If you discover a phone in your pocket after entering an SEC examination area, tell an invigilator or the staff supervising the room immediately. If you are at your desk, raise your hand and explain what you found. Keep the device untouched until staff tell you how to hand it over or where to place it.
SEAB’s 2026 GCE rules restricted possession of unauthorised communication devices, including phones, within examination premises. The scope included waiting and quarantine rooms. For the 2027 Singapore-Cambridge Secondary Education Certificate (SEC), check the instructions issued for your paper and follow the centre’s directions.
- Report the discovery immediately.
- Keep the device untouched while waiting for directions.
- Tell staff where and when you found it.
- Check pockets and device storage before each component.
If you notice before the paper starts
A student sits down and feels a phone in an inside pocket. Raise your hand from your seat and wait for staff to respond. Say that you have just found the phone and ask what to do. If you notice at a reporting point or in a waiting room, tell the staff supervising that area.
Follow the directions you are given. Avoid moving the phone into a bag, offering it to another candidate or leaving the room on your own. Staff can decide how to handle the device and record what happened.
If a device vibrates after the start
Signal to the invigilator. Explain where the device is and what you noticed. Do not open messages or try to change settings at your desk. If asked about the incident, give a factual account of when you entered, when you noticed the device and whether you touched or used it.
A phone’s power or notification setting does not settle whether it was permitted in the room. The earlier GCE rule applied to possession. Reporting the discovery gives staff the opportunity to apply the instructions for your sitting.
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Check again when you change rooms
Before entering a controlled area, check inner pockets, your jacket, stationery and any document folder. Follow the centre’s instructions for storage before reporting. During a practical or oral exam you may move between supervised rooms, so ask staff when devices may be collected or used again.
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Frequently asked questions
Can I switch it off myself first?
Tell staff immediately and follow their directions about handling it.
What if it is a smartwatch or earbuds?
Report an unauthorised device to staff and follow the same instructions.
Does reporting it guarantee a particular outcome?
Examination staff and SEAB apply the current rules to the circumstances.