What Happens If I'm Late for an A Level Exam?

If you’re an A Level student and you’re worried about being late to an exam, you’ll have some questions you need answered. What will happen if you arrive late? Will you be let in? Will you lose time or marks? Will the exam board know? 

Running late for an A Level exam is stressful, but it’s not necessarily a disaster. Let us set your mind at rest. This guide will let you know what the rules are, what to do if you run late, and how to handle the situation to avoid extra stress. 

Key Takeaways

• You may still be allowed to sit the exam if you arrive late, at your school or exam centre's discretion

• If you come in late, you'll be given the full exam time, but the exam board may not accept your paper if you're "very late"

• Being late doesn't automatically deduct marks, but your school must report arrivals more than one hour after the start time

• Valid reasons for lateness (like transport delays) should be documented with evidence

Are You Allowed to Enter An A Level Exam If You're Late?

The short answer is: possibly. It all depends on how late you are and your school's decision.

According to the JCQ (opens in a new tab) (Joint Council for Qualifications) regulations, a candidate who arrives after the exam has started may be allowed to enter and sit the exam at the school or exam centre's discretion. This means they make the initial decision about whether to let you in.

Rules change if you arrive "very late" (more than one hour after the starting time for an exam lasting one hour or more). For morning exams, this means arriving after 10:00am (the standard start time is 9:00am). For afternoon exams, it means arriving after 2:30pm (the standard start time is 1:30pm).

If you're "very late," the situation becomes more serious. Your school must report your late arrival to the exam board within seven days. You’ll be warned that the exam board may not accept your script. In these cases, the final decision about whether your exam counts will be made with the exam board, not your school.

All major exam boards follow these JCQ guidelines.

Will You Lose Marks for Being Late?

A common concern! The answer should bring you some relief: marks are not automatically deducted for being late.

The JCQ is clear on this. If you're allowed to sit the exam after arriving late, you must be given the full time allocation for that exam. For example, if a paper is 2 hours long and you arrive 20 minutes late, you'll still get the full 2 hours.

However, there are two important things to remember:

1. You Might Lose Practical Time 

You don't get back the time you missed at the start. If students were given important instructions in the first few minutes, you'll have missed those. You also have less time before the exam to settle your nerves and mentally prepare.

2. Very Late Arrivals Risk Rejection

If you're very late (arriving more than an hour after the start time), the exam board may decide not to mark your work in the first place. 

Why are they so strict about this? If you’re very late, it could mean that you’ve seen information about the exam before you arrived. 

Edexcel Pearson's guide to late arrivals (opens in a new tab) explains that your school or centre will have to provide proof that you didn’t access or know about the paper’s content before sitting the exam.

OCR (opens in a new tab) says the same. They add that you may be able to re-schedule and sit the exam later within the exam window if the security of the papers and exam content is assured. 

What Counts as a 'Valid Reason' for Lateness?

When your school reports a very late arrival to the exam board, they must include the reason you were late. While JCQ regulations don't provide a list of "acceptable" reasons, exam boards typically consider the following:

Generally Accepted Reasons:

• Public transport disruptions – train cancellations, bus breakdowns, unexpected road closures, or flooding, heavy snow making travel impossible

  • AQA (opens in a new tab) lists “severe weather, major travel disruption or public incidents” as unforeseen circumstances

• Medical emergencies – sudden illness on the way to the exam, dealing with a family medical crisis

  • This may extend to psychological wellbeing, too

Reasons Less Likely to Be Accepted:

• Oversleeping – this is considered your responsibility to manage

• General traffic – normal traffic conditions aren't usually accepted as you should plan for typical journey times

• Misreading the timetable – you're expected to know when your exams are

• Non-urgent personal appointments – routine matters you should have scheduled around your exams

What to Do If You're Running Late For An A Level Exam

If you realise you're going to be late, here’s what you do:

1. Contact Your School Straight Away 

If it’s safe and you’re physically able, call your school's exam office or reception as soon as you know you'll be late. Don't wait until you arrive. This helps because:

• It lets staff know that you're coming

• It allows them to get the necessary paperwork ready

• It shows that you're taking the situation seriously

• It gives them time to contact the exam board if needed

2. Don't Panic—Keep Moving Safely 

Yes, you're under pressure, but arriving safely is more important than arriving quickly. Once you’re at school, get to the exam venue as quickly and safely as possible. This is especially true if you’re close to being very late (one hour late). 

