Paper 1 (19th Century Non-Fiction) - Thursday 21st May at 9.30am

Paper 2 (Contemporary Texts) - Friday 5th June at 9.30am

You should aim to arrive at college as early as you can; college will be open from 8am. However you should ensure you arrive no later than 8:45am to make sure you have enough time to check in and find the correct exam room and desk. 

If your transport is unreliable, make other arrangements for the days of your exams to ensure you arrive early. Please speak to your tutor if you would struggle to get here for 9am. 

When you arrive at college to check in for your exam, a member of staff will confirm which room your exam will be in. 

Your room and desk number will be designated before the exam. You can speak to your tutor to find this out in advance. It may be beneficial to find the exam room ahead of time so that you know where you are going, but there will be members of staff to direct you to the exam room if you are not sure where it is. 

Outside of the exam room, there will be a list of names, candidate numbers, and desk numbers. You will find your name and corresponding desk number on this list. It is important that you sit at the correct, designated desk.

Both exams are 1 hour and 55 minutes long. Each GCSE English Language exam paper is worth a total of 80 marks.

• Your college ID badge. This will be needed when you check in for the exam and should be placed on your desk during the exam. If you have lost your badge please speak to your tutor about a replacement.

• A clear pencil case containing stationery. Please note that while you can bring in highlighters to use on the question paper, you should only write your answers with a black pen.

• A clear water bottle (with the label removed).

Highlighters can be a useful tool for planning, but using them in the wrong place can cause issues with the way your paper is marked.

✅ Where you CAN use a highlighter:

• On the questions to identify key words

• On the texts to pick out quotations

❌ Where you MUST NOT use a highlighter:

• On your own written answers

Exam papers are scanned into a computer system for examiners to mark on a screen. Highlighting your text can make it completely unreadable once scanned, which could prevent the examiner from being able to award you marks.

If you wish to use a highlighter, please bring one to the exam with you.

You must not have a phone, watch, ipod, or any other device on your person - make sure these are switched off and placed in your bag. Do not put these items on silent or flight mode - please switch them off. You must not have any notes or learning materials on your person. 

You must leave all personal belongings such as coats and bags at the front of the exam room (or where directed by the invigilators). If you are found to have any unauthorised materials (even if you don’t intend to use them during the exam) you may be disqualified from the exam. 

It is a good idea to go to the toilet before your exam, however if you do need to go during the exam, you should raise your hand and let the invigilator know. The invigilator will ask a member of staff to escort you to the toilets and wait outside for you before accompanying you back into the exam. Only one person can go at a time. You will not get any extra time to account for any time spent in the bathroom. 

If you finish your exam early, our advice is to check through all your answers and make sure you haven’t missed anything out. You will not be able to leave the exam room early to ensure that you don’t disturb any other students. 

You are expected to make every effort to attend your exam, however if you do miss an exam due to circumstances beyond your control, we may be able to apply for special consideration. For more details of who may be eligible for special consideration and the process to apply for this, please see the JCQ’s guidance document. 

Please note that 25% of the GCSE qualification must have been completed in order to apply for special consideration. This means that you have to attend at least one of your exam papers for each qualification to be eligible for special considerations for the paper you miss.

Please speak to your tutor instantly if you think you cannot attend all of your exam dates.

Exam dates are final and cannot be rescheduled or changed. You should cancel or rearrange your holiday so that you can attend all of your exams. You will not be able to apply for special consideration should you miss the exam due to a holiday. 

If you are unwell on the morning of the exam, you should contact your tutor as soon as possible for advice and next steps. Proof such as a doctor's note may be required. 

It is completely normal to feel a bit worried or anxious about exams. Please speak to your tutor about your exam stress and the support available at your specific campus to help you on the day. 

You can also access support by visiting the wellbeing drop ins at your campus. More information can be found here: Student Information Hub - Mental Health and Wellbeing. This page also has lots of other resources and guidance for coping strategies. 

The exams are sent off to the appropriate awarding bodies to be marked - this is not done at college by your teachers. 

GCSE results day is Thursday 20th August 2026. Your teacher(s) will advise how you can access your results on this day.