This article includes guidance on taking an in-person exam at ExCeL London.
Please see this article if you are taking exams on campus and see this article if you're a student with PAA travelling to ExCeL London.
General travel information:
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When choosing your arrival station for ExCeL London, please be aware that Custom House station is a 15 minute walk to the venue. Where possible, we recommend using Prince Regent station.
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We recommend referring to the Plan a Journey tool from TfL when planning your route to help you arrive for your exam on time. This includes a number of accessibility filters, to help you find step-free routes, for example.
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You can also find further accessibility information on the TfL website.
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You may also want to refer to Google Maps or Citymapper.
Please read our article Support when registering for your exams & accessing your exam timetable for further guidance on:
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Registering for your exams
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Accessing your exam timetable on My Timetable
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Finding your candidate number & seating arrangements (including students who have been approved for Personalised Assessment Arrangements)
Travelling to ExCeL London
ExCeL London is a large, multifunctional exhibition and convention centre that hosts a wide variety of events and meetings. As you prepare to travel to ExCeL, please be aware that other events may be taking place elsewhere in the venue.
On the day of the exam, you have two options for stations:
Important to know: It is approximately a 15 minute walk from Custom House station to the exam hall within ExCeL, so we recommend that you plan ahead to ensure you are able to arrive on time for your exam. We would recommend using Prince Regent station, if you can, for a shorter walk.
The full address is: ExCeL London, Royal Victoria Dock, 1 Western Gateway, London, E16 1XL.
If your journey to the venue is disrupted, please note that you may be admitted to the exam up to one hour after the scheduled start time.
You won't be allowed to enter if you arrive more than one hour late. In such cases, you may submit a mitigating circumstances form, explaining the situation and providing appropriate evidence.
Students are advised to arrive early, allowing sufficient time to locate the exam hall entrance and be ready for the start of their examination.
Never been to ExCeL London before? Check out the video below to see what the venue looks like inside.
What identification do I need to enter the exam venue & exam hall?
It’s essential that you remember to bring your student ID card to all of your exams in order to gain entrance to the exam venue, and to the exam hall within the venue.
Students without their ID card won’t be permitted entry to the exam hall.
If you’ve lost your student ID card some time prior to your exam, or it has been damaged so it is no longer recognisable, you must obtain a replacement card in good time before the exam. For further guidance on obtaining a replacement ID card please see I need a replacement student ID card.
I've lost my Student ID, what other form of ID can I use?
If you are unable to get a replacement student ID, and you are sitting an in-person exam, you can use your passport/driver’s licence as another form of ID.
Important to know: It’s only under exceptional circumstances that another form of formal photo ID will be accepted, so please take care of your ID card.
What should I do with my personal belongings?
All bags and coats should be placed under your exam desk, along with any valuable items such as a mobile phone, wallet/purse, Oyster card, etc.
You must not touch or open these times once seated and during the exam. Once you have finished the exam, all items must be taken with you out of the exam hall.
Please limit the number of possessions you bring into your exam to avoid unnecessary clutter or problems.
Candidates with oversized items will be asked to store these at the side/back for the exam hall. In light of this, you are strongly advised NOT to bring oversized bags or items of value with you to your examinations as King's cannot accept any liability for any items lost or stolen from the venue.
To make your exam as stress-free as possible, remember to switch your phone/devices off and place them in your bag or coat plastic wallet. It is an exam hall offence to have a mobile phone on you (e.g. in a trouser pocket) during an exam. For a full list of exam hall offences, please read our article What are exam hall offences?
Behaviour expectations during your exam
Our standard expectations of students during exams help to ensure that everyone has a fair chance to perform at their best.
When taking an exam at King's, you must:
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Make sure that all electronic devices have been turned off
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Walk to your allocated seat in silence
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Ensure your student ID card is placed next to your seat number
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Check that you have the correct exam paper in front of you
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Not talk during the exam, other than to an invigilator
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Listen and follow any instructions given by the invigilator
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Not write anything other than your candidate details on the exam script envelope or other exam stationery
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Write your exam in English, unless another language is specified for the exam
When can I start my exam?
You are not allowed to start your exam or open the exam paper until the start of the exam is announced by an invigilator. Once all students are sitting in their allocated seat in the exam hall, the invigilator will announce the start of the exam.
Can I ask questions during my exam?
If you need to ask any questions, or if you feel unwell raise your hand and wait for an invigilator to come to your desk. If you have a question about your exam paper, then you will be provided with a form on which you can write your question. Any queries about the exam will be answered at the end of the exam.
Can I go to the toilet during my exam?
Depending on the exam venue, you might need to follow certain instructions when going to the toilet, so please listen carefully to invigilators at the start of exams.
You are allowed to go to the toilet:
You’ll be escorted by an invigilator and will need to bring your student ID card with you. You might be asked to empty your pockets when leaving the exam hall to visit the toilet.
