Examinations Overview

Wellbeing During Exams

Equipment Required for Exams

Students must attend all of their exams with any equipment they need, including a calculator where required – no equipment can be handed out.

Stationery must be in a completely clear pencil case.

Items required include:

Black pen
Pencil
Eraser
Pencil sharpener
Ruler
Protractor
Pair of compasses
Scientific calculator

Items not permitted for use on exam answer papers include:

Correcting pens, fluid or tape
Erasable pens
Highlighters
Gel pens

Examination Boards

AQA website - AQA | Education Charity Providing GCSEs, A-levels and Support

Introduction from AQA website

Everyone has the potential to achieve, so we make sure that our qualifications give all students the opportunity to show what they can do and progress to the next stage of their lives.

Our UK qualifications are highly valued by employers and universities around the world. They are taught mainly in schools and colleges and include GCSEs, AS and A-levels, the Extended Project Qualification and Technical Awards.

We set and mark over half of all GCSEs and A-levels taken in the UK every year. As an independent education charity, our income is reinvested back into AQA’s charitable activities. It also funds our cutting-edge research, which sits at the heart of our assessments and supports our initiatives to help young people facing challenges in life realise their potential.

We also provide support and services that enable learning. These include a comprehensive support and training package for teachers, opportunities for professional development (CPD) and online resources to help teachers in the classroom.

Pearson website -Pearson qualifications | Edexcel and BTEC

Introduction from Pearson website

On our website, you'll find information about Pearson and our qualifications, including our qualification brands, our history, structure and governance, as well as news and policy, media releases, job vacancies, where to find us and how to contact us.

In the UK, we are the largest awarding organisation offering academic and vocational qualifications that are globally recognised and benchmarked, with educational excellence rooted in names like Edexcel and BTEC.

WJEC website - WJEC Homepage

Introduction from WJEC website

As Wales’ largest awarding body, at WJEC we provide trusted bilingual qualifications, straight-forward specialist support, and reliable assessment to schools and colleges across the country. With more than 75 years’ experience, we are also amongst the leading providers in both England and Northern Ireland.

Born out of a consortium of local education authorities in 1948, we are now a registered charity, and a company limited by guarantee. Our strategic direction and key decision-making is led by our Executive Leadership Team who are supported by more than 450 dedicated employees, including subject specialists, and experienced teaching and learning professionals.

Following the introduction of reformed general qualifications in 2015, we have become the sole qualification provider for state-funded schools and colleges across most GCSE and AS/A level subjects. Therefore, it remains essential that we offer products and services of the highest quality, including Welsh-medium provision for all of our qualifications.

Through working in close partnership with key stakeholders in our education communities, including Schools, Colleges, Regional Consortia, and Qualifications Wales, we’re committed to playing our part in supporting the Welsh Government’s drive to ensure ‘Wales has an education system that is a source of national pride.’

OCR website - OCR - awarding body for A Levels, GCSEs, Cambridge Nationals, Cambridge Technicals and other qualifications

Introduction from OCR website

OCR is a leading UK awarding body. We provide qualifications which engage people of all ages and abilities at school, college, in work or through part-time learning programmes.

Our general and vocational qualifications equip students with the knowledge and skills they need for their future, helping them achieve their full potential..
As one of the major UK exam boards, we're responsible for creating and marking exams taken by over a million learners each year. We provide GCSEs and A Levels in over 40 subjects and offer over 100 vocational qualifications. We work with over 8,000 examiners and assessors, over 90% of whom are teachers or ex-teachers, who create and mark our exams.

JCQ Information

Policies and Processes