Press Release
Date: Monday 13 June 2005 (NR/13/05)
CCEA calls for exams to go ahead as normal
Northern Ireland’s exams body, the Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment (CCEA) has informed all schools and colleges throughout Northern Ireland that timetabled GCSE, GCE and Key Skills examinations will go ahead as normal despite the planned industrial action by non-teaching staff employed by the Education and Library Boards.
The Industrial Action is planned for Wednesday 15 and Friday 17 June. A number of important GCSE, GCE and Key Skills exams are timetabled over these two days.
CCEA’s Director of Operations Neil Anderson commented:
“In coming to this decision CCEA has looked carefully at all of the options open to us. Throughout the process we have kept the best interests of students at the centre of our thinking. With 17 different examination papers covering ten subjects taking place over the two days totalling almost 35,000 entries, we feel we have no option but to go ahead with the examinations as scheduled. To attempt to cancel and/or reschedule so many papers at such short notice has the potential to both compromise the examinations and to disadvantage students.”
“Over the coming week we expect to be in constant contact with schools and colleges to provide whatever support and assistance we can. We will also be keeping in touch with the other awarding bodies who offer these examinations in Northern Ireland to ensure they are kept appraised of the situation.”
“We sincerely hope that as with similar industrial action in May, all students will be able to take their examinations free from disruption and distraction.”
GCSE and GCE Examinations timetabled for Wednesday 15 and Friday 17 June. Entries in Bold
Wednesday 15 June 2005 - Morning
GCSE Mathematics : Syllabuses A and B
- Paper 2 Foundation Tier (1hr30m) 9.15 -10.45 - 2560- Paper 4 Intermediate Tier (2hrs) 9.15 – 11.15 - 6746
- Paper 6 Higher Tier (2hrs) 9.15 – 11.15 - 6581
GCE English Literature AS1 (2hrs) 9.15 – 11.15 - 2101
Key Skills External Tests – Information Technology - 25
Wednesday 15 June 2005 - Afternoon
GCSE Geography
- Paper 2 (Foundation Tier) (1hr30m) 1.30 – 3.00 - 1574- Paper 2 (Higher Tier) (1hr30m) 1.30 – 3.00 - 4518
GCE Irish AS3 (1hr15m) 1.30 – 2.45 - 460
Friday 17 June 2005 - Morning
GCSE Financial Services - (1hr) 9.15 – 10.15 – 41
GCSE Business Studies
Paper 2 (Foundation Tier) (2hrs) 9.15 – 11.15 - 1761Paper 2 (Higher Tier) (2hrs) 9.15 – 11.15 - 3036
GCE Geography AS2 (1hr) 9.15 – 10.15 – 2504
Friday 17 June 2005 – Afternoon
GCSE Irish - 2512
- Paper 3 Reading (Foundation Tier) (40m) 1.30 – 2.10- Paper 4 Writing (Foundation Tier) (40m) 2.30 – 3.10
- Paper 3 Reading (Higher Tier) (50m) 1.30 – 2.20
- Paper 4 Writing (Higher Tier) (1hr) 2.30 – 3.30
GCE Home Economics AS3 (1hr) 1.30 – 2.30 - 731
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.
