Laptop in GCSE Exams

I've been offered a laptop in all my exams except maths due to my hyper mobility making my written exams illegible (past a certain time of writing), and I'm just wondering how I answer papers like chemistry on a laptop when a lot of chemistry is equations and drawing models and stuff that can't be neatly written onto a word document.

I was just wondering (from anyone who's used a laptop in exams like this before) how it works. Will the examiner receive both a written copy of the paper and the typed document. Do I just write 3.4 (for example) on the document for questions I want to answer on the computer and then just write 'answered on laptop' on the paper?

The learning support in my school is so confusing and unhelpful when it comes to answering these questions so can someone help me out, thanks :smile:

Reply 1

ezther1

Original post by Flòraidh

I've been offered a laptop in all my exams except maths due to my hyper mobility making my written exams illegible (past a certain time of writing), and I'm just wondering how I answer papers like chemistry on a laptop when a lot of chemistry is equations and drawing models and stuff that can't be neatly written onto a word document.
I was just wondering (from anyone who's used a laptop in exams like this before) how it works. Will the examiner receive both a written copy of the paper and the typed document. Do I just write 3.4 (for example) on the document for questions I want to answer on the computer and then just write 'answered on laptop' on the paper?
The learning support in my school is so confusing and unhelpful when it comes to answering these questions so can someone help me out, thanks :smile:

Hi, I also use a laptop in my exams! The examiners will get both the exam paper itself, (with the questions and where most people would be writing ther answers), and a printout of the document you've been typing in. (Also, the document will be printed at the end of the exam and you'll need to sign it.)

For the exams you'll be only typing for, yes, you just type the question number as it is on the paper, press enter, and type your answer.

For science exams etc, it's up to you which questions you answer on the computer and which you answer on the paper. Essentially, when you come across a question you want to type, copy the question number onto the document and type your answer as normal. For questions you don't want to type, don't type anything, (don't want to waste any valuable exam time!), just write your answer on the paper. Not sure if that makes much sense, so here's an example - your typed document would look something like this:

1.
(answer)

3.
(answer)

4.
(answer)

With question two answered on the exam paper by hand.

I would reccomend answering any questions at all involving calculations, formulas, and obviously diagrams etc on the exam paper by hand. If your answer is not going to be purely text, write it, because finding special characters etc takes AGES.

Also, it might be worth asking about rest breaks in exams? From your description, it sounds like you could make a good argument to be entitled to them. I have a similar issue to you, I'm dyspraxic (bad motor control) and slightly hypermobile, and I find that my hands get very "tired" and painful very quickly, even when typing my wrists can get quite painful. I don't use rest breaks but I do often find myself having to stop for a few minutes in exams, especially maths as obviously you can't type answers. If you have the same problem and wanted to get official rest breaks to rest your hands, I imagine you probably would be allowed to, though it depends if it's already too close to exam time. Anyway, I thought it was worth mentioning in case you think that could help you.

Hope that's all helpful!