GRADING THE GRADERS
MORE EXAM RESULTS THAN EVER BEFORE ARE BEING SUCCESSFULLY CHALLENGED BY PUPILS
MORE summer exam marks than ever before were successfully challenged last year. A total of 90,085 GCSE and A-Level results across England and Wales were changed to a higher grade following complaints from the candidate.
The majority of those were at GCSE level, where there was a huge rise in successful challenges.
Some 75,085 GCSEs were re-graded on appeal in 2017, compared to 49,305 the previous year.
There were 15,000 successful challenges against A-Level grades, roughly the same as in 2016 when there were 15,100.
Anyone who receives a mark they feel does not represent their performance is eligible to apply for a remark or a review of marking.
The results are published by the Office of Qualifications and Exam Regulation (Ofqual).
The majority of challenges do not result in a mark being changed.
In fact, in 550 cases a GCSE challenge resulted in the mark being lowered.
Most reviews are categorised as “non-urgent”, meaning the candidate’s academic future does not depend on the result. Urgent reviews can happen, for example, when someone has missed out on a university place because they failed to achieve the required grades. Only 195 successful GCSEs challenges were classed as urgent last year, compared to 1,525 A-Level challenges. Administrative errors accounted for 15 GCSE marks and 15 A-Level marks being changed. English Literature had the most A-Level grade changes (1,395) followed by Biology (1,340) and Art and Design subjects (1,315).
Despite having the most grades challenged (6,650), History marks were changed just 1,125 times.
Maths A-Level marks were changed 790 times.
English Language was the most commonly changed GCSE grade, with 26,395 students getting a higher mark on appeal.
That was twice as many successful challenges as for the second highest subject: English Literature, with 10,570 re-grades.
Maths GCSE results were changed 6,080 times, Geography results 3,235 times and History 2,820 times. Sally Collier, chief regulator of Ofqual, said: “From our initial analysis, it appears that some of the exam boards have not done enough to change old practices and meet our new rules around reviews of marking. “We expect all exam boards to comply with our rules at all times. We are currently looking at where more could and should be done and will consider what form of regulatory action may be appropriate.”