Mock examinations

22nw22 said:

So I have mock examinations in July, I am in Year 10 at the moment. If I was suffering a low, would I be able to interrupt my mocks?

Would it be the same for the real exams in over a year?

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I hope you do well, but I would ask your year head that question, but I'm sure you will be accommodated in some way.

GOOD LUCK

My understanding is your school should accommodate any issues such as hypo during an exam.
However, I would recommend discussing this with your teachers. Not only to confirm but also to ensure they know what to do if it happens: I struggle to have a sensible conversation during a hypo so trying to explain why I need more time in an exam with the combination of hypo head and exam stress would be close to impossible ... at least for me.

@22nw22
It is possible to interupt an examination ("stop the clock") for medical reasons. HOwever, arrangements will need to be made before the examination (even if you end up not needing them). The Key Person in school is the Senco (Special Educational Needs coordinator).

There is an organisation called The Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ) which is responsible for setting rules nationally for such matters as “stopping the clock”. They produce a document called "Access Arrangements and Reasonable Adjustments"
that schools should use when making these decisions.(This is used in the "Real" exams, but I imagine schools would follow the same process in Mock Exams)

https://www.jcq.org.uk/exams-office...rangements-and-reasonable-adjustments-booklet

(pdf link on right side of page)

Applications can only be made by schools, not by parents, and a key person in this process is the Special Educational Needs Coordinator (Senco). The document outlines conditions for "Stopping the clock/supervised rest breaks", (which must be looked at before the exam season). All secondary schools should have this document

In the document early on there is a statement outlining what the Senco must do

Section B looks at the area we are interested in.
Page 21 has details of "supervised rest breaks" –
Section 5.1.1 talks about when the rest break can and cannot be used
Section 5.1.2 says "There is no maximum time set for supervised rest breaks. The decision must be made by the SENCo based on their knowledge of the candidate’s needs and the candidate’s normal way of working when placed under timed conditions."

The Senco would need evidence to show why the candidate might need these breaks, so any evidence you can provide would be helpful. What happens to you when you suffer a "low". Why would stopping the clock be important

The Senco is key in any of the decisions made. I would recommend that you (with a parent/carer) arrange to meet the Senco and talk through why you think some of these things are required , and talk about what evidence is required to support the Senco in applying for these.

Best of luck

I agree totally with what Redshank has said. I am working as an invigilator during the summer public exams this year and we were given all the latest info on regulations. Please speak to your year head urgently about getting arrangemts made to talk to the Senco. The school's examinations officer also needs to be informed.

Yes, Redshank and JMK1954 are right but you can approach the SENCO yourself if you know who it is. The school will also have an examinations officer or someone who fulfils that role, and they are the ones who will apply for concessions. If you're unsure who to go to, talk to your form tutor or pastoral tutor and they'll point out the right person.

Very best of luck with your mocks!

Edit: In our school, all Type 1s are supported via student services on a daily basis, so you could also ask yours for advice about who to speak to.

Also consider requesting additional time (maybe 25%) to help with the time you lose due to testing etc. What you get setup now will normally automatically be allowed for A levels and university etc, hence get as much you can even if you don't use it.

Also get comfirmation about taking in a meter etc, consider what you will do if you use something like xdrip that needs a mobile.

Your class teacher who does your register in the morning is the one to start with if you can explain the position to them. Otherwise, get a parent or guardian to phone the school and explain that as a type 1, you need to speak to the Senco about monitoring and correcting your blood sugar level, during an exam. Alternatively, get this person to write a letter to the Senco, give it to the teacher responsible for your morning register and explain the situation. Schools admin. systems vary but it must already be on your record that you are a type 1, so it should not come as a big surprise that you may need to deal with checking and corre ting during an exam.

Good luck with your mocks

Hi, I am also a student currently in year 11 doing their GCSEs next week! I have a stop the clock so if I’m feeling low I am able to ‘stop the clock’ and treat it otherwise it’s unfair on me. However so far I currently have never used this as I find it better just to prevent it all together. I will have a biscuit before I go into my exam to make sure I don’t go low. This way I can get on with my exams with no worries. However I, myself do not feel when I go high so if you are particularly sensitive to this I wouldn’t do this, you also want to make sure you test before you go in just to double check.
As well as this I am in a smaller room. To not distract anyone if I do need to test and overall I think it’s a lot better as there is less stress in that room not as intimidating. Something I have found though when once having to test my blood sugar is that the exam invigilators had no idea what to do, I would talk to the school about this if I were you to make sure they know. Good luck!!

ringi said:

Also consider requesting additional time (maybe 25%) to help with the time you lose due to testing etc. What you get setup now will normally automatically be allowed for A levels and university etc, hence get as much you can even if you don't use it.

Also get comfirmation about taking in a meter etc, consider what you will do if you use something like xdrip that needs a mobile.

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Yes this could help however a low could take up to 20 minutes to cure and if your exam is not very long then you will not get enough extra time. I know of exams that only give you 15 minutes extra time, which just isn’t enough time. It will also cause you to rush.

Little_Lucy said:

Yes this could help however a low could take up to 20 minutes to cure and if your exam is not very long then you will not get enough extra time. I know of exams that only give you 15 minutes extra time, which just isn’t enough time. It will also cause you to rush.

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Extra time can be combined with "stop the clock", hence both should be requested. The issue is "stop the clock" does not work well for testing etc, as removing papers etc stops the "flow of thinking".

The most important thing is that you talk to the people in charge of what are termed 'access arrangements', explain your situation and see what's possible. Doing your exams in a smaller room in order to make sure that fewer other students are disturbed by any sort of medical issue is fairly common. Some people have anxiety issues or epilepsy and in a smaller room staff can get to an individual and take any necessary action faster. Smaller exam rooms seem to provoke less anxiety for most of us. It might be worth doing a blood test for the examinations officer to demonstrate what is involved. I found myself explaining a Libre sensor to an examinations officer last week, as one type 1 lad is using them. They won't know anything unless you explain things to them clearly. (That's always been my experience, not just with regard to exams.)

Have the same issue and questions, I found it was quite easy. They pull you out of the exam and allow you to use something that the exam board calls stop-the-clock until your blood sugar returns to a normal level.

i’m year 10 too! i did my mocks a few weeks ago and i was put into a smaller, separate room with other kids with health problems (e.g. autism, irritable bowel etc) so perhaps u could talk to a teacher about that? its good because there isnt as many people in the room and also the examiners know that you should be allowed out if you need to

Glad you posted on here, ohmylex. It always helps other type 1 people to know they are not the only one who has any particular problem. Welcome to the forum !

I'm from the U.S. so we have different situations, but at the same time, they are similar. I can explain how my AIMS testing goes. As soon as you leave the room, they let you continue testing, but you have to take your test to another room, or you're considered a distraction, which counts as cheating. My teachers know me well enough that they know if something's wrong, that they trust me enough that I wouldn't cheat. It depends on the situation. Make sure to get to know your teachers well!