If two papers you are registered for appear to clash, check both against your personalised examination documents and contact your school or SEAB promptly. Ask for the confirmed paper order, reporting time and venue. Keep both papers on your calendar until you receive instructions.
For 2026 GCE candidates, SEAB’s handbook described a sequential arrangement for papers scheduled at the same time on the same day, with a 45-minute break between papers. For the 2027 Singapore-Cambridge Secondary Education Certificate (SEC), use the arrangements issued for your own sitting. The earlier break duration is a historical reference.
- Check both paper codes and dates on your personal documents.
- Tell your school if you are a school candidate, or contact SEAB if you registered privately.
- Confirm the paper order, venue and reporting time.
- Ask whether the interval is supervised and when you may leave.
Work out whether the papers actually overlap
Look at the subject, syllabus code, component and date for each entry. A public timetable can include several papers for different subject levels. Your own schedule shows which apply to you. For a practical or oral component, look for a separate notice assigning your individual time or shift.
Two entries on the same date are not necessarily simultaneous. Check both reporting and start times. If one paper ends near the reporting time for the next, especially at another venue, raise that issue too. Staff can tell you whether a revised arrangement applies.
Report the conflict with details staff can use
Tell the school examination office or SEAB which two papers are involved. Include both paper codes, the dates and times shown, and the source of each entry. Explain whether you are reading an Entry Proof, separate schedule or later notice. Supply candidate identification only through the official channel when asked.
A useful message would say that both registered papers appear at the same time and ask which instructions to follow. If a notice only confirms one paper, ask about the other as well. This is more useful than sending two screenshots without saying which entries look inconsistent.
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Read the revised instructions as one schedule
Once arrangements are issued, read the entire sequence from arrival to dismissal. Confirm which paper comes first, where to report, when the second begins and where you should wait. Follow any instructions about movement, food, devices or contacting family during the interval.
For example, the first paper may finish while you still need to remain under supervision before the next one. If someone is collecting you, give them the stated dismissal time if one is provided. Keep the notice and the Entry Proof together.
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Act early if confirmation is missing
If your two paper entries still conflict close to exam day, follow up through the official channel. Ask which document takes precedence and whether you need to bring the separate notice. On the day, present the relevant documents to examination staff if the issue is still unresolved.
If the clash is between a paper and a personal commitment, explain that separately. The 2026 provision cited here addressed two registered papers scheduled for the same time. A different conflict may require a different process.
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Frequently asked questions
Do I choose which paper to sit first?
Follow the order given in the official arrangements.
Will I get a 45-minute break for SEC?
That duration appears in the 2026 GCE clash procedure. Check the interval stated for your SEC sitting.
Can I leave during the interval?
Check whether the interval is supervised and follow the staff’s directions.
What if the public timetable and my notice differ?
Ask your school or SEAB to confirm which instructions apply to your registered papers.