IB Exam Timetable Clashes: A Coordinator's Guide

IB exam timetable clashes must be identified from the school-specific schedule, checked against each candidate’s registered papers and resolved through the current IB authorization process. Coordinators should never move an examination informally, even when two papers clearly overlap. The task is to detect conflicts early, submit accurate requests, protect examination security and give each affected candidate a clear written plan.

This guide explains how Diploma Programme coordinators can distinguish genuine overlapping exam sessions from demanding but valid schedules and manage approved arrangements securely.

What counts as an IB exam timetable clash?

A genuine clash occurs when a candidate must sit two examinations whose authorized times overlap. It may involve two IB papers, or an IB examination and one administered by another awarding organization. Because the candidate cannot complete both according to the published schedule, formal action is required.

These situations are not automatically timetable clashes:

• Two examinations on the same date in separate sessions
• Consecutive papers in the same subject
• A morning paper followed by an afternoon paper
• Several demanding examinations across consecutive days
• A school event, graduation ceremony or travel arrangement
• A candidate wanting additional revision time

Rescheduling is an assessment-security measure, not a workload adjustment. The IB acknowledges that some clashes may be unavoidable, but the timetable is designed to reduce conflicts and, where possible, avoid more than 6.5 hours of examination papers in one day.

How to identify overlapping exam sessions

Begin with the official IB examination schedule for the correct May or November session. Confirm the school’s allocated exam zone and local start times. The public timetable supports initial planning, but the school-specific schedule and current materials in My IB, IB Insights and the Programme Resource Centre should govern final arrangements.

Build a candidate-by-candidate timetable

Export final candidate registrations and create one row for every examination component. Record the candidate, subject, level, paper, date, start time, duration and authorized inclusive access arrangements.

Do not compare morning and afternoon labels alone. Calculate actual start and finish times because additional time, supervised rest breaks or long paper sequences may create a conflict not obvious from the public timetable.

Use three checks:

1. Automated check: flag intersecting time intervals.
2. Manual verification: confirm the subject, level, paper, language and registration.
3. Second-person review: have another trained colleague verify every flagged case.

Repeat the audit after registration amendments, access-arrangement decisions or timetable updates. RevisionDojo’s guide to reading the IB exam schedule accurately can help staff and candidates avoid misreading sessions.

How coordinators should resolve a confirmed clash

The governing rule is clear: an IB examination cannot be rescheduled without IB authorization. The May 2026 examination schedule, for example, directs schools to the applicable DP and CP Assessment procedures for the criteria and application process.

For each confirmed conflict, coordinators should:

1. Verify both entries against the candidate’s final registration.
2. Consult the current Assessment procedures and Rescheduling of IB examinations guide in the Programme Resource Centre.
3. Apply through the channel specified in those materials.
4. State the papers, authorized times, durations and affected candidates precisely.
5. Retain the approval and convert it into a school run sheet.

Do not assume that an arrangement approved in a previous session remains valid. Procedures, paper variants, supervision rules and submission routes may change. The IB’s assessment principles explain the security concern: candidates sitting at different times could exchange information about a live paper.

Planning an approved clash arrangement

An approval is not an operational plan. Produce a confidential run sheet showing:

• Reporting times, locations and paper order
• Examination rooms and secure waiting areas
• Named invigilators, relief staff and handovers
• Supervised breaks, meals and bathroom arrangements
• Storage of phones, watches, notes and connected devices
• Movement routes preventing contact with other candidates
• Responsibility for examination materials
• Escalation contacts for absence, illness or disruption

Supervision must be genuinely continuous wherever the arrangement requires isolation. A corridor, reception area or library used by unsupervised students is not secure. Brief every supervising adult on prohibited communication, device access and recording handovers.

Rescheduling does not grant extra writing time, altered questions, coaching or special marking. The IB academic integrity policy identifies unauthorized rescheduling and examination-security failures as forms of school maladministration.

Access arrangements and apparent clashes

Authorized additional time and supervised rest breaks can extend a candidate’s working period. Coordinators must calculate adjusted finishing times rather than relying on standard paper durations.

The IB access and inclusion policy states that schools are responsible for requesting rescheduling where required for an eligible student. Keep the access decision, rescheduling authorization and rooming plan aligned, but do not treat them as interchangeable permissions.

Communicating with candidates and families

Give candidates a written personal schedule only after confirmation. State when and where to report, permitted materials, supervised periods, meal arrangements and expected release time.

Explain that these controls protect fairness. Discussing an examination, accessing a phone or contacting peers during a controlled interval may jeopardize the candidate’s work. RevisionDojo’s explanation of exam clashes and rescheduling offers accessible background, but school instructions remain authoritative.

Common coordinator mistakes

Common errors include using a generic timetable, treating a difficult same-day sequence as a clash, missing overlaps caused by additional time, moving a paper before authorization and leaving supervision gaps during meals or handovers.

Before the session, test each arrangement as a complete timeline from arrival to release. RevisionDojo’s overview of how schools use the IB timetable internally can support staff briefings.

Conclusion

Managing IB exam timetable clashes requires early detection, accurate registration data, formal authorization and uninterrupted security. Coordinators must distinguish genuine overlaps from heavy schedules, account for access arrangements and document every movement and handover.

RevisionDojo’s IB coordinator resources can support planning, while the Questionbank, Mock Exams and Study Notes help candidates practise timing before the examination session.

Sources and referenced URLs

• IB Diploma Programme examination schedules
• Official May 2026 DP and CP examination schedule
• IB assessment principles and practices
• IB academic integrity policy
• IB access and inclusion policy
• RevisionDojo guide to reading the IB exam schedule
• RevisionDojo guide to exam clashes and rescheduling
• How schools use the IB exam timetable internally
• RevisionDojo for IB coordinators