Are you allowed to sit an exam in your choice of language? This question was asked through Grab the Meic. Get your voice heard, get taken seriously and get advice.
Grab the Meic was an opportunity to ask us about anything that was worrying you. The advice was not instant and was used to create anonymous blogs for the website to help other young people who were in a similar situation. We no longer offer Grab the Meic. If you want information, advice or advocacy, contact the helpline for support on the details at the bottom of this page.
Dear Meic,
I am a student in a Welsh-speaking school. I am having trouble with mathematics. Can I sit this paper in English rather than Welsh?
Thanks
Anon
Meic’s Advice
Hi,
Thanks for your query about your school allowing you to take your Maths GCSE in English.
Talk
If you haven’t already, you might want to have a chat with your Maths teacher to see if the school would be willing to submit an entry for an English Maths paper. If your teacher and/or head teacher do not appear to be willing to allow this, it might be a good idea for your parent(s) to ask for a meeting with them to discuss it further.
We contacted the Welsh Examination Board (WJEC) and were advised that it is possible to sit the exam in English, but your school would need to be in agreement. If they are happy for you to do this, they would need to submit an entry for you to sit the Maths GCSE in English.
Alternative options
If, for some reason, the school decides not to submit an entry for a Maths paper in English, another possibility would be to approach another school or centre about taking Maths in English, however, your parents might have to pay for this.
If for any reason you’re not happy with the outcome of any discussions with your school, you could consider ringing the Children’s Commissioner for Wales’ office.
We hope the above is useful. Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you need any further info, advice or advocacy.
Take care for now.
Meic
If you need to talk to someone about anything that’s bothering you, then call Meic to talk to a friendly advisor. Meic is an information and advocacy helpline for children and young people aged 0-25 in Wales. We are open 8am to midnight, 7 days a week.
