Exams and Formative Assessments

Exams and Formative Assessments

If you are taking or re-sitting an exam or formative assessment as part of your course or apprenticeship, your Tutor will tell you when the exam will take place. Exams and formative assessments, including end point assessments for apprenticeships, are offered throughout the academic year. They typically take place at our main College site on 330 Northumberland Avenue or within the workplace for apprentices or work based learners.

Exams and paper based assessments:

You will need to bring the following with you:

  1. Photographic Identification such as a passport or driving licence
  2. Blue or Black Pens – more than 1 just in case it stops working halfway.
  3. Pencil
  4. Sharpener
  5. Rubber
  6. Ruler
  7. Clear Pencil Case
  8. Water Bottle free of labels

Plus if you are taking a maths exam:

  1. Compass & Protractor
  2. Calculators

Kit and protocol for other assessments:

Your Tutor will provide you with advice and guidance about any other kit or protocols for other types of assessments as they are typically individual to you and your course.

Additional support during exams

If you have additional needs we may be able provide you with additional support during exams. This may include a scribe, a reader or extra time. Please ensure you let your tutor know at the start of your course so that we can arrange an assessment to identify the support that you require.  New Directions College is required to follow exam board regulations and may not be able to accommodate your support needs if we do not know about them in advance.

Results & Certificates

Results are usually issued one month after the exam has been taken, although during busy periods of the academic year, for example between May–July, results can take up to 6-8 weeks. GCSE results will be available on National Results Day, which usually falls on the third Thursday in August.

If you have been successful in your exam we will let you know when your certificate is available to collect, via text, phone or email. This may take 1-2 months after your result is published and GCSE certificates arrive in late October.

The College can only hold certificates for a certain period of time and if you are not able to collect your certificate, we can arrange to post your certificate to you at a fee. If certificates are not collected and no arrangement is made for it to be obtained by the learner, it will be destroyed at the end of the academic year. Where possible, we are working to obtain digital certificates so that these can be emailed to learners on receipt.

If you have any queries about your results or certificates you can contact your Tutor or Helen Spence – Quality Officer on helen.spence@reading.gov.uk.

Re-sitting exams or assessments

Exam re-sits are classified as an exam that must be registered and sat again for purposes of

  • previous non-attendance
  • the learner/employer wants to have a second attempt to pass or achieve a higher grade.

Learners studying courses that are fully funded by the ESFA will not be charged for their first re-sit. However, charges will apply for a second re-sit and all further re-sits.

Learners on courses that are not fully funded by the ESFA, including courses that are only co-funded, who request a re-sit, will have to pay a fee.

In the first instance you should speak to your Tutor about re-sits and they will liaise with the Exams Officer to arrange this for you.