If you are a private candidate and cannot find your GCE science practical schedule, check the email used for registration and the SEAB Candidates Portal. SEAB’s 2026 secondary examination booklet says the notification to download the schedule is sent at least seven days before the practical. It directs candidates who have no notification or cannot download the schedule seven days before the examination to contact SEAB.
Use that separate schedule to check your centre, reporting room, reporting time and dismissal time. A practical can be held at a different centre from the written papers. For the 2026 secondary examinations, SEAB instructed private candidates to arrive at the designated reporting venue 30 minutes before the reporting time on their science practical schedule. Use the instructions issued for your own examination year.
- Check the registration mailbox and download the practical schedule.
- Confirm the centre, reporting room, shift and times.
- Contact SEAB if the schedule is missing at the stated checkpoint.
- Check the instructions on identification, equipment and electronic devices.
- Use the scheduled dismissal time when arranging pickup or travel.
Find the schedule for your specific practical
Open the registered mailbox and check filtered or junk folders. Sign in to the Candidates Portal and look for the relevant practical schedule. Check the subject and exam date against your current registration. If you have more than one practical, save each schedule separately so you can distinguish the centres and shifts.
If the schedule is missing at the seven-day checkpoint in the applicable instructions, contact SEAB through its official route. Include the examination level, subject code, practical date and whether you could sign in. Describe whether the notification is missing or the download is failing. An Entry Proof for your written exams can help you identify your registration, while your practical schedule is the place to verify the assigned shift.
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Read the reporting and dismissal times separately
Write down four details: where to report, the assigned reporting time, when the practical begins and when candidates are expected to be dismissed. Build the route from the designated reporting venue, not the nearest entrance you find on a map. If you are unfamiliar with the campus, check the centre’s instructions before the day.
The practicals described in SEAB’s secondary booklet are conducted in shifts, with supervised separation before and after the exam. Plan from the dismissal time stated in your schedule. A parent who is collecting you should know that the laboratory finish time and the time you can leave can differ.
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Prepare what to bring and what to hand over
Read the examination rules and schedule for required documents and permitted equipment. SEAB’s 2026 secondary booklet instructs candidates to surrender electronic devices when they report to examination personnel. Follow staff directions for where to put your belongings and where to go after the practical.
Use the approved materials for your own paper. If you are unsure whether a reference sheet, calculator or other item is permitted, check before entering the laboratory. Prepare a paper copy of the route and pickup details if you will need to put your phone away.
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Worked example
A candidate sees the date of a Chemistry practical in the general timetable but has yet to receive their shift information. At the checkpoint stated by SEAB, they check the portal and contact SEAB with the subject and exam date. Once the schedule is available, they notice the reporting centre differs from their written-paper centre. They set an arrival target from the practical’s reporting time and tell their family the scheduled dismissal time.
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Frequently asked questions
Can I choose a different shift?
Use the allocated shift and the official instructions. Contact SEAB if a serious issue affects your ability to attend. Make plans only from an arrangement SEAB confirms.
Is the end of the practical the time I can leave?
Check the dismissal time. SEAB’s booklet describes supervised arrangements after the practical.
What if I arrive after my shift’s reporting time?
SEAB’s 2026 secondary rules say a candidate may be refused admission if they report after the scheduled time for their allocated shift. Follow the examination staff’s instructions.
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