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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To wonder whether a GCSE remark can go down as well as up?

36 replies

WhatIsThisPlease · 27/08/2022 07:30

Sorry, posting here for traffic really.

Has anyone ever had a grade go down after having a paper remarked?

DD was one mark off a grade 7 in combined science and school have said we should get it reviewed/remarked to see if they can find an extra mark.

DD (via the medium of TikTok) has decided there's a chance she could lose marks and end up with a grade 5.

She'd have to lose 17 marks for this to happen.

Has anyone ever experienced this? Is it very likely? Wondering whether to just stick with the 6.

OP posts:
percypig · 27/08/2022 07:32

It can go down as well as up, but this is far less likely.

ZooMount · 27/08/2022 07:32

There's no way she is going to lose 17 marks! They'd have to get everyone's back and remark if there was that much of a difference. I'd get it remarked if it's so close to a 7.

PotteringAlonggotkickedoutandhadtoreregister · 27/08/2022 07:34

Also, it’s not a matter of “finding an extra mark” - the review of the marking is to deem it has been fairly marked. If it has, it won’t get remarked, even if the reviewer would have given it a higher mark.

you only get a full remark if it has judged to be unfair. And yes, at that point it could go down as well as up.

Undertheoldlindentree · 27/08/2022 07:49

This is interesting, I'm sure when the arrangements for the 2022 exams were published there was something to say anyone so close to a grade boundary would be lifted to the next grade.

Verbena87 · 27/08/2022 07:52

It can go down, but she wouldn’t lose 17 marks unless there’s been a major issue with the marking, in which case the whole cohort may need re-marking.

hagelslaagfiend · 27/08/2022 07:53

We asked about this at sixth form meeting yesterday. It put DD off requesting a re-mark for History (was 3 off a predicted 9). I would think highly unlikely you'd go down a band if close to the upper boundary.

Nellodee · 27/08/2022 08:08

My school used to send papers for remark if they were within 3 marks of the boundary. About a quarter to a third went up, none ever went down in my 13 years of teaching. I’m not saying it’s impossible, but the chances of it happening are minuscule.
Does getting a seven affect her a level choices? If she wants to do a science next year, and needs a seven, go for a remark. If she wants to do a science but only needs a 6, why bother?
If she doesn’t plan on taking a subject that requires a higher grade, then it’s not really important - once you get your next level of results, individual gcse results won’t affect anything anyway.

LaLoba · 27/08/2022 08:12

ZooMount · 27/08/2022 07:32

There's no way she is going to lose 17 marks! They'd have to get everyone's back and remark if there was that much of a difference. I'd get it remarked if it's so close to a 7.

It’s been over 10 years since I worked in exams, but they wouldn’t need to re mark all the papers, they’d just need to remark that particular examiner’s marking - and they did. If inaccurate marking shows up, they check all that marker’s work.

Oblomov22 · 27/08/2022 08:16

Oh come on! I can't get over the fact people really need to ask. Yes on the very rare occasion your points can actually go down, but most likely they go up and if you're only 1 point away it's surely worth a review. you have very little to lose. 17 marks down to a 5? Highly unlikely.

Dancingintherain19 · 27/08/2022 08:18

My son’s GCSE went down one mark on remark.

Dancingintherain19 · 27/08/2022 08:18

Sorry meant GCSE German went down one mark.

yotyot · 27/08/2022 08:23

Your daughter can first request copies of her exam scripts via school. She can show them to her teacher who would advise whether it is worth getting a review of marking or whether there is any risk involved. Copies of scripts are free from AQA and Pearson (although the school might charge a small admin fee).

PupInAPram · 27/08/2022 08:25

Undertheoldlindentree · 27/08/2022 07:49

This is interesting, I'm sure when the arrangements for the 2022 exams were published there was something to say anyone so close to a grade boundary would be lifted to the next grade.

No, there wasn't. Could you have misunderstood?

lanthanum · 27/08/2022 08:25

Undertheoldlindentree · 27/08/2022 07:49

This is interesting, I'm sure when the arrangements for the 2022 exams were published there was something to say anyone so close to a grade boundary would be lifted to the next grade.

But in that case, the grade boundary would effectively have been reduced by 1.

Walkley18 · 27/08/2022 08:29

Yes. My daughter's gcse double science, 4 marks off a pass, which would have meant two extra gcses (year pre covid), re-marked, went down by 5 or so marks, felt even more rubbish.

sparepantsandtoothbrush · 27/08/2022 08:35

Does she need a 7 for any particular reason? The only circumstances I'd bother getting a remark is if they were a few marks off a grade they actually needed to move on to post-gcse courses

TheOnlyLivingBoyInNewCross · 27/08/2022 08:53

It is worth asking for a review of the marking although they won’t be looking to ‘find an extra mark’. If the review determines that the original examiner applied the mark scheme incorrectly, the marks will be changed (either up or down). The best chance of getting the extra mark in a science subject is if the review finds that the original examiner marked a question incorrectly (so say DD put ‘heart’ which was the correct answer but the examiner marked is as incorrect in error).But if Examiner Smith gave a long essay-type answer 17/20 and Examiner Jones would have given it 18/20 as a matter of subjective opinion, the mark won’t change because the original examiner was within tolerance.

TwinkleToesStrikesAgain · 27/08/2022 09:58

Do you need to push for this as the parent or does the school do it? DS is one mark off an 8 doesn't need at 8 in this subject and he doesn't want to ask for a review (he's pissed that someone might think that a 7 isn't good enough).

I don't want to be that parent who won't accept their kid's ability.

caringcarer · 27/08/2022 10:02

I used to advise my students if they were within 3 marks of a higher grade boundary it was worth a remark. About 35 percent went up. None went down a grade although an odd script went down 1 or 2 marks but kept same grade

denvi · 27/08/2022 10:07

Definitely put in for a remark if they are only one mark off the next grade. It may well go up. Highly unlikely it will go down 17 marks! What do you have to lose?

VerifiedBot2351 · 27/08/2022 10:15

Yes it can. We sent a paper back for re-marking a few years ago. The student was expecting to get a six, and had got a five. The re-mark came back at a four.

VBF · 27/08/2022 10:21

Techer here- it can and does go down. A remark just sends the whole paper to be double checked but I have seen it go down more or stay more times than go up. If she doesn't need the next grade I would leave it, if she does I would risk it. Unlikely to drop to a 5 but I have seen people go down a grade, more often it is only a few marks but I advise all mine (maybe wrongly) if you have the grade you want and you need for the next step in journey then don't worry too much.

Pantoufle23 · 27/08/2022 11:23

Also wondering - 1 mark off a 9 in Maths. 28 marks to lower grade boundary. Doesn’t need a 9 but obviously she’d like one given how close it is. Not yet asked school but they haven’t mentioned it. Thoughts?

Pantoufle23 · 27/08/2022 11:25

Sorry meant to add, i think the teacher can look at papers first to decide if any worth remarking? Though of course I realise that’s additional work for them.

BadGranny · 27/08/2022 11:27

As long as the grade isn’t essential to progress to A level, I suggest you give your DC the £40 or so that a review of marking would cost, and give them the choice to pay for a review or use the money for something else.