Has anyone received their invitation pack and venue yet?

[m12357]

We haven't yet received an invitation pack with details of the allocated venue, start and finish times.

We had a confirmation letter in June following registration but nothing else since.

Has anyone else had the pack, venue etc?

[jmc]

Hi, from memory, the packs didn't arrive until towards the end of the summer holidays last year.

[Parmjit123]

No you'll receive it in 2-3 weeks. I've received my conformation letter for my DS.

[m12357]

Thank you.

[gillw]

Our venue letter arrived this morning.

[m12357]

Still waiting for ours. What is your start time and venue?

• Can anyone confirm if the answers will absolutley need to be written on the actual question booklet (as per the 2015 sample paper example on Warwickshire website)?
  
  After each time limit elapses, do they then take away the paper? For example, suppose there is a 10min maths section followed by a 20min non VR section. Do they take away the maths paper before starting the non VR paper, or does it remain on the desk? What happens if they do not take it away and during the non VR section my child suddenly remembers a correction to the maths section and decides to flick back and change an answer?
  
  Is a digital watch permitted and would a single quiet beep starting and stopping a stopwatch be acceptable?
  
  Could he wear two watches, digital on one wrist with stopwatch and analogue back up on the other, or would the examiner think this odd?
  
  What happens in the break between the two tests? Can we see our child or will he have to stay at his desk, if so can we visit him?
  
  How long is the break and, if they can leave the exam room, in the past has there ever been an unruly rush of parents, anxious to provide pick me up food and hugs?

[serendippyty]

Still waiting for ours.

• Can anyone confirm if the answers will absolutley need to be written on the actual question booklet (as per the 2015 sample paper example on Warwickshire website)?
  
  After each time limit elapses, do they then take away the paper? For example, suppose there is a 10min maths section followed by a 20min non VR section. Do they take away the maths paper before starting the non VR paper, or does it remain on the desk? What happens if they do not take it away and during the non VR section my child suddenly remembers a correction to the maths section and decides to flick back and change an answer?
  
  Is a digital watch permitted and would a single quiet beep starting and stopping a stopwatch be acceptable?
  
  Could he wear two watches, digital on one wrist with stopwatch and analogue back up on the other, or would the examiner think this odd?
  
  What happens in the break between the two tests? Can we see our child or will he have to stay at his desk, if so can we visit him?
  
  How long is the break and, if they can leave the exam room, in the past has there ever been an unruly rush of parents, anxious to provide pick me up food and hugs?

I can't answer all these despite this being no 4 sitting it this year but you leave them and don't return until the end so no, you will not see them in any breaks, you leave the site entirely.

The booklets do get taken in I believe so you cannot return to them, you just get your timed sections then that bit is over.

Yes I am sure he will write answers on the booklet as they are marked by a computer which just picks up the shaded boxes.

Can't answer re stopwatches as that never occurred to me, I personally wouldn't bother though.

[m12357]

Thank you.

Maybe the stopwatch idea is a bit panicky on my part. I assume they can see the clock in the room, is it placed so that is visible to all no matter where they sit?

Can we give him a nice packed lunch?

Any idea what times they generally start the exams?

[kenyancowgirl]

The sessions is usually first thing in the morning. You are advised to give them a snack and a drink for between the two papers and remind your child to go straight to the toilet then as it is not a long break. Once a timed section is over and you have moved on to the next section, even if the paper has not been collected in, children are NOT permitted to go back - this is very strict and the invigilators are very hot on this and making sure that all children put their pens down and stop writing immediately they are told to. Ultimately, like in formal GCSE A levels, you risk getting disqualified altogether if you do not follow the rules. The clock should be visible to everyone but the CD instructions tell them how much time they have for each section and certainly in the longer sections give a one minute warning. Some of the sections are very short - about 3 minutes - and I am not sure these have the one minute warning. I would definitely advise no beeping stopwatch - any noise can be deemed a distraction to other children - possibly opening them up for an appeal and it will be your child that is forced to stop writing and hand it in, if this is the case, thereby giving him less time!

Both times my boys sat, a parent (one only) was allowed to escort them to their seat and then had to leave the site - no parent was allowed to see the child in the mid test break - unless they were in a smaller venue due to specific medical needs and perhaps needed a shot of some drugs etc - anyone trying to approach the venue before the time was up was waved away and parents are clearly asked NOT to start arriving at the site until after the expected end time, to ensure nobody is disturbed. Bear in mind that if there have been any delays, the test may overrun slightly - certainly if you drive in, switch off your engine and car radio - it is amazing what the kids say they can hear!

Best thing you can do is drop your child and find a nice coffee shop with a paper - at that point there is nothing you can do! Be warned that your child will be exhausted when they come out - shell shocked and probably not that keen to immediately discuss it - we saw one parent interrogating her poor child on a bench in town after the test - firing questions at her about content and potential disturbances/distractions "that we can use in an appeal"....talk about a vote of no confidence in her poor daughter! We took our boys to their favourite restaurant after it - no talk of the test unless they wanted to bring something up.

And don't forget to breathe - this is the point where many parents feel frantic and really worried - especially when, inevitably, all the beginning comments are about the ones they missed out or didn't understand - they cannot tell how they did - we know of several boys who came out saying how easy it was - none of them scored a place and others that were more cautious did.

[Brum Mum]

Further to what KCG said, my DS voluntarily said when he came out that he thought that it was 'easy' - it wasn't!

Fortunately he scored well enough - but certainly not well enough for it to have been 'easy'.