Some students need rest breaks during exams due to medical conditions or access arrangements. This creates a timing challenge for exam coordinators.
The main issue is that the student needs a pause on their individual timer while the main exam clock continues running for everyone else.
How rest breaks work:
- Student raises hand to request break
- Invigilator records the exact time
- Student leaves exam hall under supervision
- Their timer is paused
- Main exam continues for other students
- Student returns and timer resumes
Why this is difficult with basic timing systems:
Most exam clocks only have one timer. When you pause it, everyone stops. You cannot pause just one student.
Schools often resort to manual calculations with stopwatches, which leads to errors and compliance issues.
What you need:
- Individual student timers that can pause independently
- Automatic calculation of break duration
- Audit trail showing when breaks started and ended
- Multiple break support for students who need several breaks
Documentation requirements:
Exam boards require accurate records of all rest breaks including start time, end time, duration, and reason. Keep detailed logs for compliance.
