To not believe my friend about DDs GCSE's...

[adhominemhaterr]

My friends daughter sat her first two maths GCSE papers (one last month and one yesterday).
After the first exam, she texted me asking about my daughters maths exam, she's claiming her DD was given an AQA paper when the school they're at only offers edexcel.
She also says her DD was given lots of questions based on topics she hadn't studied for.
Is there any way her DD could've been given an AQA paper by mistake? Surely this would have been noticed?
My DD definitely did an Edexcel paper, not AQA....

I can't help but think she is lying about this. Why would the school order one AQA paper by mistake when the exam boards are completely separate!?
She is now writing a complaint!

Why are you friends with a drama loving compulsive liar who delights in vexatious complaints? She sounds hard work!

Girl did badly - not surprising if she doesn't attend lessons and doesn't do the work - so either she or her mum have made up a reason why she failed to get a good grade (or why she failed completely) when the time comes.

Why on earth would a friend lie to you? Idiotic.

@WhaleofaThyme
The purpose of this thread was not to have a bitch and a moan about my friend, I wanted find out whether or not her DD could have been given the wrong paper by mistake.

Lots of mumsnet users seem to know and understand how exam boards work, I don't, I wrote my post as I wanted to hear from people with experience and knowledge when it comes to this sort of thing.
The responses have clarified my scepticism, they haven't made me dislike my friend.
Please don't go anywhere near the AIBU section, you'll just wind yourself up ;).

Haven't RTFT. Until a few days ago I would have believed a story such as you were told to be impossible. However, I have since heard of some serious cock ups/ potential exam fraud happening at a local school, and I wouldn't be surprised if it were true, especially if the school uses different boards for different level exams (I am pretty sure there are still different tiers for maths this year). Also, once a pupil has opened the paper, they have to do that particular paper, irrespective of whether it's the right one or not - it's simply against the rules to switch them.

My ds took an edxcel exam but aqa rings a bell. Is it not the same thing?

@Branleuse At DD's school half the year studied MacBeth and the other half did Romeo and Juliet. No idea if it was different papers or just one paper with the choice of questions though.

I know a mum like this; she is constantly trying to justify why her dc don't get top marks. It is always the schools fault and usually has some sort of far fetched drama story to boot. Just nod and agree OP.

Monty27 no they are different exam boards with different papers and specifications for each subject. There are 5 possible exam boards in England. Schools may do different exam boards for different subjects.

sweeney it's exactly the same paper but there are a range of text choices for each element. Some students do get confused and do texts they haven't studied though.

They don't have to do the one in front of them if it's wrong Puffin, that's nonsense

There is always the opportunity to tell the invigilators they have the wrong paper. They wouldn't have to just sit there and do it. Mistakes can happen but there are checks all along the way with the final say going to the student.

It’s rubbish. I have a friend like this too. You can’t believe a word she says. She is quite good fun or I wouldn’t be friends with her but I never ever believe anything she tells me!

@Anasnake, they do once they've opened the paper. So if they don't speak out on time, they can end up doing the wrong paper. Unlikely, as they will have been asked to check it's the right paper before opening it, but not technically impossible.

DD is defo lying here.

Your friend is going to look like a wally once the school comes back to her.

Puffin - I've been a teacher and GCSE examiner for over 20 years. If they open a paper and realise it's the wrong one or they've been given the wrong tier they are not forced to do it.

@adhominemhaterr Oh, I am not wound up at all... I was just pointing out why I think you are being unreasonable, it is AIBU after all.

There have been situations in the past where my friend has told me about a something and it has turned out to be a complete lie, she loves drama so jumps at the chance to write a complaint.

If that's not being bitchy, then I really am not sure what is. Perhaps it's time you distance yourself from this "friend" as you call her, it would probably be good for both of your sake's.

Nah I would call bullshit on that one. A whole cohort getting the wrong paper is feasible (I would say - as a head of department it's my worst nightmare) but to get one wrong is unfeasible. I would have to go out of my way to deliberately mess that up.

Puffin - I am an invigilator- it is dimply not correct thst once they open the paper they have to do it.

When I was at school we were given an exam paper on Romeo and Juliet when the curriculum
had been A Midsummer Night’s Dream!

Puffin - I agree with Anasnake - they are not forced to sit it. That is definitely not in the Regs.

Edexcel Maths GCSE has 2 tiers Higher and Foundation.

Papers never have candidate names or numbers printed on them. In fact Exams Staff are limited in what they can write on the front eg they can make a candidate number clear but must initial it and a second person initial it too.

Exam papers arrive a few weeks before and are generally in packets of 5 or 20. They must only be opened after being checked by 2 people that it is the correct packet for that day's exam.

OK, maybe I'm wrong, but this is what I was told by two heads of department at my school. Once you've seen what's on the paper, they're not allowed to give you a different one. I really don't want to get into an AIBU discussion about it, so I'm leaving this thread now.

*Well, it will be easy enough to get a copy of the paper at a later date

Forums like thestudentroom will be full of the papers by now*
No, I meant that particular student's script

“Also, once a pupil has opened the paper, they have to do that particular paper, irrespective of whether it's the right one or not - it's simply against the rules to switch them.”

Absolutely not true.

Puffin - you are partly correct. You would not be able to leave the exam room until 1 hour after the published start time as that could compromise the paper. But you could be given the correct paper.

My whole year got given the wrong English Literature exam paper. It was on a book that we hadn't read at all! We had to wait around for hours with no contact with anyone until our exam paper could get faxed through and copied.

Yes it's more likely that a whole cohort will get the wrong paper or a teacher might teach an old spec and then they get a paper on the new spec, but one pupil getting the wrong paper is unlikely. If they do get a higher paper rather than the foundation they need to say as soon as they get the paper. It would have taken one minute to check and for her to be given the correct paper.