Suitable pen for exam?

Having my first proper exam in such a long time and I'm just wondering if my zebra sarasa pens are suitable for them. They are gel ink I think, but they dry almost instantly and don't bleed through pages that much (on very thin paper it's quite visible, e.g. 60gsm). They are black so I didn't think that's a problem and I've used them for all mocks and assessments without anyone stopping/commenting on it. Thoughts?

No do not use a gel pen - they are not allowed.

Get a ballpoint today - real papers are scanned.

Hi would a matador pen be allowed?

What sort of ink does it have? Some matadors seem to have gel ink

It just said ballpoint gel ink

'gel' ... so no. It needs to be non-gel ink.

What pens would you recommend

Use the zebra sarasa pens as you are comfortable with them. When they say no gel pens allowed, they generally mean sparkly and coloured pens, not the type that you are mentioning here which, to be honest, are not really gen pens (I know it's gel ink but it is quick-drying, doesn't smudge and is not sparkly). As long as they don't smudge, it will be fine. Even in the worst case scenario, if they can't see it once scanned, the examiner will say this and your physical copy will be sent to a senior examiner to be marked - you won't just receive a 0. It is better to have a pen that you are comfortable and, especially in essay writing, write fast with.

Use the zebra sarasa pens as you are comfortable with them. When they say no gel pens allowed, they generally mean sparkly and coloured pens, not the type that you are mentioning here which, to be honest, are not really gen pens (I know it's gel ink but it is quick-drying, doesn't smudge and is not sparkly). As long as they don't smudge, it will be fine. Even in the worst case scenario, if they can't see it once scanned, the examiner will say this and your physical copy will be sent to a senior examiner to be marked - you won't just receive a 0. It is better to have a pen that you are comfortable and, especially in essay writing, write fast with.

I understand that the official guidance states this w

Hi, I am not encouraging - if you don't feel comfortable do not do it and, if in doubt, follow the exam board guidance. I know about the scanning problems and that was what I was referring to (I had trialled the pen I eventually used repeatedly with scanners to make sure it came up correctly and ask the school examination officer about it). I would not recommend using gel pens if you are totally comfortable with biro but, as I know that people, including many of my friends, swear by these for exams, I would rather be realistic and tell people that, if they are going to do it, to do it carefully selecting the pens to make sure that they reduce the likelihood of this being a problem. Also, it is worth letting people know that you don't immediately get a 0 if you have done this.

Yes, that's a good idea - obviously don't contradict the invigilator if they say no. It also might be worth showing them the pen that you hope to use (as if you say gel pen they may think your talking about something else) and if they see it is a pen which isn't sparkly or glittering with non-smudgey ink, they may be fine with it. I do understand the struggle though as I cannot write anywhere near as quickly with biros!

I understand that the official guidance states this widely but many people vastly prefer using gel ink pens and would be willing to take the risk (as it vastly improves their handwriting and writing speed). I understand your trying to give the specific exam board advice for this but, quite simply, the reason that they ban "gel ink" does not apply to these pens. There is nothing that makes these specific gel ink pens (for other types there is a reason) less readable by a scanner (I had asked the exams officer when I did exams and they said it was generally ok) . Equally, I wanted to give reasurrance to people that have used gel ink pens in exams that they would not be disqualified as I have seen many people on the forum (not you guys) who have said this. But I do understand your reasoning with this and would not necessarily encourage people who do not usually use them to start to use them in exams and perhaps they are now more stringent about this.