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Will I get disqualified from this GCSE or all of them?

My brick phone was bought by my mum for year 11 so that I can still have contact but no distractions (ikr). In the exam season I took this phone, which has no access to the internet, can only store three phone numbers and two alarms, so that my mum can call me to check how I am doing. Yesterday I completed my last GCSE ( Further Maths AQA L2) and as the last papers were being collected my phone alarm went off in my pocket (This is after my paper was collected as well). Usually its in my bag but it was in my pocket and now I am super stressed at what will happen next. The invigilators said that I might have a good chance but I need a second opinion. My parents seem to be losing it. It is literally killing me inside.

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To be honest, you could definitely get disqualified. There is a chance that they'd reconsider because of the type of device, but they'd probably disqualify you on principle.

But that's just my opinion.
Reply 2
Rip you.
Reckon you'd have a good argument, but rules are rules so they could well do it.

I mean you would think they can check if you could possibly cheat, after all the rules are for the cheaters and if you could not possibly have cheated then they shouldn't punish you in theory.

All the best.
Why did you have it on you in the first place?
Pretty sure you'll be fine
Original post by Donjayaa
My brick phone was bought by my mum for year 11 so that I can still have contact but no distractions (ikr). In the exam season I took this phone, which has no access to the internet, can only store three phone numbers and two alarms, so that my mum can call me to check how I am doing. Yesterday I completed my last GCSE ( Further Maths AQA L2) and as the last papers were being collected my phone alarm went off in my pocket (This is after my paper was collected as well). Usually its in my bag but it was in my pocket and now I am super stressed at what will happen next. The invigilators said that I might have a good chance but I need a second opinion. My parents seem to be losing it. It is literally killing me inside.


Why would you have your phone on you?
Why would it be turned on?

They treat mobile phones as unauthoriised equipment and a tool for cheating.
Its up to the exam officer to report it but believe they will have to.

You will get to say your side, but you will avoid the severest penalties of disqualification as I cant see they will have any evidence of you using it to cheat.

That leaves the other two categories, which are based on possession.

Not in your possession, but in your bag and goes off can amount to a warning.

The trouble is you had it on your person, which means a marks loss.

If they take it further just say your story as you have done plus emphasise it is a dumb phone and unable to store information (including mp3). Although you qualify for a points deduction they could just give you a warning.
Reply 6
Original post by Chichaldo
Reckon you'd have a good argument, but rules are rules so they could well do it.

I mean you would think they can check if you could possibly cheat, after all the rules are for the cheaters and if you could not possibly have cheated then they shouldn't punish you in theory.

All the best.



Thanks, I am also praying for the best
Original post by DarthRoar
To be honest, you could definitely get disqualified. There is a chance that they'd reconsider because of the type of device, but they'd probably disqualify you on principle.

But that's just my opinion.


Have you read the actual rules?
Reply 8
Original post by 999tigger
Why would you have your phone on you?
Why would it be turned on?

They treat mobile phones as unauthoriised equipment and a tool for cheating.
Its up to the exam officer to report it but believe they will have to.

You will get to say your side, but you will avoid the severest penalties of disqualification as I cant see they will have any evidence of you using it to cheat.

That leaves the other two categories, which are based on possession.

Not in your possession, but in your bag and goes off can amount to a warning.

The trouble is you had it on your person, which means a marks loss.

If they take it further just say your story as you have done plus emphasise it is a dumb phone and unable to store information (including mp3). Although you qualify for a points deduction they could just give you a warning.


Thanks Man, what you just said means as real lot to me. I know I screwed up on my part but I cant go into the past and tell myself to remember my phone was in my pocket, but still I dont want a hours forgetfulness to dictate my life. Thank you so much...
Reply 9
Original post by DarthRoar
To be honest, you could definitely get disqualified. There is a chance that they'd reconsider because of the type of device, but they'd probably disqualify you on principle.

But that's just my opinion.


At least I have a chance...
Original post by Donjayaa
My brick phone was bought by my mum for year 11 so that I can still have contact but no distractions (ikr). In the exam season I took this phone, which has no access to the internet, can only store three phone numbers and two alarms, so that my mum can call me to check how I am doing. Yesterday I completed my last GCSE ( Further Maths AQA L2) and as the last papers were being collected my phone alarm went off in my pocket (This is after my paper was collected as well). Usually its in my bag but it was in my pocket and now I am super stressed at what will happen next. The invigilators said that I might have a good chance but I need a second opinion. My parents seem to be losing it. It is literally killing me inside.


It's highly likely that this will result in a loss of marks, either for the unit or the entire qualification. Having a phone on your person during an examination is taken extremely seriously. The type of phone, or whether or not it could be used to access the internet is immaterial - it's the fact you had a mobile phone in your pocket during the examination which will lead to the sanction.
(edited 6 years ago)
Reply 11
Original post by 999tigger
Have you read the actual rules?

I know the rules and they have (literally) been read to me 20 times before but the biggest issues about electronics is cheating and distractions. I cannot cheat with this phone and the SET alarm was put on for the end of the exams so no distractions. The biggest case against me is the fact that the phone was in my possession
Original post by Donjayaa
My brick phone was bought by my mum for year 11 so that I can still have contact but no distractions (ikr). In the exam season I took this phone, which has no access to the internet, can only store three phone numbers and two alarms, so that my mum can call me to check how I am doing. Yesterday I completed my last GCSE ( Further Maths AQA L2) and as the last papers were being collected my phone alarm went off in my pocket (This is after my paper was collected as well). Usually its in my bag but it was in my pocket and now I am super stressed at what will happen next. The invigilators said that I might have a good chance but I need a second opinion. My parents seem to be losing it. It is literally killing me inside.


