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Information for learners and parents

Last updated on: 11/03/2008

Information about access arrangements

Some learners are allowed assistance to help them access examinations. If you think you need extra help, you must talk to your teachers, the exam officer at your school or college, or other adults who help you with access arrangements in class. Information about access arrangements is published by the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ) and ensures that all A level and GCSE awarding bodies follow the same procedures. Your exam officer should use the JCQ Regulations and guidance relating to candidates who are eligible for adjustments in examinations to check the access arrangements that are suitable for you.

Ofqual requires awarding bodies to ensure that candidates can demonstrate their skills, knowledge and understanding, but without giving candidates an unfair advantage or undermining the integrity of the examination. A range of access arrangements is available for candidates with different requirements in different exams. Although the JCQ document is updated every year, access arrangements authorised when you started your course will be available for your exams.

Something affected your exam performance

If something affected your exam performance then talk to your teachers as soon as possible. The centre may be able to ask the awarding body for special consideration.

Ofqual can check if a request for special consideration has been submitted, but the awarding body will assess the requests.

If you think something on the question paper was wrong, talk to your teachers as soon as possible after the exam. If your teachers agree, your centre should write to the awarding body to explain the situation. If there was an error on the question paper, this will be taken into account by the awarding body when exam grades are awarded.

You want your exam paper returned

Talk to your teachers about the centre getting your exam paper (or a copy of it) returned by using the access to scripts process.

Ofqual can check if the procedures have been followed, but the awarding body is responsible for your exam papers.

Exam papers are sometimes lost during the marking process. Awarding bodies have established procedures that they follow if your exam paper is lost before it is marked. This may include looking at your marks for other exams in the same qualification and your predicted grade provided by teachers at your centre.

There was a problem with your teacher or your centre

Discuss the situation with your teachers, the head of the centre or school governors.

Ofqual cannot handle complaints about the quality of teaching you have received.

Deadlines for complaints

The deadlines for your centre to complain about your exam results or get access to your exam paper for the summer exam series are:

Requesting a review of marking: 20 September
Requesting your original exam paper: 4 October

For A levels, centres can also request copies of your exam papers to decide whether to complain about your exam results. The deadline for requesting copies of A level exam papers for the summer 2008 exam series is 22 August 2008.

Getting copies of exam certificates

Ofqual does not hold records of students' individual awards nor does it retain any copies of past certificates. To obtain an official record of your past results you should contact the relevant awarding bodies.

Please note that awarding bodies will not issue a replacement certificate but will issue a Certifying Statement of Results or a letter of confirmation of results, which will be recognised by educational institutions, professional bodies and prospective employers.

There are now five main awarding bodies for these qualifications operating in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Please consult the list below to see who may now have a copy of your past certificate:

Old exam board Title New awarding body
AEB Associated Examinations Board AQA (Guildford) (opens in new window)  Tel: 01483 506506 (Switchboard, ask for Candidates Services Records)
Email: examsrecords-s@aqa.org.uk
Fax: 01483 455731
SEG Southern Examining Group
SEREB South East Regional Examinations Board
SWExB South Western (Regional) Examinations Board
ALSEB Associated Lancashire Schools Examining Board AQA (Manchester) (opens in new window) Tel: 0161 953 1180 (Exam Records, ask for Candidates Services Records)
Email: examsrecords-n@aqa.org.uk
Fax: 0161 4555 444
JMB Joint Matriculation Board
NEA Northern Examining Association
NEAB Northern Examinations and Assessment Board
NREB North Regional Examining Board
NWREB North Western Regional Examining Board
TWYLREB The West Yorkshire and Lindsey Regional Examinations Board
YHREB Yorkshire and Humberside Regional Examinations Board
NISEAC Northern Ireland School Examinations and Assessment Council CCEA Download form from the CCEA website (opens in a new window), print out and send in hard copy, or request form: Tel: 02890 261200 (Exam Support)
Email: info@ccea.org.uk
Fax: 02890 261289
NISEC Northern Ireland School Examinations Council
BEC Business Education Council Edexcel Download form from the Edexcel website (opens in new window), print out and send in hard copy, or Tel: 0870 240 9800 (Customer services)
BTEC Business and Technician Education Council
JCBSPA Joint Committee for Business Studies and Public Administration
LEAG London East Anglia Group
LREB London Regional Examining Board
M&MREB Metropolitan and Middlesex Regional Examining Boards
TEC Technician Education Council
UESEC University Entrance and Schools Examinations Council
ULEAC University of London Examinations and Assessment Council
ULSEB University of London Schools Examination Board
EAEB East Anglian Examinations Board OCR\Edexcel (see contact details above and below)
EMREB East Midland Regional Examinations Board OCR Download form from the OCR website (opens in a new window) , print out and send in hard copy
Tel: 01223 553998 (Customer services)
MEG Midland Examining Group
OCEAC Oxford and Cambridge Examinations and Assessment Council
OCSEB Oxford and Cambridge Schools Examination Board
RSA Royal Society of Arts
SREB Southern Regional Examinations Board
SUJB Southern Universities' Joint Board for Schools Examinations
UCLES University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate
UODLE University of Oxford Delegacy of Local Examinations
WMEB West Midlands Examinations Board
WJEC Welsh Joint Education Committee WJEC WJEC (opens in new window) To apply or a copy of the form to request a certifying statement of results telephone 02920 265056
Fax: 02920 575994
Email: exams@wjec.co.uk