Press Release

Date: Thursday 10 August 2000 (NR/113/00)

HELP AT HAND FROM EXAMS BODY

With the issue of GCE and GCSE results just around the corner, Northern Ireland’s exams body, the Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment (CCEA), is setting up a telephone helpline to deal with queries from students and their parents.

The helpline will be in operation from 9.00 am until 5.00 pm weekdays from Monday 14 until Friday 25 August. The helpline telephone number is: (028) 9026 1260.

Head of Education services at CCEA, Alastair Walker, explained the helpline’s purpose:

Our helpline staff aim to offer students and their parents information, advice and support. We can explain what grades mean and give information about CCEA’s re-checking and re-marking services. We’ll do our best to answer any query and if we can’t, we’ll do our best to put callers in touch with someone who can.

This year all A Level students will have the opportunity to request copies of their marked examination scripts following issue of results. Information about this scheme is available in schools and on the CCEA website. However, if students or parents wish to have clarification on any related matter our staff will be glad to help.

For A Level students we also offer a unique accelerated re-marking service. A Level students will be able to have their scripts re-marked, if they wish, and a reply provided by Friday 1 September. This is particularly helpful for students hoping for university or college places.

Helpline information will also be available on CCEA’s web site - www.ccea.org.uk

CCEA EXAMS HELPLINE

All GCE results will be available to candidates on Thursday 17 August 2000.
CCEA GCSE results will be available to candidates on Tuesday 22 August 2000.
GCSE results from other boards will be available on Thursday 24 August 2000 .

Unfortunately there are some areas the CCEA helpline will not be able to cover including information about:

University/College entrance requirements - callers should contact the appropriate University/College directly;
Career prospects - callers should contact their nearest Training and Employment Agency office, local job centre, or school careers officer;
Qualifications for entrance to professional bodies, or other career requirements - callers should contact their local Training and Employment Agency, local job centre, or school careers officer;
Training available after leaving school - callers should contact their nearest Training and Employment Agency, local job centre, or school careers officer;
Job opportunities or job availability - callers should contact their nearest Training and Employment Agency, local job centre, or school careers officer.

Media enquiries to Ruth Maguire on (028) 9026 1216, Mobile 07796947993. E mail rhmaguire@ccea.org.uk

ENDS

Note to Editors

CCEA is the Northern Ireland Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment.

CCEA places learners and those who have a concern for their educational and personal development at the forefront of its thinking. CCEA's mission is:
"To enable the full potential of all learners to be achieved and recognised"

What we do

CCEA is a unique educational body in the UK , bringing together the three areas of curriculum, examinations and assessment.

Advising Government – on what should be taught in Northern Ireland ’s schools and colleges.

Monitoring Standards – ensuring that the qualifications and examinations offered by awarding bodies in Northern Ireland are of an appropriate quality and standard.

Awarding Qualifications

– as Northern Ireland’s leading awarding body we offer a diverse range of qualifications, such as GCSEs, including the new GCSE Double Award specifications in vocational subjects, GCE A and AS levels, Entry Level Qualifications, and Graded Objectives in Modern Languages.

- CCEA also offers a range of Awards and Certificates in Education, Training and Skills (ACETS) targeted at learners who want to get
the knowledge, understanding and skills needed
to hit the ground running in the world of work.