OCR A-Level Exam Timetable 2027: Dates, Start Times, and Contingency Day

The OCR A-level exam timetable for the June 2027 series is final. If you are taking OCR Economics, Biology A, or Chemistry A, the dates below show when each written paper is scheduled and whether it falls in the morning or afternoon. Use the OCR timetable to plan revision, then confirm your own start time with your school or exam center: centers can adjust start times within set limits.

OCR A-level exam dates for June 2027

These entries are for OCR A-level papers, not every A-level exam board or every qualification. The code helps distinguish each paper, so match it against your entry statement as well as the subject name.

OCR lists published starts of 9:00 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. All of these dates fall after UK clocks move forward to British Summer Time on March 28, 2027, as shown on GOV.UK’s 2027 clock-change schedule. These times are UK local time, BST (UTC+01:00): 9:00 a.m. BST is 8:00 a.m. UTC, and 1:30 p.m. BST is 12:30 p.m. UTC. Your center’s confirmed time takes priority if it has made an allowed adjustment.

Download the OCR June 2027 final AS and A-level timetable and check the OCR key dates and timetables page for the latest files. OCR notes on that page that its final spreadsheet includes corrected A-level Drama and Theatre set-text titles and component codes H459/49/50/51.

Plan around the shape of your exam week

The best way to use an A-level exam timetable depends on the papers you are taking. The published dates create different pressure points for different combinations, so a revision plan built around your own paper codes is more useful than a generic subject calendar.

• Economics and Biology A: Monday, June 7 has Economics H460/03 in the morning and Biology A H420/01 in the afternoon. Treat it as a two-exam day: prepare both subjects in advance and confirm your center’s instructions for arrival, breaks, food, and movement between sessions.
• Biology A and Chemistry A: Their papers run from Friday, May 28, through Friday, June 18. Chemistry is always in the morning; Biology alternates between afternoon and morning. Use the gaps to rotate subjects rather than leaving one course untouched until its next paper.
• All three subjects: The papers run from May 10 through June 18, with June 7, June 10, June 14, June 17, and June 18 forming a concentrated final stretch for this subject combination. Build a calendar that includes recovery time after each paper and short review blocks for the next exam.

There is a tradeoff between planning far ahead and leaving room for official details: the final board timetable is the most reliable source for dates and paper codes, while your center is the right source for your actual room, reporting instructions, and any changed start time. Keep both available.

Published start times and center adjustments

OCR’s final timetable sets the standard start times at 9:00 a.m. for morning exams and 1:30 p.m. for afternoon exams. It also allows an exam center to move a start within the same session without notifying OCR. Under the published rules, a morning exam may start from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. BST, and an afternoon exam from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. BST.

These are center-level scheduling limits, not a choice for an individual candidate. If your center changes a published start, it is responsible for informing every candidate affected. Check the latest notice from your school or college rather than assuming the standard time is your personal appointment time. If you have not received a clear notice, ask the exams officer to confirm the date, start time, and arrival time in writing.

Keep June 23, 2027, free for contingency sessions

OCR designates both the morning and afternoon of Wednesday, June 23, 2027, as contingency sessions. Awarding bodies reserve these sessions for national or significant local disruption that affects examinations. Centers must remind candidates to remain available through Wednesday, June 23, in case the contingency plan is invoked.

For candidates, the practical choice is simple: avoid making plans that prevent you from attending an exam on that date until the examination period and your center’s instructions are complete. The contingency date is part of the published exam system plan; it is not listed as an extra paper for a particular subject.

How to confirm your personal timetable

1. Match the paper code. Compare your entry statement with the OCR PDF and spreadsheet; do not rely on the subject name alone.
2. Check for the latest file. OCR marks changes from provisional schedules in the final files. Drama and Theatre candidates should pay particular attention to the corrected set-text titles and component codes noted by OCR.
3. Confirm center details. Use your school or college’s candidate timetable or contact its exams officer for any adjusted start, room, reporting time, or clash arrangement.
4. Block the contingency date. Keep Wednesday, June 23, available until your center confirms that the exam period has ended without the contingency plan being used.

For international readers, the board timetable’s session labels refer to the exam center’s UK schedule. On May 10, 2027, the morning session’s published 9:00 a.m. BST start corresponds to 8:00 a.m. UTC; candidates should follow the time confirmed by their own center.