The invigilators will keep a record of all students who leave the exam hall throughout the exam. If you have a medical condition that will require you to take multiple trips to the toilet, or if you’re found to be going to the toilet frequently, then you might be eligible to apply for Personalised Assessment Arrangements.
Can I leave an exam early?
Unless instructed to leave in the event of an emergency, you can leave an exam:
Can I leave my exam and return?
If you leave the exam hall unsupervised (i.e not accompanied by an invigilator) then you won't be allowed to re-enter the exam hall.
Support for mid-exam disruption
If a disruption occurs during an exam (e.g. technical issues), you must report this to an invigilator immediately so that it can be formally recorded as an exam irregularity.
Where there are wider disruptions during an exam (e.g. noise affecting the exam hall), these will be reported to your faculty. You may also contact your faculty directly after the exam if you wish to discuss the impact further.
Students are advised to arrive early, allowing sufficient time to locate the exam hall entrance and be ready for the start of their exam.
Support with your candidate number and or exam registration on the day of your exam
It's the day of my exam & I don't have a candidate number
If you don’t have a candidate number on the day of your exam, you should raise your hand (once seated in the exam hall) and an invigilator will provide you with your candidate number or advise you on what you should do.
I'm unregistered for my exam/my name doesn’t appear on the exam seating plan
If you’re unregistered for an exam, or your exam doesn’t appear on your personalised timetable, then the instructions you should follow will depend on your exam venue, or if you have been granted Personalised Assessment Arrangements.
For exams at ExCeL London
If the examination you are expecting is to take place at ExCeL, you must report this to the 'Help Desk' which will be clearly marked at the venue outside of the Exam Hall or in the waiting area.
At the Help Desk, you will be asked to show your student ID card and a member of staff will then complete a form, and give you a copy. The form will indicate the seat number you have been assigned.
Please then go to the desk/seat number which has been assigned to you. An invigilator will then bring all relevant materials.
Important to know: Staff will be at the Help Desk at least 30 minutes before the start of an exams. Please try and visit the Help Desk as soon as possible to allow you to start your exam on time.
Please also inform your department/faculty that you will be taking an exam as an unregistered student as soon as it is possible for you to do so.
For exams at all other venues
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Inform an invigilator as soon as you are allowed to enter the exam hall
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You will then be asked to show your student ID as proof of identification.
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A member of staff will then complete a form and give you a copy. This will indicate the seat number you have been assigned.
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Please then go to the desk assigned to you. An invigilator will bring all relevant materials.
Please also inform your department/faculty that you will be taking an exam as an unregistered student as soon as it is possible for you to do so.
If you have a Personalised Assessment Arrangement and haven’t been registered for an exam
If you have been granted personalised Assessment Arrangements and you are unregistered for an exam, please email the Examinations Office as soon as possible.
Please also inform your department/faculty that you will be taking an exam as an unregistered student as soon as it is possible for you to do so.
I am unable to attend my in-person exam due to mitigating circumstances
I am unable to attend my in-person exam, what can I do?
We understand that students sometimes have exceptional circumstances that mean they are unable to attend their in-person exam.
If you are unwell, or have other mitigating circumstances before, during, or after an exam, you should apply for mitigating circumstances; read our article What are mitigating circumstances? for further guidance.
What happens at the end of an exam?
Once your exam has ended, the invigilator will instruct all students to stop writing immediately. You will then be instructed to check that your candidate number and seat number have been written clearly on all examination stationery.
You will need to ensure that all exam papers, answer booklets/multiple-choice question sheets, and any paper used for rough working out are placed inside your exam envelope. You should then remain seated in silence until your exam envelope has been collected by an invigilator. Once everything has been collected, you will be allowed to leave the exam hall, although this may be done in rows to avoid disturbing other students. Please don’t talk until after you have left the exam hall.
Important to know:
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You are responsible for ensuring that all work completed during the exam is put inside the exam envelope and that your candidate number is written clearly on all exam stationery.
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Multiple choice question papers do not need to be attached with any string and can be placed inside the exam envelope.
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You aren’t allowed to take any exam papers or exam stationery from the exam hall, even if you didn’t write on them.
What should I do if I've left my student ID card/ other property in the exam hall?
Many ID cards that are left on exam desks are found by the invigilators and handed to the Head Invigilator for safe-keeping. They will be kept at the exam venue for the duration of the current exam period. so you can come to the venue and ask an invigilator to check whether your card was found. Unfortunately, other students cannot collect your card on your behalf.
If you are unable to return to the venue then please ensure that you take another form of formal photo ID to any remaining exams you have, or order a replacement ID .
Important to know: At present, it isn't possible to find out via phone whether your ID card or lost property has been found at an exam venue.
When will my exam results be available?
Please read our article Your exam results for more information.
