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TCE Exam Information


The following are common questions asked by students leading up to and during the TCE examinations. More detailed information can be obtained from the menu selection to the left.



When are the exams?

Oral examinations will commence on Monday the 3rd of November 2008, and conclude on Friday the 7th of November 2008. Written examinations will commence on Monday the 10th of November 2008, and conclude on Friday the 21st of November 2008.

The timetable for written examinations is available from the 1st of October 2008.


What do I need to take to the exams?

You will need to take your Notice of Enrolment, a pink slip containing your personal details, as well as listing all the subjects you have enrolled for this year. You need to present your Notice of Enrolment to gain entry to the examination room.

If for some reason you lose your Notice of Enrolment you MUST contact the Principal or TQA Co-ordinator of your school to obtain a new one prior to your examinations


Can I take food into the exam?

No. No food is allowed in the exam room, except in exceptional circumstances.


Can I take a drink into the exam?

Students may take only water into the exam, at the discretion of the Chief Supervisor, provided that it is a plastic bottle that has no adhesive labels affixed and has a secure lid. The bottle is to be a maximum of 1500ml capacity. The images below indicate what is acceptable.
bottle1bottle2bottle3
Images courtesy of Newstead College (www.newstead.tas.edu.au)

What happens if I am sick and can't attend the exam?

If you are absent from an examination due to illness you must:

  1. Inform the Principal of your school/college of the reason for your absence from the examination;
  2. Visit your medical practitioner and request the completion of the Medical Certificate form (see the Examination Guide, or download by following this link).


Medical Certificates MUST be provided on this form to ensure that all information required by The TQA is supplied. Medical Certificates MUST be dated on the day of the examination or not more than 7 days before. The TQA will NOT be able to accept Medical Certificates dated after the examination.


What happens if I am sick during the exam and can't complete it?

If you are unable to complete an examination due to illness you must:

  1. Report to a Supervisor and explain why you are leaving;
  2. Where practical you should also inform one of your teachers;
  3. Visit your medical practitioner and request the completion of the Medical Certificate form (see the Examination Guide, or download by following this link).


Medical Certificates MUST be provided on this form to ensure that all information required by the TQA is supplied. Medical Certificates MUST be dated on the day of the examination or not more than 7 days before. The TQA will NOT be able to accept Medical Certificates dated after the examination.


What happens if there is a crisis on the day of the exam and I can't attend?

If you are absent from the examination for some other reason you must:

  1. Inform the Principal of your school/college of the reason for your absence from the examination;
  2. Write to the Chief Executive Officer, Tasmanian Qualifications Authority, within 5 days, detailing the circumstances of your absence and providing any other supporting evidence.


What happens if I forget to go the exam on the right day?

NO allowance will be made for a student who is late for an examination or who is absent from an examination as a result of misreading the timetable. This is (d) - Student Attendance from the TCE Examination Rules


Can you leave the exam early?

Yes, you can leave early, with the following proviso. Students may not leave the examination room before the first hour of the scheduled written time has expired, or in the last half an hour of the scheduled written time.


What happens if there is a clash of exams?

If two of your exams clash then one of them will be rescheduled to another time. If this is on another day then you may have to sign a document to say that you have not talked to anyone about the exam. If it is rescheduled from a morning to an afternoon (so that you have two exams in a row) you may have to have a lunchbreak that is supervised by the Chief Supervisor.


What materials can I take in to the exam?

You need to check this for each of the subjects that you are undertaking. First ask you teacher. Follow this link to find information for some specific subjects.

The following cannot be taken into exams:
  • Electronic Dictionaries and/or Spell Checkers
  • Walkmans/MP3/Mini Disc, or CD players
  • Recording devices of any kind
  • Mobile Telephones
  • Pagers
  • Any animals
  • Any loose notes, papers, manuscripts, books, computer discs or notebooks unless their use during the examination has been permitted (see the Examination Guide).
  • Alcoholic drinks and/or intoxicating substances


See earlier questions for information on food and drinks.


What do you do if someone is distracting you during the exam?

In this case you are best to seek the help of the exam supervisor by discretely attracting their attention. Do not interact with the person distracting you.


What about cheating?

If you are found in breach of any of the examination rules you will be subject to a penalty.

The following penalties are examples of the penalties that may be applied by the Senior Assessment Review Committee depending on the nature of the breach;

  1. Your examination result for a particular subject may be cancelled.
  2. All of your results for the year may be cancelled, for both internally and externally assessed subjects.


Follow this link for more information on the TCE Examination Rules


How do you get your results?

By Post: Results will be posted to all Senior Secondary students on Monday, 16 December 2008.

By Email: Students now have the option of having their results emailed to them, prior to receiving a hard copy of their results in the post.

The results will be emailed on the 16th December to those candidates who have successfully subscribed for this service. More information on this service will be available shortly.


Can I see my exam paper if my result is much worse than I expected?

Yes. You can arrange to view you paper. More information will be available closer to the exam period.


What if I have a complaint with my Senior Secondary assessment of certification?

The following page on Complaints Guidelines for Senior Secondary Assessments and Certification details what to do if you have a complaint.


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