Exams and Assessments
Exams and assessments are a key part of many courses, from GCSE exams to Hairdressing End Point Assessments. They could determine your final grade, assess your progress or complete a part of your course. Our teams of exam staff, tutors and learning support officers are here to support you through all stages of your exams and assessments.
Your exams
If you have exams as part of your course, you will be told about them well in advance by your tutor. They will tell you when it is, what you need to bring and also support you in preparation for the exam.
GCSE dates 2022
Exams:
| Day | Date | Start time | End time | Exam | Venue |
| Tuesday | 17/05/2022 | 09:30 | 11:15 | AQA GCSE Biology – Paper 1 | The Lighthouse, Poole, BH15 1UG |
| Wednesday | 18/05/2022 | 09:30 | 11:15 | AQA GCSE English – Paper 1 | The Lighthouse, Poole, BH15 1UG |
| Friday | 20/05/2022 | 09:30 | 11:00 | AQA GCSE Maths – Paper 1 | The Lighthouse, Poole, BH15 1UG |
| Tuesday | 07/06/2022 | 09:30 | 11:00 | AQA GCSE Maths – Paper 2 | The Lighthouse, Poole, BH15 1UG |
| Friday | 10/06/2022 | 09:30 | 11:15 | AQA GCSE English – Paper 2 | The Lighthouse, Poole, BH15 1UG |
| Monday | 13/06/2022 | 09:30 | 11:00 | AQA GCSE Maths – Paper 3 | The Lighthouse, Poole, BH15 1UG |
| Wednesday | 15/06/2022 | 09:30 | 11:15 | AQA GCSE Biology – Paper 2 – TBC | The Lighthouse, Poole, BH15 1UG |
Results:
GCSE results day: Thursday 25th August 2022
Functional Skills: Results are usually available within 4-6 weeks of your exam date.
Certificates
Your exam certificate will normally be posted to you, with the exception of GCSE certificates, which must be collected from our Oakdale Centre. If your address changes during your course, please advise our customer service team by emailing [email protected]
Functional Skills certificates:
- Functional Skills Maths certificates are awarded upon completion of the exam.
- Functional Skills English certificates will be awarded when you have successfully completed your reading, writing and speaking & Listening exams.
For some courses, certificates are not awarded until we have had a Quality Assurance visit from the awarding body. The visits only happen at certain periods throughout the year, so there may be a delay in receiving your certificate depending on when you finish your course.
Please note, certificates come from the exam boards themselves, and not us (Skills and Learning). Unfortunately, due to Covid-19, many exam boards are experiencing delays. We will keep you updated and informed if you are impacted by this.
Collecting my portfolio
Once the Quality Assurance process has taken place. You will be notified, by email, where you can collect your portfolio from. All learners with portfolio assessment work must collect their portfolio within one year of the course ending or it will be destroyed.
Extra Support
 If you have previously had extra support in exams such as extra time or a reader, please advise your tutor. If you have not had this before, but feel as though you need it, please speak with your tutor for advice.
All access arrangements must be approved by the awarding body before they can be granted in your exams. To avoid any delays in this process please ensure you discuss your needs with your tutor as soon as possible, to allow us enough time for us to gather the necessary evidence for your application.
Please be advised that regulations have changed for this year, if you have previously had an assessment of your needs with us, then you may need to be reassessed to determine whether you are still entitled to additional support during your exam.
If you’re worried about your wellbeing during exam season, please speak with your tutor or explore our support here.
