Examinations Rules and Regulations

The following apply to all assessments and examinations that are conducted internally and externally.

1. Attendance is compulsory for all weighted assessments and examinations. Any absence must be certified with an original medical certificate (MC) and official letters must be produced if attendance is required at national competitions. If a candidate is absent for an assessment or examination without a valid MC or pre-approved reason, the candidate will be given a zero for that assessment or examination. MCs issued by any Chinese physician will be considered invalid.

2. Proper Attire: All candidates must be properly attired in school uniform with appropriate grooming and footwear in accordance with the school rules. Students with long / unkempt hair or improper school attire will not be allowed to sit for the weighted assessments and examinations.

3. Latecomers who arrive within 30 minutes after the assessment or examination has started may sit for the weighted assessment / examination but no extra time will be given. Latecomers who arrive at the examination venue 30 minutes after the examination has started will need to see school leaders for approval to sit for the examination.

4. For Written Examinations, all candidates are required to be seated in the examination venues at least 15 minutes before the commencement of the examinations. Candidates are not allowed to leave the examination venues without submitting their answer scripts.

5. For Oral and Listening Comprehension Examinations, all candidates must report to the reporting venues at least 30 minutes before the start of the examinations.

6. Cheating: Any candidate who is caught cheating or attempting to cheat will be given a zero for the examination and may be barred from taking all the subsequent examinations.

7. Prohibited Items: Candidates are not permitted to have in their possession, while in the examination rooms, any materials not authorised for use in the examination, such as

• Electronic devices and communication devices

• Computerised aids capable of storing and displaying visual and verbal information

• Any unauthorised written or printed information or diagrams

• Any unauthorised or defaced calculators or dictionaries

Before the Commencement of the Examination

8. All candidates must leave their bags and personal belongings at the front of the classroom or at the designated areas in the examination hall before the examinations start. They must check that they have no Prohibited Items (See Para 7) with them. Possession of such items during the examinations will be deemed as an attempt to cheat.

9. Candidates are required to maintain silence once they have entered the examination venue.

10. Candidates are to check their own grooming, be seated quietly and according to their class register numbers.

11. Stationery:

Candidates must:

• Use a transparent pencil case

• Bring their own writing and mathematical instruments

• Use dark blue or black ink in writing their answers

• Shade answers on OTAS using only 2B pencils

Candidates must NOT:

• Use staplers and correction fluid/tape during the examinations

• Use pencils to answer questions unless given special instructions to do so

• Use pens that feature erasable ink

• Borrow materials from other candidates

After the Commencement of the Examination

12. Candidates must inform the invigilator immediately of ANY of the following:

• They are issued a question paper they have not registered for

• They are issued a question paper with missing pages

• They are issued a question paper that is not scheduled to take place at that time that the paper is issued to them

• They have not been issued the required supplementary materials as stated on the question paper

13. Candidates should read the instructions on the cover page carefully.

14. Each candidate is required to write the following clearly on every sheet of the answer script:

• Full Name

• Class and Index Number

• For the ‘O’ / ‘N’ level examinations, candidates must include the Centre Code and Index Number

15. Candidates are advised to read the questions carefully and answer according to the sequence of the questions set. All candidates should note that legible handwriting is important for the awarding of marks.

16. Candidates must write down the question number on the left margin of the question paper. They should not write their answers on the right margin or beyond the last line of each page.

17. Good time management is essential.

18. Improper Conduct During Examinations: During examinations, students who exhibit disruptive behaviour, engage in any form of communication, vandalise examination materials (e.g. laptop) or disregard instructions of the invigilators may be removed from the examination venue immediately and / or will not be allowed to continue with the examinations.

19. Candidates will not be allowed to go to the toilet 30 minutes after the start of the examination and 30 minutes before the end of the examination.

At the end of the examination

20. Students must stop writing immediately when told to do so by the invigilator. They should then arrange their answers in the numerical sequence of the questions if writing paper is used. Answer scripts, together with the cover page provided (if instructed to do so), should be tied together at the top left hand corner with the string provided.

21. Handing in of answer scripts: All candidates must ensure that they hand in all answer scripts for marking before they leave the examination venue. Answer scripts that are handed in after the invigilator has dismissed the students will not be accepted. It is the responsibility of all candidates to check carefully.

22. All candidates must remain seated quietly at their desks while the answer scripts are being collected. After dismissal from the examination venues, candidates should move out quickly and not cause disturbance along the corridors or stairways.

23. Candidates are also not allowed to remove from the examination venues any used or unused writing papers. No candidate is allowed to leave until the invigilator is satisfied with the state of cleanliness in the examination venue.

Special Cases

24. Candidates with learning or physical disabilities who require access arrangements must produce a copy of a certified medical report of their conditions to be considered for the access arrangements at the start of the year.