Rest breaks in exams

Does anyone have experience with rest breaks? I've had extra time in exams for two years and last week I got permission to write essays and long answers etc. But today I found out that I actually have rest breaks as well (for anxiety/panic attacks), which I didn't know I had.

Does anyone know how they're used? How to the examiners stop the clock? Are you allowed to stay in the room and just close your paper or do you have to go out, and if you go out are you supervised? Also, how do you tell the invigilators your rest break is over and you want to start again?

If anyone's got any advice on anything, it'd be really helpful, because I had no idea I was entitled to them and I've never used them before.

Reply 1

boods8897

I think someone in my year had something similar at GCSE because of OCD. They had a stopwatch, and if a question made them feel uncomfortable or they needed a break, they'd press the stopwatch (think also had to turn the exam paper over but not 100% sure) and restart it when they were ready to continue. Once the exam time had finished, they'd be allowed to continue for however long was on the stopwatch if that makes sense? This was 2013 though so times might have changed.

Reply 2

username4746572

Hey I had rest breaks for my exams (stress/panic attacks as well) so I can definitely help you answer any questions

Original post by silverflowers

If anyone's got any advice on anything, it'd be really helpful, because I had no idea I was entitled to them and I've never used them before.
:smile:

Rest breaks are cool ! They really helped me collect my thoughts for the answers if questions I needed to think about alot.
Top tip ! Spend the first 30 min answering questions you know the answer to without having to stop and think much . Then when your allowed to take the rest break during the exam (after the set time ) look at the questions you have struggling with . Leo repeating the question in your head and what you could write and then ask the invigilator to start the rest break . You can have a lovely 5 min to think of the answer ! :smile:

Bliss during exam.

Edit I answered all the previous question but it deleted my answer :frown:

. I'll answer them all again when I get the time . Sorry !

(edited 4 years ago)

Reply 3

Compost

By the Summer, the school should have written a letter which specifies you can have up to a certain number of minutes rest in a given time (e.g. 5 minutes per hour) depending on your need. Exactly how schools run rest breaks varies on their systems and what is wrong with you, but the basic option tends to be that you put up you hand/catch the invigilator's eye to let her know you want a break and she will take the paper away as you are not allowed to look at the paper during a break. When you're ready to re-start then you attract the invigilator's attention again, get your paper back and re-start. The length of any breaks is added to the exam time at the end.

Some people need to leave the room for rest breaks (e.g. they may have IBS, or be injecting diabetics not willing to inject at their desk or the severity of their panic attacks may mean they need to leave the room.) If this is the case then they have to be kept under supervision at all time (except when in a toilet cubicle). For toilet trips it is normal to make students remove blazers and obvious places notes could be kept. It's common to check for stuff hidden in toilets before the exam (e.g. in cisterns or sanitary towel disposal units.)

Reply 4

silverflowers

Original post by Compost

thanks so much, i know you're not obligated to use the breaks but do you know if it's kind of expected of you? because i've not used them before i feel like it's going to take me a while to get used to the idea and i don't want to not use them in mocks and then not have it for actual gcses (if that makes any sense)

Reply 5

Velocity_

I had rest breaks at university exams. 3 per exam, 5 minutes each. It's quite chill tbf. I just sat back in my chair (in the computer lab), sometimes closing my eyes, or just a breather and go to the toilet if it is an extra stressful exam. But they don't normally close my exam sheet. Sometimes if time is tight, I would just read an essay again that i've written. Or just think about a tricky question.

It's very good to have. Take advantage of it. I didn't in first year, or school. then after that I got EVERYTHING out of it. Even was allowed coffee with me too! ahah

Reply 6

Compost

Original post by silverflowers

You don't have to use them in every exam but if you don't use them at all in mocks the school would be on weak grounds allowing you to have them in real GCSEs. However, they'e there for anxiety/panic attacks, deciding to have a break because you'd like to plan your essay in your head before writing it would be cheating and unfair on all the people who don't get rest breaks. Use it when you need to, not because you can.