E4Adverse circumstances affecting all IB candidates in a school
In this context, an adverse circumstance is defined as an exceptional event that presents a clear threat to the health and/or safety of candidates and teachers that may force a school to close, miss assessment arrival dates and/or cancel IB examinations. Exceptional events include natural disasters, hostile activities and serious communicable illnesses (but do not include industrial action by teachers or other staff within a school). In the event of a serious disruption to the assessment of candidates for the Diploma Programme, the IB will make every effort to provide support and practical advice. For example, some modification of procedures and arrival dates will be permitted, but only if the security and standards of the examination session are not compromised.
Exceptional adverse circumstances affecting a school will be brought to the attention of the final award committee. The committee will consider how the circumstances have affected candidates and determine whether any action is appropriate in compliance with the General regulations: Diploma Programme. Any action taken by the final award committee in response to an exceptional event does not necessarily create a precedent for future examination sessions. The committee will consider each situation on its own merit, bearing in mind that each set of circumstances affecting a school community is unique.
E4.1The responsibilities of the school
It is the responsibility of the school, normally through the coordinator, to bring to the attention of the coordinator help desk at IB Cardiff circumstances that may severely disrupt the preparation or assessment of candidates for the Diploma Programme. While the IB will constantly monitor global events for possible effects on IB schools, the organization is not responsible for identifying individual schools that may be in difficulty.
The IB will not become involved in decisions relating to the management and administration of a school, or accept any form of responsibility for continuing the tuition of candidates for the Diploma Programme. Schools must take all reasonable steps to maintain the continuity of teaching in preparation for the written examinations in May or November and to conduct the examinations themselves.
E4.2Circumstances arising before the written examinations
Where possible, the IB will be flexible with the March/September and April/October arrival dates for the submission of examination material for assessment or moderation. However, the coordinator must have the prior agreement of the head of examinations administration at IB Cardiff to delay the mailing of examination material. If a later arrival date is authorized, the IB does not guarantee to issue results for the school concerned on 5 July/5 January.
If a school is forced to close before the examinations for a period of more than approximately five teaching days, the coordinator must notify the coordinator help desk at IB Cardiff. The school’s situation will be brought to the attention of the final award committee. If any action is considered appropriate, this will be at the discretion of the committee. Depending on the period and date of closure, the head of examinations administration may extend arrival dates for the submission of examination material. However, this extension does not apply to examination scripts.
E4.3Circumstances arising immediately before or during the written examinations
To maintain the integrity and security of the examination session, the rescheduling of written examinations will not be permitted beyond what is already stated in section E5 of this handbook. It is important that candidates take their written examinations at the school where they are registered, unless an alternative venue has been agreed with both the coordinator help desk at IB Cardiff and the appropriate regional office.
If adverse circumstances affect a school community at the time of the examinations in May or November, the school’s administration must make every effort to continue with the examinations, assuming there is no clear and immediate threat to the health or safety of candidates and teachers. Failure to administer the examinations without sufficient justification will result in no grades being issued to the candidates. If possible, a school should obtain permission from IB Cardiff before cancelling the examinations.
Circumstances may be sufficiently serious to justify the complete closure of a school either before or during the period of the examinations in May or November. School closure is taken to mean the complete cessation of all school activities, including all examinations. If, for example, the examinations are able to continue but lessons or other normal activities are discontinued, this does not constitute “closure”. The head of school must be able to substantiate, to the satisfaction of the IB, that closure was necessary and examinations could not be arranged for an alternative venue.
In the event of all candidates being unable to take one or more examinations for reasons beyond the control of the school, the final award committee will normally award grades based on the information that is available. (This does not mean using the predicted grades in place of grades derived from candidates’ performance on assessment components.) The committee will not authorize the award of grades if a school continued to hold the IB examinations and one or more candidates chose not to attend examinations when it was possible to do so.
E4.4Change of examination session
Each school that is authorized to offer the Diploma Programme must designate either May or November as their main examination session. If the preparation of candidates for a particular session is very severely disrupted, the school may be authorized to enter the same candidates for the next examination session. All fees will be carried over to this session. (For example, if candidates are entered for a May session, but cannot be adequately prepared for the examinations because of serious adverse circumstances, the school will normally be permitted to enter the same candidates in the following November session.) However, no consideration will be given for any subjects, level or response language that are not available in the following examination session. Any further dispensation will be at the discretion of the director general.
E4.5The transfer of candidates to another IB World School
Where there is a threat to the health or safety of candidates in a school, it is common practice for candidates to transfer to another IB World School. The transfer of a candidate to another IB World School in order to take his or her IB examinations will be permitted until such a date that IB Cardiff becomes unable to make the necessary practical arrangements. This is approximately two weeks prior to an examination. IB Cardiff will agree to a candidate’s transfer to another IB World School only if written consent is received from the coordinator who is accepting the candidate(s). Depending on the date and circumstances, a candidate moving to another school may be administered as an alternative examination venue, rather than as a transfer candidate.