I’ve been let down by bad marking in exams
AS THOUSANDS of teenagers prepare for life beyond secondary school, in sixth form or college or on an apprenticeship, some are trapped in limbo, feeling a mixture of anger, incredulity and selfdoubt. This is the world of the ‘re-mark’. I was disappointed to have achieved As in GCSE English language and literature and sociology. I don’t wish to sound ungrateful or disparaging to those who struggle with these subjects (some resitting English language until the all-important C grade is achieved), but I was shocked not to have gained A*s. These subjects have long come naturally to me, but I’ve still devoted pretty much every second I’ve had over the past two years to obtaining the top grades. I wasn’t complacent; I dedicated days to revising key quotes and answering exam-style questions. No spare moment which could have made the difference between achieving an A or an A* was wasted. With fewer jobs available and a recession constantly threatening, my generation has to work harder than ever to stand a chance of gaining opportunities which, for my parents, were in abundance. When I sat the exams, I felt confident I’d answered the questions as required, in the way recommended by my teachers — now I’m faced with having to apply for re-marks. And I’m far from alone in the re-marking hiatus. A good friend missed out on an A in sociology and is now applying for a remark. She answered all the questions as recommended by our teacher, who has close links with the sociology examiners. Online student forums feature huge numbers of people complaining about achieving much lower grades than they expected, stopping some being accepted for their preferred A-level course. Having been worried sick about my results all summer, I’m dreading the return of results stress. This experience highlights the growing crisis of too few examiners available to mark papers. Examiners are only human and can easily make mistakes. The Government should realise that making changes to the exam system is unwise when exam boards are unprepared for them and make mistakes which may have a significant impact on pupils’ future.
CHLOE BREWSTER, Grantham, Lincs.