Timetabling examinations – working with Key Times and

Full Centre Supervision

Introduction
We are making changes to the administration of the June 2010 examination session. These changes are
part of a project to increase the security of CIE examinations and ensure that their validity and integrity
continues to be protected around the world.

From June 2010, we ask you to ensure that all candidates for each examination are under Full Centre
Supervision at a specified time during the morning and afternoon examination sessions.

For most Examinations Officers, this will make little difference as the specified time will fall exactly when
your examinations would normally take place.

If the specified time falls at the start, during or at the end of the examination, your Centre has observed
the Key Time regulation. However, if it is not possible to schedule examinations so that students are sitting
the examination at the specified time, we need you to keep them under supervised conditions to prevent
them from communicating with other students until the specified time has passed.

Timetabling scenarios
Key Time
There are three ways to ensure that Diagram 1 shows the three
candidates are under Full Centre possible ways of timetabling
Supervision by teachers or invigilators option 2 examinations to comply with
option 1 the Key Time regulations. The
at Key Times when timetabling Key Time is the vertical line
examinations. Depending on your option 1 in the centre of the diagram;
local Key Times for examination examination sessions are
option 1 shown in blue; periods where
sessions, some options may be more candidates will need to be under
option 1
appropriate than others. Full Centre Supervision are
option 1 shown in grey.

Scenario 1
This will be the most common way
that you will schedule examinations.
At the Key Time, Candidates will be
in the examination room, taking their
examination under the supervision
of invigilators. When the examination
finishes, candidates are permitted
to leave and there is no requirement
for any additional supervision unless
a candidate is to sit a second paper
within the same session.
option 3
Clock Time
Scenario 2
There may be occasions when you
need to schedule an examination so
that the Key Time falls before the
examination start time. If the Key Time
is before the start of the examination,
candidates must be under Full Centre
Supervision by teachers or invigilators
from the Key Time until the start of the
examination. When the examination
finishes, candidates are permitted
to leave and there is no requirement
for any additional supervision unless
a candidate is to sit a second paper
within the same session.
Scenario 3
Occasionally you may have to
schedule examinations that finish
before the Key Time.If the Key Time
is after the end of the examination
and candidates have finished their
examination, they may (at your
discretion) be permitted to leave the
examination room provided that they
are under Full Centre Supervision by
teachers or invigilators continuously
from the time they leave until the Key
Time.
Scheduling more than one examination component
in the same session
When candidates have more than one
examination component scheduled
for the same examination session, the
same principles apply.
Candidates who have two
examinations in the session can be
allowed a break before taking their
second examination as shown, and
they must be under Full Centre
Supervision during this break.
If a candidate finishes the first
examination early and wishes to leave
the examination room, this may be
permitted, but the candidate must be
under Full Centre Supervision until
they begin the second examination.
Late candidates
You must warn a candidate who
arrives late for the start of an
examination that CIE may not be
able to accept their work. However,
they may be permitted to take the
examination.
Candidates who arrive late for a period
of Full Centre Supervision must not
be allowed to join the rest of the
candidates until after the Key Time has
passed.
You must submit a detailed written
report for any late arrival to CIE
(see the Handbook for Centres
section 3.3.6).
Further assistance
If you require any advice or assistance in the implementation of any aspect of CIE’s
regulations for the timetabling and conduct of examinations, please contact
CIE Customer Services at international@cie.org.uk or telephone +44 1223 553554.
Key Time
Clock Time
Frequently asked questions
When do the new regulations come
into effect?
The new regulations come into effect
from the May/June 2010 examination
session onwards.
How do I know what my Key Times
are?
The Key Time for the morning and
afternoon session is on the front of
the FINAL timetable in Greenwich
Mean Time. You will need to convert
this into your local time. A webpage
that will help you to do this is at
www.cie.org.uk/keytime
What is Full Centre Supervision?
During Full Centre Supervision,
candidates are supervised by teachers
or invigilators. They do not have any
access to telephones, mobile phones,
the internet, or any other means of
external communication; and they
must not be allowed to communicate
with anyone not under Full Centre
Supervision.
Candidates may have access to their
books and notes, and they can talk to
each other, as long as they don’t cause
any disturbance to candidates who
are sitting an examination at the same
time.
Diagram 2 shows some possible
options for the timetabling
of multiple examinations for
candidates in the same session.
The Key Time is shown by the
vertical line in the centre of the
diagram; examinations are in
blue; periods where candidates
will need to be under Full Centre
Supervision are shown in grey.
Do Key Times replace the morning
and afternoon session times (e.g.
8am – 1pm and 1pm – 6pm)?
The published timetable refers to
morning and afternoon examination
sessions but does not specify start
and end times for the sessions.
The new regulations mean that
examinations should be scheduled
around the Key Time for each session.
Can I request a change to my Key
Time?
No. All examinations must be
timetabled to comply with the
Key Time regulations for your
administrative zone.
How long either side of the
Key Time must we supervise
candidates?
As soon as the Key Time has passed,
candidates are free to leave provided
their examinations for the session have
finished. If the Key Time falls after the
examination then all candidates must
be under Full Centre Supervision until
the Key Time has passed.