Poland in the UK

Polish language GCSE exams can be taken at one of two levels – the foundation tier and the higher tier. They differ in the degree of difficulty and the way they are graded. A candidate must take all four components of the Polish language exams at the same level, i.e. all at the foundation or all at the higher tier.

When enrolling a child for an exam, in addition to basic personal information for verification processes, the exam centre may also ask about:

• Exam type – GCSE,
• The name of the exam board – AQA,
• Specification number – 8688,
• Specification number for the foundation tier – 8688/F,
• Specification number for the higher tier – 8688/H,
• UCI number.

The exam centre assigns a UCI (Unique Candidate Identifier) number, an individual identification number, to all those taking GCSE level exams. The UCI number helps exam boards and educational institutions accurately identify candidates along their exam path. It ensures that scores, coursework, and a history of marks earned are correctly assigned to the correct individuals and helps maintain the integrity and security of the examination process. Each candidate receives a UCI number when registering for the exams through their school or educational institution.

If a child takes an exam at a centre that is also his or her school, the school provides the UCI number. If a child enrols in an exam outside of his or her lead school, the assigned UCI number should be given to the new centre or a new number should be requested. It is important to inform educational institutions about the status of the UCI number to avoid assigning two numbers, which could make it difficult to collect the child's results in the right place.