How to manage late arrivals

If any of your candidates arrive late for an exam, this is known as a late arrival.
Although your centre may allow the candidate to sit the exam, whether we accept the
answer script for marking will depend on a number of things, including the reason the
candidate was late.

Acceptable reasons for a late arrival
If a candidate is late for an acceptable reason, your centre
should allow them extra time to complete the exam, to make
up for the time they missed at the beginning. Acceptable
reasons for a late arrival include:
• sudden illness before the exam
• an accident on the way to the exam
• transport difficulties out of the candidate’s control
(such as a traffic jam, the school bus being late or
breaking down).
Unacceptable reasons for a late arrival
Unacceptable reasons for a late arrival include:
• oversleeping
• misreading the timetable.
If the reason a candidate is late is unacceptable, we will only
accept the work they complete during the remainder of the
exam, if your centre can guarantee that the candidate has
been supervised by a responsible adult from the start of the
Key Time to the time they started the exam. The Key Time
is a time, local to each country, specified by us, for example
14:00, when all candidates must either be in the exam or
under Full Centre Supervision. Your centre should not give
the candidate any extra time to make up for the time they
missed at the beginning of the exam.
How to manage late arrivals continued

Frequently asked questions about
late arrivals
What if a candidate arrives late for Full Centre
Supervision?
If a candidate arrives late for Full Centre Supervision, they can
still sit the exam but you should warn them that we may not
accept their answer script.
If a candidate arrives after the Key Time has begun, they
should be kept away from those candidates who are under
Full Centre Supervision.
What happens if the candidate arrives after the exam
has finished?
If a candidate arrives after the other candidates have left
the exam room, you must not allow them to sit the exam.
You should warn them that we may issue a ‘no result’ mark
in the subject affected. If the candidate has an acceptable
reason for missing the exam, your centre should apply for
special consideration and attach evidence showing why the
candidate missed the exam.
Make sure the form includes the following information:
• the reason for the late arrival
• the arrangements the candidate made to get to
your centre
• your centre’s start and finish times for Full Centre
Supervision, and for the exam
• details of your arrangements for dealing with large
numbers of candidates in practical exams
• the time when the candidate arrived for Full Centre
Supervision or for the Key Time for the exam
• a statement about any possible breach of exam security
caused by the candidate’s late arrival. This should include
information about how the candidate was supervised
from the start of full centre supervision, or the start of
the exam, until they entered supervised conditions at
your centre.
Exam day – Form 3

What if a candidate arrives for an exam that has been Late Arrivals
Read the guidance notes at the end of the form before you fill it in.

moved to another session? Centre number

Candidate number
Centre name

Candidate name

If a candidate arrives for an afternoon exam that your centre Exam series

Syllabus code Syllabus title

has moved to the morning session, with our approval, you can Component code Component title

allow the candidate to take the paper at the published time

Scheduled date and session for component Time candidate arrived
AM/PM/EV
(local time)
H H M M
D D M M Y Y

as long as they have not had any contact with the candidates
Key Time for exam GMT/ UTC LOCAL Timetabled start Duration of
time for exam HH : MM exam HH : MM
HH : MM HH : MM (local time)
Reason for candidate’s lateness. We are unable to process this late arrival request without a reason being given.

who sat the exam in the morning. We will then decide

whether to accept the answer script based on how secure the
paper was. Please confirm if the candidate has been supervised by any person from the Key Time until arrival at the centre? If
yes, provide details and submit a Candidate Supervision Declaration: Preparation Form 7.

How do I tell you about a late arrival?

Send us the answer script in the normal way. Download
Please confirm if the candidate had any contact with others or access to external communication, such as
electronic devices including mobile phones, between the Key Time for the exam and their late arrival?

the form (Exam Day – Form 3) from the ‘Exam day’

section of the Cambridge Exams Officers’ Guide at Did the candidate arrive at the centre with a mobile phone?

cambridgeinternational.org/examday. Get your Head of Was the phone switched on or off on arrival at centre?

Centre to complete and sign it, and then email it to Returning this form
Return this form to info@cambridgeinternational.org Please include your centre number and Form 3 Late Arrival in

info@cambridgeinternational.org the email subject line. Save a copy of the form for your own records. If you are Associate Centre and work with us
through a Cambridge Associate please submit this form directly to them

Exam Day – Form 3

Learn more! For more information please visit www.cambridgeinternational.org/examsofficers or contact

Customer Services on +44 (0)1223 553554 or email info@cambridgeinternational.org

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