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AIBU to ask current or former GCSE examiners what happens with illegible handwriting?

183 replies

Hadsuchahardday · 20/05/2026 14:59

My son is currently doing his GCSEs. Although his handwriting is joined and cursive it is truly illegible and no doubt will be worse under time pressure. It is just a series of loops; letters such as a do not join at the top, tall letters are not particularly tall, r veers off at a diagonal. His spelling is also terrible which makes deciphering even harder. We’ve been told that exam papers are scanned and blown up and that different examiners mark each question. If the writing cannot be read, it is passed on to somebody more senior but what happens then? What if 4 people look at it and no one can read it? Will he be marked on what can only be read? He is a bright boy and could verbally answer the questions well, his predicted grades are generally 7-8 with a 6 and 9 for some. Answers from examiners greatly appreciated.

OP posts:
Moveyourbleedingarse · 20/05/2026 15:15

I'm an exams officer. Candidates are usually flagged to senco and asessed for legibility of handwriting and then given a laptop for exams.

If he hasn't been offered a laptop I would be onto school about it.

unicornsarereal72 · 20/05/2026 15:13

My son had this problem. He was assessed through son was given extra time and a scribe. Have a conversation with school. Although if he is sitting them now then it is too late

JumpingPumpkin · 20/05/2026 15:10

I assume that isn't showing whole lines - when writing is tricky to read it's a lot easier once you get your eye in by going over a whole sentence (I occasionally have to read very old documents).

I assume if he's been predicted good grades and not given a scribe or computer to type answers his teacher's must find his writing okay. He will have done mocks before the real ones.

MegMortimer · 20/05/2026 15:07

I'm going back a bit now, but when I used to be an examiner, if you really couldn't decipher the script, you had to send it back to the board. We were told (in those days) that the Board had a special office where people had the job of deciphering the undecipherable.

musicmum75 · 20/05/2026 15:07

My son had this issue and got a reasonable adjustment to type in essay heavy subjects.

VickyEadie · 20/05/2026 15:06

How are his teachers marking his class/homework and test papers? They must be managing in order to give predicted grades, surely?

Hadsuchahardday · 20/05/2026 15:06

Photo example

AIBU to ask current or former GCSE examiners what happens with illegible handwriting?
OP posts:
CreamFirstJamSecond · 20/05/2026 15:05

can he not type?