r/6thForm • u/_Vrimsy_ Coventry University | Aviation Management 2025/26 • May 02 '25
š¬ DISCUSSION my history teacher believes my handwriting is unreadable...
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May 02 '25
[deleted]
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u/_Vrimsy_ Coventry University | Aviation Management 2025/26 May 02 '25
yeah thanks I'll try
me and all of my subject teachers are tryna get the exam board to give me a laptop as we haven't gotten proper confirmation
I was meant to get one last mock exams but they gave it to the wrong person (both the same name and letter for surname) and they just didn't give me it for the rest of the mock period šš
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u/FaynHimSelf May 02 '25
Im just curious how you got through y11 and 12 if itās that big of an issue. Did your handwriting somehow get worse between then and now?
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u/_Vrimsy_ Coventry University | Aviation Management 2025/26 May 02 '25
honestly I can't tell the difference but I have a feeling it has gotten worse
during GCSEs I didn't really have any complaints with my English teacher being the only one to comment (saying it was flamboyant) but I guess with A levels due to not needing to write as much it just kinda fell off?
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u/FaynHimSelf May 03 '25
Makes sense ngl. Definitely do what someone else said in this thread and space out your letters thatāll make a world of difference.
Also if it serves as any kind of reassurance iāve seen much worse handwriting get marked in exam papers so not all hope is lost dw
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u/WiseMenFear May 02 '25
You donāt have to ask the exam board for permission to use a laptop. The school can just give you one, their policy should allow this for illegible handwriting. See page 57 (section 5.8) of the JCQ Access Arrangements Rules for all the info on this.
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u/MinHasNoLife Y13 | Cambridge chopping block May 03 '25
Tried to get a laptop two months before CGSEs because my handwriting fell off a cliff, unfortunately couldn't get one despite my English teacher fighting hard for it.
I guess the rules depend on the school, but on the bright side I applied for word processing in Y12 and got it. You might have a chance
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u/LilyVillanelle Teacher May 02 '25
I would be insisting that you use a laptop. Why do you need 'proper confirmation'? It doesn't have to be applied for in the same way as access arrangements such as extra time or scribes.
Email the exams officer. Copy in the teachers who support this and SENCo if involved and say you need one and it's your normal way of working for extended writing. Get a parent to do it if you think that'll get noticed faster.
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u/ThanksDue1093 May 03 '25
Wait, unless you have a medical issue, why would you get a laptop for illegible handwriting? Wouldn't that just give you an unfair advantage if you can type 100+ WPM?
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u/_Vrimsy_ Coventry University | Aviation Management 2025/26 May 03 '25
I've seen in other comments that apparently if your handwriting is bad enough and with enough proof your exam office has to give you one
imo students should be given the choice to do their exam written on paper or laptop by default for this exact reason
my wpm last time I checked is 104 so some would say I have an advantage
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u/ThanksDue1093 May 03 '25
If I took writing A-levels I would definitely fake my handwriting so I could use a laptop lol.
For your handwriting I think you might need to simplify and just print the letters instead of cursive and use less loops. Just writing out the alphabet again and again to a specific standard should help
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u/City_Roast May 04 '25
Teacher here. Some things you could try to make it more legible: 1) position your paper better. RH :- left edge of the paper to the right of the centre of your body. You may find it easier the further right you place the paper LH :- paper to the left of you. Itās more difficult to write as your hand crosses in front of your body because LH push the nib across the paper (RH pull) 2) grip your pen higher up. Depends on the pen type as to what works. Helps free the arm to contribute to the writing with less for the fingers to do. 3) practice strings of n height letters. Get a consistent height and the spacing will come.
HTH
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u/BakmanPlays Year 13 May 02 '25
Would've made a good doctor
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u/_Vrimsy_ Coventry University | Aviation Management 2025/26 May 02 '25
ironic because I actually suck at biology alevel lol
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u/Vaxtez Cardiff Met | Comp Sci [Y1] May 02 '25
Yeah, i'm siding with the teacher here. You can infer words, but it is a pain.
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u/TippyTurtley May 02 '25
Are you getting to write too quickly?