3. Gather Evidence of Your Delay 

If your lateness is due to circumstances beyond your control:

• Take photos of delayed/cancelled transport information

• Screenshot relevant apps showing disruptions

• Save any official announcements or notifications

• Note down details (times, what happened, who you spoke to)

Your school will need this evidence when reporting your late arrival to the exam board. The more documentation you can provide, the better your case.

4. Be Prepared to Explain 

When you arrive, you'll need to briefly explain what happened. Be honest and factual. School staff will need to make notes to possibly report to the exam board.

5. Focus Once You're Seated 

Once you're allowed into the exam room, put the stress behind you. Take a few deep breaths, read the instructions carefully, and begin.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do schools have to let you in if you're late?

No, it’s up to them. Schools and exam centres can admit late candidates at their discretion. Don’t worry - most schools will try to get you in there if they can, especially if you arrive within the first hour. Schools understand that things go wrong. Of course, if your lateness could compromise exam security or disrupt other candidates significantly, they might say no!

Will exam boards know I was late for my A Level exam?

It depends on how late you were. If you arrive within one hour of the exam start time, your school doesn't need to complete any special paperwork, so the exam board won't need to know. But, if you arrive more than one hour after the start, your school must submit a Very Late Arrival form to the exam board within seven days.

Can I apply for special consideration if I was late?

Special consideration is an adjustment to grades. It’s for students whose exam performance was affected by temporary illness, injury, or other serious issue at the time of the exam. 

For example, a student of mine was bitten by a horsefly on the way to school. In the unlikely event of an allergic reaction to an insect bite, or any other kind of medical emergency, your school might be able to apply for special consideration (opens in a new tab). Speak to your exams officer about your specific situation. Make sure you have some evidence that they can attach to the form. 

Final Thoughts

If possible, try to make sure you have plenty of time to get to school and prepare yourself for the exam.

• Check your timetable the night before each exam

• Plan your journey with extra time for potential delays

• Set multiple alarms and have a backup plan for waking up

• Prepare everything the evening before (pens, pencils, calculator, ID, equipment)

• Know your school's plans in case of widespread travel disruption

To get yourself ready, have a look at our exam day checklist. 

Still, life happens! Remember, schools have been through the process before (even if you haven’t), so they’ll do their best to help if you arrive late. Once you know you’re going to be late, and if it’s safe to call, let your school know what’s happened and get some evidence to show them later. If you do arrive very late, the exam board will make a fair decision based on your specific circumstances.

If you’re worried this will affect your university offers, relax. You won't automatically be affected by one late arrival, especially if you can sit the exam and perform well.

Of course, it’s best to try to get there on time. But, if something comes up, stay calm, learn from the experience, and focus on doing your best. 

Want to know more? 

If worst comes to worst and you do need to resit the exam, our guide to retaking your A Levels will set you on the right track. 

Before your exam, browse our A Level Revision Notes, Exam Questions & Past Papers. Save My Exams resources are created by experienced educators and examiners who actually mark A Level exams, so you’ll know exactly what to revise and how to answer questions for maximum marks.

Sources: 

Instructions for conducting examinations (opens in a new tab)

Forms - JCQ Joint Council for Qualifications (opens in a new tab)

Edexcel Exams: Late Starts & Late Arrivals (opens in a new tab)

AQA: Unforeseen circumstances on exam day (opens in a new tab)

OCR Instructions for conducting examinations (OCR ICE) (opens in a new tab)