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Pen or pencil in exams?

stanny

i always used pen cuz the teachers said so. but in fact, do they allow pencils in exams? no eraser for me is a mess - -

Reply 1

slowjamz

1

The rubric for most GCSE/GCE exam papers and answer booklets says you can use black or blue ink only - so I guess no pencils (unless drawing graphs etc. perhaps)

Reply 2

john !!

14

yeah I see no reason why not. look at a past paper and see if it specifically says not, and always bring a pen in in case (black or blue)... it would be very unlucky if they changed the rules.

Reply 3

sashh

I don't think pencil is allowed because it would be too easy for it to be erased, either accidentally or deliberatly.

Reply 4

eternalsunshine

1

PEN - blue or black ink (NOT as i saw someone doing last year, green) and no erasers. That's what I've been told at least.

Reply 5

kikzen

14

mik1a

What is the problem with erasing work? I did it all the time in GCSEs.

they mean erasing things after the exam has finished....

Reply 6

JeSuS_sLiCeR

i use pen for all tests apart from maths

Reply 7

me!

8

JeSuS_sLiCeR

i use pen for all tests apart from maths

you actually have to write in pen for maths, I'd used pencil in all my exams and in my mock sats (way back in year 9!) then in the real sats about halfway into the exam the teacher goes you have to write in pen so I had to rewrite about half the paper...

so pen

Reply 8

EconLou

12

I believe for maths, not sure about others, if you use pencil they do not have to remark your paper if you request it, it's the same if you use tip-ex in a maths exam.

Reply 9

nayeem18

" you actually have to write in pen for maths, I'd used pencil in all my exams and in my mock sats (way back in year 9!) then in the real sats about halfway into the exam the teacher goes you have to write in pen so I had to rewrite about half the paper...

so pen " - what has your sat2 tests got to do wid a level ? pens are most favoured in a or o levels . in sat1 , pencils are must . in sat2 , pens are allowed .

Reply 10

halc

Hey slowjamz, rubric is 1 fine ass word...

Anyway, I wouldn't advise using pencil, although sometimes (if I have time), I might write the answer (e.g. in maths) in pencil and if it's right, rub it out and do it in pen... but most of the time, you don't have time...!

Reply 11

lou p lou

2

we were discussing this in maths- the reason they don;t like you writing in pencil is that papers are sometimes photocopied for different people to mark so they can be moderated (this is true of all subjects) + penicl doesn't photocopy as well + as clearly as pen does.

lou xxx

Reply 12

Avi

My maths teacher told us that the examiners actually prefer us to write in black ink pens instead of blue. Not sure why.

Reply 13

me!

8

nayeem18

" you actually have to write in pen for maths, I'd used pencil in all my exams and in my mock sats (way back in year 9!) then in the real sats about halfway into the exam the teacher goes you have to write in pen so I had to rewrite about half the paper...

so pen " - what has your sat2 tests got to do wid a level ? pens are most favoured in a or o levels . in sat1 , pencils are must . in sat2 , pens are allowed .

it was ks3 sats... So I'm guessing you'd have to write in pen for GCSE and therefore also for a level...

I just looked at some of my past papers and for the Edexcel GCSE maths it doesn't say what to write in, but for Stats AQA GCSE it says pen, and pencil only for drawing...

Reply 14

cobra

14

You have to write in blue or black so your papers can be photocopied if needed

Reply 15

lou p lou

2

mik1a

Also cos examiners use red.

and chief examiners/moderaters use green to check the red.

lou xxx

Reply 16

Bezza

2

Avi

My maths teacher told us that the examiners actually prefer us to write in black ink pens instead of blue. Not sure why.

This time round some of the edexcel a-level maths papers (can't remember which ones exactly but some of the lower numbered ones) are going to have the questions in booklets with space for answers, as opposed to writing in a seperate answer booklets. These new ones are apparently going to be scanned and emailed to the markers so they're asking students
to use black ink.

Reply 17

supreme

4

I can't believe there is a thread in the academic form for can you use pencil in exam. Just read what it says on the top of the exam paper. Generally as stated above pencils are not allowed.