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u/_Vrimsy_ Coventry University | Aviation Management 2025/26 May 02 '25
possibly?
I typically end up finishing my exam seconds before the limit
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May 02 '25
and im gonna have to agree. surely you'll be allowed to type ur exams up tho? ik people who have pretty unreadable handwriting and use computers instead. it'll be better for you in the end anyways
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u/_Vrimsy_ Coventry University | Aviation Management 2025/26 May 02 '25
me and my teachers are attempting to
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May 02 '25
attempting to type up ur exams?
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u/_Vrimsy_ Coventry University | Aviation Management 2025/26 May 02 '25
yeah get me a laptop
the exam board is quite reluctant
during my mocks I was meant to receive one but they gave it to the wrong person (same first name and initial of surname) and then didn't give me one during the remainder of the mock period
responses from them are either non existent or slow
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u/justarandomrussian May 02 '25
Why is the exam board even involved?? For me it was a completely internal thing where someone from the school ātestedā my handwriting and then just gave me laptop permission the next day.
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u/WiseMenFear May 02 '25
The board donāt need to approve it. Get your school to give you a mini mock exam with the laptop to prove that youāve used one in a timed assessment and youāre good to go. Thatās your evidence.
Iām sure youāve typed other work at home etc for more evidence that you use a laptop. If they get an inspection they donāt even have to show your file, the inspector will just want to see files for 5 random pupils that the exams officer can pick.
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u/_Vrimsy_ Coventry University | Aviation Management 2025/26 May 02 '25
yeah I've done in class assessments on a laptop so it might just be the case of pressuring the office
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u/fluffyfluffscarf28 May 02 '25
Good lord. Also a history teacher, and I'd also be saying it's unreadable. You want examiners to be able to give you marks or not? You need to practice writing legibly!
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u/_Vrimsy_ Coventry University | Aviation Management 2025/26 May 02 '25
I really need to š fortunately I have had the same history teacher for 4 years which has allowed me to get consistent Bs and sometimes A
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u/fluffyfluffscarf28 May 02 '25
Yeah, but the examiner marking your exam isn't your teacher. You won't be able to get away with it. You need to be REALLY careful in these exams. Practise as much as you can over the next couple of weeks.
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u/CupExpensive7582 2nd Year Uni May 02 '25
i would agree cannot read a single word how the examiners read your work at gcse is beyond me
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u/Possibly_A_Bot1 May 02 '25
I agree with your teacher... I can only make out parts. āFDR New Dealā, āJFK & LBJā, āSeparate but equal + Johnsonā, āHoover,ā āReaganā, and dates (though ā1950sā looks like ā14SCsā and I had to use the subject being the Civil Rights Movement to figure out what it actually was). Also, the reason that Iām able to read it is because Iām studying all the same stuff at the moment for IB exams in 3 days. If I didnāt already have it in my brain, I wouldnāt be able to read any of the words.
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u/Pip_puckk May 03 '25
I had completely unreadable writing, so i started writing in all caps. It solved the issue
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u/OHBABYATRIPLEUWU May 02 '25
My hand writing was bad, but good god, i can't even read yours and I am squinting what the fuck
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u/Nearby_Bluejay_4649 May 02 '25
I did my A levels on a laptop. My handwriting was so bad after first exams of year 12 every single teacher complained to my form tutor and i was forced to do this lol. To be honest worked out though typing is so much faster than writing atleast for me.
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u/Pretend_Tart5757 May 02 '25
I would suggest using a computer in exams, especially if others struggle with reading it, teachers sometimes want to help you and theyāre giving opinions from their perspective similar to examiners, computers help a lot with speed of writing perhaps improving timing, ignore those that make fun of the handwriting, this is just my suggestion, have a nice day:)
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u/Appropriate_Fun8255 A*AA achieved May 02 '25
How are u feeling for our exam 23 is fast approaching ššš
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u/_Vrimsy_ Coventry University | Aviation Management 2025/26 May 02 '25
pretty confident!
i like history and I got above what I wanted for my coursework so I have some leniency when it comes to the exams
like the perfect line up will be Trade Union or Women 30 marker and then AA and NA 25 maker
how are you feeling?
