By Julia Roebuck

If your child needs to use a laptop in their GCSE or IGCSE exams, there are some important things you need to know: from how to apply, to what actually happens on the day. This applies not just to computer science, but to other subjects too. Here’s a practical walkthrough of the whole process.

You Don’t Automatically Get a Laptop

The first and most important thing to understand is that you don’t automatically get a laptop in an exam. You must apply for special access arrangements through your exam centre, and you’ll need to provide a reason. Your tutor can help with this — or, if you’re home educating without a tutor, a parent can usually provide a supporting letter.

Common reasons include the laptop being the student’s normal way of working, or that handwriting the exam would prevent them from performing to the best of their ability. That’s essentially the case you need to make: without the laptop, the student can’t do themselves justice.

Book Early

If you leave it to the last minute, the chances of getting a laptop are slim. Subjects like English use laptops heavily, and availability gets taken up very quickly. Book your exams as early as possible and apply for access arrangements at the same time.

The good news is that you should only need to apply once with your exam centre. Once access arrangements are in place, they carry over to future sittings — whether that’s the following winter or the next year. You can also apply for other accommodations at the same time, such as extra time or rest breaks.

One thing to bear in mind: if you change exam centres, you’ll need to reapply for access arrangements with the new centre. It’s not a huge issue, but it’s worth factoring in if you’re thinking about switching.

Not Every Exam Allows Laptops

Most exams do allow laptop use, but not all. Maths is the main exception — you cannot use a laptop in GCSE or IGCSE maths exams. There may be a few others, such as art, so it’s always worth checking with your exam centre for the specific subjects you’re taking.

Consider a Mock Exam First

If it’s your child’s first exam, try to arrange a mock at your exam centre. You’ll have to pay for it, but it’s a valuable opportunity to experience the process in a low-stakes setting. The centre will try to replicate the real conditions, and your child can practise using the laptop and the text editor they’ll be working with on the day.

What Happens on Exam Day

When you go into the exam room, you’ll be given a laptop. However, a word of caution: I’ve had students arrive to find no laptop waiting for them, even though access arrangements were in place. I’ve even had a student who couldn’t advocate for themselves and simply didn’t ask for it. If your child might struggle to speak up in that situation, you may need to be the one who makes sure the laptop is there. Prepare your child by letting them know it’s their right, they’re not being difficult, and the laptop should have been ready for them.

How the Laptop Works in Practice

You’ll write your answers in a plain text file using a basic text editor — typically a cut-down version of Word, WordPad, or something similar. There’s no spell check (it’s disabled) and no internet access. It’s just you and a blank text file.

The file must be saved with your name, candidate number, and centre number in the filename. Before you start answering, type the question number and sub-question number clearly into the file. This is vital — you need to help the examiner identify which question each answer relates to.

You’ll still receive the paper exam booklet, just like everyone else, so you can read through the questions and refer to any diagrams or source material. For most questions, you’ll type your answer in the text file. But for questions that require drawing such as flow charts, diagrams, or drawing lines between items, you should do those directly on the paper booklet and write something like “See exam booklet” in your text file for that question.

Save Regularly

This cannot be stressed enough: save your file after every question. Use File > Save, or press Ctrl+S. If you accidentally delete something, remember that Ctrl+Z is your friend — it will undo your last action. But regular saving is your best protection against losing work.

What Happens After the Exam

Once the exam is over, the invigilator will come with a USB flash drive, copy your text file, take it away, and print it. They’ll bring the printed copy back to you, and you’ll need to check through it carefully to make sure all your answers are there. Once you’re satisfied, you sign every page. The printed copy is then stapled to your exam booklet and sent off to the exam board.

This is an important detail: the digital file itself is never sent to the exam board. Only the printed version goes. Your exam centre may keep the file, but what gets marked is the paper copy.

Quick Summary

Find out which text editor your exam centre uses — email them and ask, then practise with it beforehand.

Always write the question number and sub-question number in your text file before typing your answer.

Save the file regularly throughout the exam — after every question if possible.

Be prepared to use the paper booklet too — some questions will require drawing or diagrams.

Good luck with your exams!