We have put this guide together to help you navigate the online assessments here at KGS. Please read the following instructions carefully ahead of your child’s exam.
A device to display the Entrance Exam on, ideally an iPad, laptop, or desktop computer. This device will need to be connected to a power supply throughout the examination. An additional device with a camera and Microsoft Teams downloaded, to allow candidates to be invigilated (ideally an iPad or mobile phone). This device will also need to be connected to a power supply throughout the examination. Your link to join the Teams meeting will be emailed to you separately.
A device to take a picture of the handwritten answers and the ability to send the file to the registrar email.
All devices will need an internet connection.
A clear, quiet, well-lit space to work in.
Lined/plain paper to record the English answers on. We recommend having at least 8 sheets.
The printed Maths answer sheet. This will be emailed to you the day before the exam. Please print on A4 paper. If you do not have access to a printer please contact registrar@kgs.org.uk as soon as possible.
Pen and pencil.
11+ Candidates are NOT allowed to use a calculator.
Name badge next to the screen of the device that the exam will be taken on. See below for an example:
This device should be in front of the candidate ready to access the exam. The device must be continually plugged into a power source.
A name card must be placed close to the device as shown above. This is purely to enable the invigilator to know who is on the Teams call and to be able to identify candidates should they encounter any problems.
This device should be set up with the free Microsoft Teams app which can be downloaded here - Microsoft Teams
The candidate must follow their individual Team Meeting link, which will be sent via email a couple of days before the exam, to join the exam group. The device must be continually plugged into a power source.
It needs to be placed according to the photo below, to show both the computer screen being used to complete the exam as well as the candidate’s hands and face when writing the answers.
The camera must be on for the duration of the exam and microphones unmuted. Please make sure the meeting chat is open to the side by clicking the icon shown below:
Please install a free scanning app (such as Adobe Scan or Microsoft Office Lens) on one of the devices with which you can scan your child’s answer sheets and save them as a single document (PDF format recommended), which you must then send to registrar@kgs.org.uk following the exam.
Before the day of the exam, on this device, we recommend practising creating a single file with two or more photos using the scanning app that you have chosen.
The room in which your child will sit the exam must be well lit. As remote invigilation involves them being monitored by the cameras on their laptop/PC and mobile device, they will need to be clearly visible throughout the exam.
They will need a chair and a table or desk which has been cleared of all personal items, other than any materials they are permitted to access during the exam, and the device they will be using (laptop/PC) to display the exam paper. They should not take the exam with their device balanced on their knee or sitting on a sofa or bed.
Please ensure a power socket is in reach so they can plug in the devices they are using (e.g., mobile device, laptop) to ensure that they do not run out of battery.
Decide where they will put device 2 in order that it can continue to film them whilst they are taking their exam. The device should be positioned to the side of them, far enough away so that it can record what they are doing during the exam. They need to ensure that they can plug it in and that they can prop it up effectively so that it will not fall over. As stated above, they must be clearly visible, including their hands, and the screen displaying the exam paper. Please note that we will be recording the exam session. Please make sure that you have tested the above set-up ahead of the exam.
The day before the exam you will receive an email with links to your child’s exam paper. There will be two links: one for the English paper and one for the Maths paper.
Ensure that you have everything ready for the exam as follows: The room is set up as per the instructions above.
You have told anyone with whom you share your house (if you are sitting at home) that you are not to be disturbed and, where possible, to avoid internet use, in particular streaming services, video conferencing calls and large downloads.
You have all the materials which you are permitted to use in the exam ready.
You have device 1 ready and plugged in.
You have your mobile device (device 2) set up at the right camera angle and plugged in. You have a device ready with a scanning app installed to photograph answers at the end of the exam.
You have lined/plain paper for the handwritten answers in the English exam.
You have printed the Maths answer sheet on A4 paper.
Ensure that your child is ready and set up with plenty of time to spare. Candidates should join the Teams Meeting at least 10 minutes prior to the start of their first exam. They will be greeted by a member of the KGS Admissions Team who may ask them to adjust their camera to make sure they can see everything. You are very welcome to be in the room with your child to help do this.
Once the invigilator has all their candidates ready, they will ask them to click on the first exam paper link. It is really important that they do not click this link until instructed to do so by their invigilator.
Please note that we will be recording these exam sessions.
The invigilator is there purely to ensure fairness for all those entering the examination and to assist your child if there are any problems. As with exams within school, once the exam has started, they will only speak to your child to let them know when they have five minutes left. If your child has a question, they can ask the invigilator using the chat function, mentioned above, in Teams.
If you lose connection, please don’t panic. There is a 15-minute window for your child to go back into the exam and continue the assessment. If the connection is lost for longer than this, we will be able to reschedule the exam to take place either later that day or in one of our other available exam slots. The main thing is not to panic.
The exam will only begin once candidates click the ‘Click to start’ button: the invigilator will instruct your child when to do this. The Maths paper will be first, followed by English. There will be a short break in-between papers.