If your exams officer reports this to the examiner the most likely outcome is that you will lose some or probably all of the marks from this exam and therefore not achieve a good pass grade for the qualification.
You will not be disqualified from any other exams as nobody saw you use the phone and there is no evidence you tried to use it to cheat.




Posted from TSR Mobile
(edited 6 years ago)
Reply 13
Original post by Reality Check
It's highly likely that this will result in a loss of marks, either for the unit or the entire qualification. Having a phone on your person during an examination is taken extremely seriously. The type of phone, or whether or not it could be used to access the internet is immaterial - it's the fact you had a mobile phone in your pocket during the examination which will lead to the sanction.

The biggest issues about electronics is cheating and distractions. I cannot cheat with this phone and the SET alarm was put on for the end of the exams so no distractions. The biggest case against me is the fact that the phone was in my possession but the invigilators did not notice it until the phone went off at the end of the exam. Can I appeal to the exam board?
What have your invigilators suggested?
Original post by Donjayaa
The biggest issues about electronics is cheating and distractions. I cannot cheat with this phone and the SET alarm was put on for the end of the exams so no distractions. The biggest case against me is the fact that the phone was in my possession but the invigilators did not notice it until the phone went off at the end of the exam. Can I appeal to the exam board?


Talk to your exams officer. There's is a malpractice process that should be used.


Posted from TSR Mobile
Original post by Donjayaa
The biggest issues about electronics is cheating and distractions. I cannot cheat with this phone and the SET alarm was put on for the end of the exams so no distractions. The biggest case against me is the fact that the phone was in my possession but the invigilators did not notice it until the phone went off at the end of the exam. Can I appeal to the exam board?


I'm an examiner for AQA - please don't assume to tell me my job.

You are wrong in your claims. The issue at hand here is that you had a mobile phone on your person in contravention to the examination regulations. This is where it starts, and where it ends.

It's up to the centre as to how they will deal with this, but it would be remiss of the centre not to report it to the exam board. What did the invigilator tell you was going to happen? Has a report been made? Presuming that it has, the board will consider the evidence and make a determination - there is a standard scale of penalties for things like this, and having a phone on your possession is fairly high up. The standard penalty for having a mobile phone in your possession but no evidence of it being used by you, is a penalty 2 - 4 on the scale, which is loss of marks for one section up to loss of all the marks gained for this unit (it can still be aggregated though). You can make a case that the phone was incapable of connecting to the internet, but you will not (if it's been reported) escape penalty entirely because of this - it's not relevant to the sanction that will be imposed.
(edited 6 years ago)
Original post by Donjayaa
The biggest issues about electronics is cheating and distractions. I cannot cheat with this phone and the SET alarm was put on for the end of the exams so no distractions. The biggest case against me is the fact that the phone was in my possession but the invigilators did not notice it until the phone went off at the end of the exam. Can I appeal to the exam board?


You can cheat with a brick phone, as it can hold notes. You can even cheat with certain graphical calculators. Access to internet etc isn't a factor. Even in the old days of mobile phones, they weren't permitted.

What you have to understand is, anything you say, could be equally argued by someone who actually was using the phone to cheat.
(edited 6 years ago)
Original post by Donjayaa
Thanks Man, what you just said means as real lot to me. I know I screwed up on my part but I cant go into the past and tell myself to remember my phone was in my pocket, but still I dont want a hours forgetfulness to dictate my life. Thank you so much...


I can show you the actual rule if you want, but it is as ive said.

You wont be disqualified because theres no evidence you used it..
You qualify for a points deduction because it was on your person and they will look at the facts. That is on a range of 2-5 with 5 being the most severe. because of it being a dumb phone then id say it was less severe. Im unsure it only going off after the papers were taken in is relevant because you still had it on you.

They might even be lenient and give you a warning or less, but it should calm you down a little from the worst of your fears as to what they look for and what you might face. the points penalties could vary from some or all of the ones on the paper you sat.

I dont think its at the most severe end as that might be a smart phone with lots of information in memory, but not used. Thast why id guess you are from a 1-3 or 4 penalty.
Reply 19
Original post by 999tigger
I can show you the actual rule if you want, but it is as ive said.

You wont be disqualified because theres no evidence you used it..
You qualify for a points deduction because it was on your person and they will look at the facts. That is on a range of 2-5 with 5 being the most severe. because of it being a dumb phone then id say it was less severe. Im unsure it only going off after the papers were taken in is relevant because you still had it on you.

They might even be lenient and give you a warning or less, but it should calm you down a little from the worst of your fears as to what they look for and what you might face. the points penalties could vary from some or all of the ones on the paper you sat.

I dont think its at the most severe end as that might be a smart phone with lots of information in memory, but not used. Thast why id guess you are from a 1-3 or 4 penalty.


If it is severe then will i lose my marks for the exam. I wasn't directly cheating but it was in my possession which is the dumb thing on my part. True, I am quite sure there are hundreds of different ways to cheat using this phone but no invigilator noticed me until the alarm went off. Just tell me will I fail this subject and what you would do if you were the investigator.

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