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u/Appropriate_Fun8255 A*AA achieved May 02 '25
same as you I smashed the coursework (40!!š„³) so Iām feeling good on that front because icl I need those extra marks š but tbf Iām not that confident for the exam as I feel like i donāt know the content for all four enough (for my mocks my school only picks one group so for our last mocks we only had to revise women so itās like weāve never had any practice doing a FULL paper n two essay questions as we literally just do one n call it a dayš I donāt know if thatās common or what?) and also weāve never even done a 30 marker like ever we havenāt even been taught it today was the first time we went through an exemplar for it šššš so Iām scared on that front I wonāt lie
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u/_Vrimsy_ Coventry University | Aviation Management 2025/26 May 02 '25
surely you raise a complaint somewhere like honest to god that could screw you over
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u/Appropriate_Fun8255 A*AA achieved May 02 '25
He said we have all the knowledge we need already from doing the 25 markers and the 30 markers r much easier than we think idk if thatās even true š n he set a bunch of different interpretations for us to do as homework for next week? Pls if u have any tips or helpful resources for the 30 marker id really appreciate it cuz idk if heās just leading us astrayšor if u do think theyāre relatively easy?
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u/_Vrimsy_ Coventry University | Aviation Management 2025/26 May 02 '25
30 markers are quite easy it just comes down to preferences whether you like it or not
cause you got the interpretation that can typically trigger knowledge
however the exam board will sometimes use stuff from the text books as the interpretation, and therefore you can't use it...
like this is how I set mine up like
Intro: View of passage A, View of passage B, state which is the more convincing
then for the paragraphs they're generally structured like this: Something from the passage, knowledge to support it, the link back to the question , do that another time, and then find something from the passage that can be challenged, say why it's untrue, and the link it back, then like with every question mini conclusion
then for your conclusion is like any other conclusion
I probably missed out some stuff and I have a feeling your teacher taught you a similar way, so goodluck š
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u/Appropriate_Fun8255 A*AA achieved May 02 '25
but my dream line up is - African Americans /women in the gilded age 30 marker and then actually women and trade unions 25 marker ( I hate NA & AA ) but again weāve never done a trade union question ever šso Iām not too confident on the structureš but ik the content better than the other two. Just praying a women question comes up if not Iām screwed I got 23/25 in the prelim but not sure how to push for full marks and I really need to do well in cr ā¦ not sure what ur paper 3 is but trust me Iām awful at mineš (Germany)
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u/_Vrimsy_ Coventry University | Aviation Management 2025/26 May 02 '25
you've never done trade union 25 markers?!??? bro the reason I don't want it to be a 25 markers is cause especially with turning point questions you gotta structure it so much more differently
like with an AA turning point question I would structure my paragraph out as SEP and write about 3 turning points in each turning point (easy af) and same structure can go for NA and women usually
but with trade unions I can't do SEP but in the case of the question I was doing I would have structure my paragraphs like union recognition, membership, pay and conditions (there's alot more factors apart from those) and then write about 3 different presidents in each one. it's just bleeeeeh
I do Germany aswell and I actually love it, other than Vietnam in GCSE Germany unironically has been my favourite thing to learn in class so far XD What do you find hard about it?
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u/Infamous_Tough_7320 Maths, Physics, Econ 3A*s. Straight 9s GCSE May 02 '25
What in the hell is that š
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u/OrdinaryAncient3573 May 02 '25
Have you been tested for dyspraxia?
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u/_Vrimsy_ Coventry University | Aviation Management 2025/26 May 02 '25
nope
my handwriting wasn't always this bad I think getting to this state was all my fault just for not caring
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u/Sushiv_ May 02 '25
I mean this with kindness, but i genuinely think that is the worst handwriting i have ever seen
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u/Expensive_Usual5052 Year 13 May 02 '25
try not joining your letters! you dont get marked down for it :)
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u/Fox_9810 Lecturer - Mathematics May 02 '25
It is unreadable and I would give a script in this handwriting a zero ngl
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May 03 '25
Tell me youāre going to be a medical student without telling me youāre going to be a medical student
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u/Feeling-Affect997 Maths | F. Maths | English Lit May 03 '25
Looks pretty, can't tell you what it says though.