11+ Timings:
Mathematics 50 minutes
English 50 minutes
IMPORTANT: Candidates must not enter any answers online, they should all be recorded either on the lined paper for English or the printed answer sheet for Mathematics.
Once finished the candidates should type a short message in the Teams chat to let the invigilator know they have completed the paper.
At the end of the exam, candidates must remain on the Teams call until the invigilator has confirmed receipt of the answer sheets.
Candidates must make sure their name is written on any page that is being submitted and have also written ‘End of exam’ at the end of their answer sheet. This will enable us to confirm that we have received all pages. Parents are welcome to help photograph/scan the handwritten answer and email them directly to the invigilator (the email will be provided ahead of the exam). The invigilator will confirm once the email has been received and will excuse the candidate from the exam.
All answer sheets are kept for one week in case of any issues.
IMPORTANT: Please keep the answer sheets for your records. We may request that they are posted back to us should there be a problem with the scanned versions.
Check through the exam paper: Don’t race to start answering questions before you have checked through all pages. Read the instructions and all questions carefully. Do the easiest questions first. This will help you to gain some confidence and feel less panicked about the harder questions later on.
Examiners have to mark many papers at speed – they don’t have time to sit and consider what you might have meant by your answers. You can help them to see where you deserve marks by providing answers that are clear and easy to read. It’s a simple exam tip but can make a real difference.
Every year, students lose marks unnecessarily for silly errors. For example, they misread questions, they may answer too few – or too many
questions or they type the wrong number.
Some papers will provide the amount of time they suggest you spend on each section whilst others do not. Either way, make sure you have a plan before you begin and have noted the time that you will aim to begin each section. Plan to finish at least ten minutes before the end of the exam to give yourself time to check over your paper.
Check carefully through all of your answers, looking for any obvious errors. Read through slowly to check for missing words and to see that your answers make sense. If you spot mistakes, change them, even if that makes handwritten papers look a bit untidy. Plan your time well so you are able to make these essential final checks.
Read the question properly. Seems obvious, we know, but you will feel tempted to jump ahead due to the time pressure and make assumptions. Read the question twice if you have to!
If this does happen, don’t panic! If there is a question you can’t answer, move on. There are easier marks to gain in this time and you can always go back to it. It may be a case of writer’s block, and you’ll be amazed what comes back to you in half an hour!
1. What happens if my child is ill on the day?
Please email registrar@kgs.org.uk by 8.00am on the day of the exam. We will require you to then send us a doctor’s note, to confirm that your child was unfit to complete the exam that day, within 48 hours of the exam. We will then re-arrange the assessment.
2. What does my child need to wear?
We want your child to feel as comfortable as possible, so they can wear whatever they would like. However, they may find they concentrate better if they are wearing their school uniform.
3. What happens if we have not received the email with the exam links?
If you have not received the links by midday of the day before the exam, please email registrar@kgs.org.uk.
4. What if there are technical problems on the day?
If there are any technical problems and you are unable to communicate with the invigilator, please leave the Teams call and contact the Admissions Team on either 020 8939 8324 or 020 8481 3674.
We will be able to provide a solution so please do not worry. The most important thing is that your child does not become anxious or concerned if there are technical problems.
5. What browser should my child use?
We have tested the online system with the latest versions of Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Safari, and on a multitude of devices. We do not advise using Internet Explorer. To ensure that there are no problems, we strongly encourage you to practise with Microsoft Teams ahead of time.
6. What happens if I cannot get on the Teams link?
Please refer to Question 4.
7. What do I do if there are problems with emailing the answer sheets?
If you encounter problems emailing the files, please try again. The maximum file size that you may email us is 10Mb. If you find that your file is larger than this, please take another photograph, ensuring that you crop out anything other than the piece of paper. You may also send more than one email, so you may like to take photographs of smaller sections and upload those. Depending on the device you are using, you can usually select a smaller file size to send.
8. What happens if my internet crashes during the exam? Please refer to Question 4.
9. Can I be in the room during the exam?
You should be in the same room at the beginning of the exam to make sure your child is set up correctly and in contact with their invigilator and at the end of the exam to assist with emailing the answer sheets. If your child would prefer that you stayed in the room throughout the exam you are welcome to do so as long as you do not assist with the paper in any way. Any questions your child may have should be addressed directly to the invigilator.
10.Can my child go to the toilet during the exam?
Yes, they can. However, as with all exams, we would advise that they wait until the end of the paper, otherwise they will miss time during the exam that they could be answering questions. If they do need to go in the middle of the exam they will need to write a short message in the Teams chat function to alert the invigilator that they are leaving to go to the toilet. When they return they will need to write another short message to say they have returned.
11.Is my child allowed to drink/eat during the exam?
Your child may have a clear bottle of water with them but no food is allowed.
12.What equipment will my child need?
At least 8 sheets of lined/plain paper to record the handwritten English answer on. Printed Maths answer sheet on A4 paper. Pen (blue or black) and pencil.
If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact us on registrar@kgs.org.uk or 020 8939 8324 / 020 8481 3674
