Incorrect Time on Exam Timetable.....Now I've Missed An Exam

My college sent me a personalised exam timetable for my A2 subjects (History, AVCE ICT, Sociology, General Studies and AS Social Science), but it had the wrong time on the sheet for Sociology.

Now I've missed this exam, and I've let the college know because I'm really worried about the effect this will have on my university application (I've applied to do a Joint Honours in Computer Science with Psychology at Sunderland University and received a conditional offer). All the college have done so far is take a copy of the timetable. And I've heard nothing back yet.

I'm really pissed off at the college, but I'm also worried because this exam is a synoptic assessment (A2 Sociology: Social Inequality and Difference, OCR), and it's worth a hell of a lot of marks. So it looks like I could fail.

I dunno what the hell to do, but I have to go back to see the exams department on Monday and see what can happen. I'm the only one this has happened to, so I doubt they will believe me.

Will I be able to achieve a pass for A Level Sociology?

I've also been told because I'm receiving EMA that failure to attend exams results in the withdrawal of my July bonus. But hopefully that's being sorted.

Any advice on what to do? I'm really worried because I really want to go to university this September, and I don't want to resit the A2 Sociology, because our local college (City of Sunderland College) doesn't exactly have the best reputation for organisation. Even the lecturers moan about how much they hate it!

Reply 1

Purple

18

Inform your university.

Reply 2

~Bex~

14

Talk to your college on Monday and see what they say. What grade did you get at AS? Depending on how well you've done in all your other modules it's possible you could still pass, but it's certainly not a guarantee. What's your offer? What subject are you applying for? You should definitely phone Sunderland and explain the situation, and see what they say.

Is it possible for you to meet your offer without sociology? Because if it is, you could be ok anyway.

Reply 3

jonny041187

OP

It could be possible, I have a B/C predicted for ICT as I was just resitting an exam for that, I have a C predicted for History, so I could make the requirements to do my course, I'm just hoping to pass Sociology because I don't want a fail on my results because it'll look bad.

I got a B overall for AS, and a C for the exam I took in January so I'm predicted a D overall. As far as I know, the college may be sending a predicted grade to the exam board to try and help me achieve a pass. Just have to wait and see what happens.

Reply 4

Pippak

10

For some lost exam papers a mark is given based on an average of the other papers - surely they might be able to do something similar seeing as how it's not your fault.

When did you find out you'd missed it?

Reply 5

jonny041187

OP

Well the exam was on Wednesday AM, and my exam timetable had PM printed, so I found out as soon as I headed into college on the afternoon and checked the sheet for the exams.

Reply 6

kellywood_5

17

Grrr, you must be so annoyed with your college right now! I think the best thing to do would be to speak to your exams officer and ask him/her to phone the exam board and explain the situation. They may be able to give you a grade for the exam you missed based on your marks in the other modules and your predicted grade. You should also contact UCAS and the universities (or better yet, get the exams officer to do it) so they're aware that you might miss the offer based on circumstances beyond your control and they might be lenient. What grade do you need in sociology? With a B at AS and a C in an A2 module, you might get an E overall even with no marks for the synoptic. Good luck!

Reply 7

jonny041187

OP

Lol yeah I am frustrated with the college especially when it's come to this, I have an appointment tomorrow with the exams officer so I'm gonna see what happens, I'm going to get her to contact OCR on my behalf to explain the situation.
The synoptic unit is worth 15% of my overall A Level in Sociology so I should be able to scrape an E. If not, I'll have to get in touch with my sociology teacher and see if she can help.

Reply 8

ILoveComplexNumbers

If they are really useless and you don't get anywhere, consider taking legal advice. Their negligence could result in you losing a place at university - perhaps the most important 3 years of your life. I have no idea if there is any legal provision for this but it will at least put a lot of pressure on them to get it sorted if they have solicitors letters coming through their mailbox.

Hopefully it won't come to that though -- but this is a truly awful situation for you, out of absolutely no fault of your own.

Reply 9

StillUndecided

Surely it is up to the individual to also check their personalised timetable against the timetable issued by the exam board. After all you are 17/18 years old at least when taking your exam so it should be your responsibility.
That is the case in my school anyway because mistakes do happen and it only takes a few minutes to check your timetable with the one published by the exam board.
I know it must be an awful situation you are in missing an exam but I think legal action would be taking it too far.

I do hope you get the situation resolved and all works out for the best.

Reply 10

yorkshirelass

14

Although I do sympathise, like the above poster, I believe that you should have taken it into your own hands. I don't trust my college at all so I printed out my own timetable using that online tool thing. It worked out well too because I also had a couple of exams written as being at PM when they should have been AM.

Reply 11

XxJaninexX

15

Yes, its a shame but you could and should have checked. On our exam timetable some exams were wrong but most people checked and everything was fine.

Reply 12

supertramp

9

Surely it is up to the individual to also check their personalised timetable against the timetable issued by the exam board. After all you are 17/18 years old at least when taking your exam so it should be your responsibility.

While this is true to some extent, at my school there is no printed exam timetable and we have to rely on our personal ones alone. You don't expect the college to make a mistake on something so important for their students. While you could have checked, you really should not have had to. I agree with getting in touch with the university though, and letting them know that you are trying to get it sorted with the school. If nothing else, it will show initiative on your part.

Reply 13

jonny041187

OP

Yeah I wish I had thought of double checking my exam timetable now - maybe there's a lesson learnt for future exams.
Anyway I saw my exams office in college, they are going to get me a predicted grade, basically they look at 4 people in my class who are on a similar level to me, and get me a comparison grade which is sent to the exam board. So thank God that's sorted.

Reply 14

Morgan141

2

Did everyone in your college not turn up then or was it just yours that was wrong?

Reply 15

yorkshirelass

14

supertramp

While this is true to some extent, at my school there is no printed exam timetable and we have to rely on our personal ones alone. You don't expect the college to make a mistake on something so important for their students. While you could have checked, you really should not have had to. I agree with getting in touch with the university though, and letting them know that you are trying to get it sorted with the school. If nothing else, it will show initiative on your part.

You can find them on the Internet VERY easily.

Reply 16

silent ninja

19

supertramp

While this is true to some extent, at my school there is no printed exam timetable and we have to rely on our personal ones alone. You don't expect the college to make a mistake on something so important for their students. While you could have checked, you really should not have had to. I agree with getting in touch with the university though, and letting them know that you are trying to get it sorted with the school. If nothing else, it will show initiative on your part.

Kinda agree with this. If you're gonna hand out timetables, their sole purpose is to print times of exams and they should be correct. It is probably better if they dont give out any timetables. I didnt get any and found all the times on boards' websites.

Not sure how the uni's might react, some may think you've been a negligent.

Incorrect Time on Exam Timetable.....Now I've Missed An Exam

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