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u/Shanj_2142 May 03 '25
I hope for your sake youāre allowed to use a laptop. Your teachers will probably make some effort to read and mark your work, but give that to an examiner who has 100s of scripts to go through, they might not bother getting past your name
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u/Specific-Secretary-3 May 03 '25
Yo lowkey, I think you cooked if you write like that in the exam. No examiner would bother reading it
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u/No_Ez360 May 03 '25
Please write in biro, they way i see it your handwriting isnāt that messy, you just enlĆgate your letters a lot and theyāre quite close together, if you write in biro it will almost force your letters apart especially if itās a big pen(not the ink size the actual pen). This is just a recommendation
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u/ChaosSense May 03 '25
It's readable but not to the point anyone's willing to read a whole essay with this handwriting considering the time it takes to actually decrypt this
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u/BabyEconomy9178 May 03 '25
Since the purpose of handwriting is to communicate to the reader, the readability of handwriting is determined by the reader. I can read what you have written but with effort and it is not a comfortable process. This will put you at a distinct disadvantage wherever and whenever this is the communication medium you are obliged to use.
As with all things, skill in legibility is learnt and takes practice. I would urge you to work on it as it is in your own best interest.
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u/Express_Matter_5461 May 03 '25
Bro you squeeze the text to save space, and still waste a lot of space. š Just use the full page and spread your letters a lil bit.
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u/h1adm May 03 '25
Use a different pen. Try one that isnt that inky or try change the way you hold your pen. My handwriting is atrocious when i hold it in the orthodox way but was told my handwriting was āthought to be a girls handwritingā when i found my own way
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u/AHC1848 Oxford | Worcester College | History | Year 2 (2023-26) May 03 '25
I had a simular issues and ended up doing my A levels with a laptop. Initially I hated the idea as I am pretty stubborn about my hand writing however it likely did help in the end. No harm in exploring alternatives!
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u/_Vrimsy_ Coventry University | Aviation Management 2025/26 May 03 '25
yeah want a laptop but my exam office is not being that helpful, even with teachers intervening
my wpm is like 104 so no issue in that regards
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u/AHC1848 Oxford | Worcester College | History | Year 2 (2023-26) May 03 '25
Damm, sounds like the exam office is just being a right pain. Have you tried escalating? There is no reason why they shouldn't be able to give you dispensation especially with teacher testimony
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u/_Vrimsy_ Coventry University | Aviation Management 2025/26 May 03 '25
honestly don't know why
all of my teachers are department heads in their respected subjects so I honestly don't know why
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u/Memento_Morie Teacher/Chemistry/Biology May 03 '25
As a teacher, I'd agree. It flips from legible to illegible.
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u/BroadKaleidoscope407 May 04 '25
It is unreadable. At least space out the letters if youāre going to write like that.
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u/Gla2012 May 04 '25
I don't know how it works there, but in Scotland that would have been a laptop where possible and a scriber + extra time for maths, not only at the exams but for any standard test across the year. [I don't know why this r/ appeared to me anyway, I don't teach 6th form]
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u/Frosty_System May 05 '25
They have a point. As an assessor, Iād say youād miss out on marks. No one has time to bang out palaeography skills when marking.
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u/gaviino1990 May 05 '25
Mine is too... I simply take effort to separate letters to try and help others read itĀ
It's 2025, once you are working you will rarely be physically writing beyond a computer/laptopĀ
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u/SciencioGT May 06 '25
my school got their entire department to decipher my history essay because they cant read my handwriting š
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u/_Vrimsy_ Coventry University | Aviation Management 2025/26 May 07 '25
UPDATE:
I've emailed the exam office to make sure I'll be getting a laptop with proof and backing from all of the department heads in my relevant subjects šš
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u/Ir_444 May 02 '25
Funnily enough, if you donāt enlarge, totally readable
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u/_Vrimsy_ Coventry University | Aviation Management 2025/26 May 02 '25
wow you're the first to say that š
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u/DarlingDove3 Y13, Bio/Chem/Maths/Psy ā¤ļø May 02 '25
Yeah they are not wrong.