with a Deputy or the Exam Officer instead and ask to see the Head as a follow-up if necessary.
I am very sorry about what has happened - I know how stressed parents, as well as students, get during exams.
My feeling is that the school SHOULD be pleading extenuating circumstances with the exam board.
Last edited by: ChrisPeugeot on Mon 9 May 11 at 20:58
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Chris is right - door-stepping is the wrong approach. Sorry had a bad customer service sort of day....door-stepped too many in the last few days.
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I just wanted to add that the teachers supervising the exam may not have been specialists on the subject being examined, in which case they wouldn't immediately realise the difference between papers of a different level in the same subject. In my time the school did try to have a subject specialist in each exam room for at least the start of the exam, but it may not always happen.
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Thanks for all your replies, much appreciated!
Just to clarify, it was the chemistry teacher who was moderating. There were two exams going on at the same time, both chemistry one for year one, one for year two.
Most annoyed at the assertation that it was his fault.
Will give the school a call and make an appointment and see how it goes.
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Let us know how you get on.
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My kids are doing respectively GCSE & A2. Both say the invigilator's talk always includes a reminder to candidates to check the paper's the one they expect.
That doesn't remove the school's responsibility to give them out right though.
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Chris P has covered most points, but a word or two of reassurance zippy. Your son will not suffer from this - it's the last thing an exam board or school would want, that the way in which its/their examinations are run has put a candidate at a disadvantage.
A couple of points may be worth raising (in a reasonable manner!!)
1. Each exam paper has a specific code. This should be read out to candidates so that they can check they have the right paper. If any have doubts then they should be able to ask for assistance. I think there are specific instructions about this issued by exam board and to be followed by examofficer/invigilators and these instructions must be strictly followed. Each paper also states whether it is AS or A2 level. (Brompt has made thispoint much more succinctly!!)
2. In the school I worked in we were not allowed to invigilate our own subject's exams. Mainly to avoid teacher's expressions when seeing the paper distracting pupils - a smile or frown on seeing a paper could influence pupils' attitudes to papers - we could only see the paper after the exam had finished.
I would also be interested to know if your son was at the end or beginning of the alphabetical (or candidate number ) list of examinees. I suspect that it was an invigilator error - A2 papers given out one desk too far or AS papers one desk too few. There's no doubt that the original fault lies with invigilators giving out the wrong paper - but I wonder if your son checked the front page carefully enough (though under exam pressure and the assumption that his teachers would do their job properly should not necessitate this).
The response of the teacher was unreasonable. He did the opposite of what was required - he should have apologised for the error, said that it was not pupil's fault and promised that the exam board would be contacted immediately and that they would ensure that the pupil would not suffer.
I seem to remember that a few years ago, a teacher taught entirely the wrong syllabus for 2 years at English A level and the pupils were presented with an exam paper about set books which none of them had read - the exam board sorted it out!!
Don't worry about it - but do go and see the Head Teacher/Exams Officer - they should really contact you about it and ask to see you and your son ASAP.
Phil
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"I seem to remember that a few years ago, a teacher taught entirely the wrong syllabus for 2 years at English A level and the pupils were presented with an exam paper about set books which none of them had read - the exam board sorted it out!!"
You're not an ex-colleague of mine, are you?!
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It seems that the teacher was entirely at fault. I assume that both levels of exam were being held in the same room. The teacher should have realised that your son was taking the lower level paper. However, I'm sure the exam board will sort it out for you.
I was the Director of an FE College and I also acted as the Examination's Officer. One year the exam board provided the wrong papers for one of the exams - they blamed the printers - and the whole of the class took the wrong paper. It was not realised until the candidates had sat their paper that it was the wrong one, and only then because their teacher came to see how they had done. Most candidates will not realise there has been a mistake. When I was informed I contacted the Exam Board and due consideration was given to the candidates. As I recall none of the candidates were disadvantaged.
The board may have your son's paper marked and give due allowance for his performance, and/or they will take into account how he performs on his other papers, and award a mark according to that. I don't think he will be disadvantaged.
I assume the School has contacted the Board.
Last edited by: Robbie34 on Tue 10 May 11 at 10:09
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When I sat one of my GCSE's some years ago the whole class was given the wrong paper. I remember us all looking around at each other and shrugging our shoulders as we didnt have a clue.
After about 10 minutes we were told to stop and shut the paper, and taken out to another school hall. Situation was explained to us, but as others were due to sit this paper later that day we were not allowed to leave the room, and had to wait while the correct papers were biked across to us to be sat before we could leave.
At least the mistake was spotted
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Head of year was met and an apology received.
The paper number was not read out because a number of candidates were already in the exam hall sitting other exams and they wanted to minimise interruptions. This practice will change. The teacher handed out the papers.
The Head of year has promised that Son won't be penalised, unbeknown to me exam was a practical written paper. Apparently the practical was done at the weekend (and I didn't notice that Son wasn't around) and this was an official write up. So long as it is written up in exam conditions it will be OK.
Son is a bit hacked off that he has to sit another exam though. He is very conscientious and has all of his study mapped out!
I would just like to add my thanks for all of your input!
Zippy
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"You're not an ex-colleague of mine, are you?!"
Don't think so, and I didn't teach the wrong syllabus!! - but I presume you know someone who did! No names, no pack drill!!
With the multitude of syllabii (sp?) and changes each year these days it's too easy to do!
Last edited by: PhilW on Tue 10 May 11 at 20:21
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No, I didn't teach the wrong syllabus, but a colleague did - it was for GCSE English Literature and the colleague had referred to an out-of-date syllabus, actually. When the error was realised, the exam board was contacted and they dictated questions suitable for the group concerned. They started and finished a bit late, but that's all.
However, I was in the firing line because I was Head of Department and it had happened on my watch.
Last edited by: ChrisPeugeot on Tue 10 May 11 at 22:59
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What if he passes the exam at the higher level????
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>>>What if he passes the exam at the higher level????
We asked that!
They are not going to mark it.
Apparently there is a chance, 2 in 3, that the paper will be used again next year as one of the practical options.
If they mark it and it is not up to scratch, he can not do it again. If it is not marked then he can try and remember the questions for next time.
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Son given wrong AS level paper - R.P.
