Terrible writing in exams... what will the examiner do?

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  1. Magenta96's Avatar
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    Terrible writing in exams... what will the examiner do?
    My writing away from exams is really neat. When do my exam I'm in a state of panic and have so much information in my head I go crazy making sure I get everything down and meet the time limits. I end up writing super fast but my writing looks like scribbles sometimes.

    Will the examiner completely ignore all the sentences with hard to read words or will they send it off to someone so they can check it really thoroughly? How do I write fast and neat? I'm concerned as I can't just translate the word to them like I can in school. I really do try to slow down my writing pace but then it becomes even scruffier.
  2. ACunningham's Avatar
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    Re: Terrible writing in exams... what will the examiner do?
    (Original post by Magenta96)
    My writing away from exams is really neat. When do my exam I'm in a state of panic and have so much information in my head I go crazy making sure I get everything down and meet the time limits. I end up writing super fast but my writing looks like scribbles sometimes.

    Will the examiner completely ignore all the sentences with hard to read words or will they send it off to someone so they can check it really thoroughly? How do I write fast and neat? I'm concerned as I can't just translate the word to them like I can in school. I really do try to slow down my writing pace but then it becomes even scruffier.
    No. He'll more than likely rub one out because he's a socio-psycho-paedophile who gets aroused by two things:
    1. Bad handwriting
    2. Roadkill


    I think my opinions on examiners are clear.
  3. Lovefoxxx_93's Avatar
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    • Location: Bristol
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    Re: Terrible writing in exams... what will the examiner do?
    I think they'd make a decent effort to decipher it, though they do have to mark a lot and can't afford to spend ages on a single one.
  4. thecrimsonidol's Avatar
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    Re: Terrible writing in exams... what will the examiner do?
    Ah bad handwriting. I share your pain.
  5. rmisra's Avatar
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    Re: Terrible writing in exams... what will the examiner do?
    I too share the curse that is poor handwriting, and i do believe that i WILL lose marks over it, however that just makes me try harder, so if anything, its a good thing- well thats my messed up logic anyway...
  6. Ra Ra Ra's Avatar
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    Re: Terrible writing in exams... what will the examiner do?
    My friend has the worst handwriting imaginable, and the examiners have always been able to cope (she got As and A*s in essay subjects at GCSE). She leaves little messages at the end apologising to the examiner for her terrible writing, and ends with a little smiley face
  7. mr tim's Avatar
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    Re: Terrible writing in exams... what will the examiner do?
    (Original post by Ra Ra Ra)
    My friend has the worst handwriting imaginable, and the examiners have always been able to cope (she got As and A*s in essay subjects at GCSE). She leaves little messages at the end apologising to the examiner for her terrible writing, and ends with a little smiley face
    Possibly wouldn't read that anyway lol.

    OP - examiners will try their hardest to read your writing, they have been reading a lot of scripts with various handwritings, good and bad, so they'll have come across bad ones, and I'm sure yours won't be the worst one they have came up against or will come against. I don't think it'll go to another examiner though.
  8. Magenta96's Avatar
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    Re: Terrible writing in exams... what will the examiner do?
    Should I leave a message at the end apologising for my bad writing? If they read that they may be slightly less annoyed at me, do you think?
  9. Lizzieeeee's Avatar
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    • Location: Kent, UK
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    Re: Terrible writing in exams... what will the examiner do?
    Naa, I know countless people that do the same in exams (including me!). It's always a compromise between writing as fast as possible and actually making it legible! I cannot read my friends writing, it is the pointiest crazyiest stuff I've ever seen but she's never got below an A including English and history exams. The examiners really try their hardest.

    The smiley face idea is kinda cute though...if you have the time to spare!
  10. kaypc's Avatar
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    Re: Terrible writing in exams... what will the examiner do?
    i don't think you'll lose that many marks cos there's someone at my school whose writing is just terrible and he still managed 3A*'s at A level. god knows how the examiners managed to read his work.
  11. ColdKant's Avatar
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    Re: Terrible writing in exams... what will the examiner do?
    I think that comes in the job description, it's almost impossible to
    not expect different variations of handwriting.. most examiners
    have tons of experience anyway so they've come across a fair bit
    of 'good' and 'bad' handwriting
  12. Petro_99's Avatar
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    Re: Terrible writing in exams... what will the examiner do?
    my writing is awful.

    i write on one line, then miss a line then write on the other line

    its funny with essays as i have lots of answer books, and everyone looks at me like ive done lots of writing! lol
  13. Nav_Mallhi's Avatar
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    Re: Terrible writing in exams... what will the examiner do?
    dont worry Im sure they've seen worse
  14. J.Nalbandian14's Avatar
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    I have the same problem, my subject teachers always tell me that it needs to improve and they always mark me lower when I hand past papers in to them.


    This was posted from The Student Room's iPhone/iPad App
  15. J.Nalbandian14's Avatar
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    Is there anyway I can get exam papers remarked somehow, with some one else deeply reading my writing as teachers tell me that if they can't understand a word or sentence; then I will not be given a credential mark for it


    This was posted from The Student Room's iPhone/iPad App
  16. carnationlilyrose's Avatar
    • PS Helper
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    Re: Terrible writing in exams... what will the examiner do?
    In my experience as an examiner, the answer to the question is, 'Struggle, curse, try really hard, give as much benefit of the doubt as possible, then refer it to the senior examiner for a second opinion.'
  17. Butterfly9595's Avatar
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    Re: Terrible writing in exams... what will the examiner do?
    I think it only has to be legible for the examiner to mark it - maybe practise writing stuff by hand whenever possible in neatish handwriting and that might gradually help you speed up, although you may not have time for that - maybe an idea for next time though?
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