Page 2 | To wonder whether a GCSE remark can go down as well as up?

WhatIsThisPlease · 2022-08-27T06:30:56+00:00

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.

Addicted2LuvIsland · 27/08/2022 11:37

Or she could just accept her mark. Somes you win sometimes you lose, even if it is by a small amount. I wouldn't be too worried about GCSE's. A levels yes - esp if there was a conditional offer.

Original poster

WhatIsThisPlease · 27/08/2022 11:56

Thanks everyone for all the replies.

I was of the "what have you got to lose" attitude and was very much prepared to send it back. But some of these stories have put me off and now I'm wondering whether to bother. She doesn't need a 7, we just thought it would be nice to go from 6/6 to potentially 7/7.

It's school who are pushing for the remark. We didn't even know what her mark was until her teacher rang and told her. She wishes he hadn't bothered!!

OP posts:

TwinkleToesStrikesAgain · 27/08/2022 11:56

The subject DS is one mark off an 8 is art which was teacher assessed this year (the exam was removed from the final assessment). Is it still worth asking for a remark? The school hasn't said anything (and I'm assuming it's closed now until term restarts - DS will be going to a different college for 6th form).

TheOnlyLivingBoyInNewCross · 27/08/2022 12:21

TwinkleToesStrikesAgain · 27/08/2022 11:56

The subject DS is one mark off an 8 is art which was teacher assessed this year (the exam was removed from the final assessment). Is it still worth asking for a remark? The school hasn't said anything (and I'm assuming it's closed now until term restarts - DS will be going to a different college for 6th form).

Not an art teacher but I would think, based on how it was done in our school, that the art portfolios would have been marked by the teacher and then moderated by the exam board. Generally, if a teacher wants to appeal an NEA mark, they have to appeal the whole cohort, not just individual students, and to do that they have to get permission from each individual. Moreover, the teacher is only likely to want to appeal if their marks were adjusted down by the moderator - was that the case?

In my subject, for example, the NEA was marked by class teachers, moderated by the department and our marks upheld by the board. So I am not going to appeal them as I would be saying that I wanted to appeal my own marking and the moderation process we did as a department, believing it to be wrong despite the board upholding it, which would be ridiculous!

When we mark the coursework, we have no idea what the final grade boundaries will be - it’s just bad luck that your DS’s portfolio ended up being on the wrong side of the 8 but his art teacher would have had no knowledge of that when marking it.

balalake · 27/08/2022 12:35

Good that it does not affect A level or other sixth form choices. I'd be concerned at why the school is pushing for this, whether there is some agenda they have.

sparepantsandtoothbrush · 27/08/2022 12:42

balalake · 27/08/2022 12:35

Good that it does not affect A level or other sixth form choices. I'd be concerned at why the school is pushing for this, whether there is some agenda they have.

Well quite. It'll look good on their stats won't it. I imagine they've been through all the papers and made this suggestion to anyone a couple of marks off a grade higher. It's not them having to fork out though is it!

As I said before, if they have what they need then it just seems such a pointless waste of money

Momo2403 · 27/08/2022 12:44

If it is one mark off the next grade boundary definitely worth putting in for a remark. There is a risk it could go down but it is highly unlikely that it would impact on the grade overall. If you are still worried ask for the paper to be reviewed first. I don’t think the school have an agenda, they will just want the student to get the best grade possible.

Frazzled2207 · 27/08/2022 12:46

Theoretically yes but not if she was one mark off a 7

mushroom3 · 06/09/2022 10:19

Teachers can request to look at the scripts. You should check whether the subject teacher has looked at the scripts. The school has applied for review of marks for one of my son's English Lit and one of his English Lang papers and I think this is on the back of their view of the scripts as they are not doing it for his friend who got the same marks. For my older children a subject went up 2 marks and a grade on a review and we've had 2 no movements. This was before teachers could request and access the scripts for GCSEs.

Bristolparent123 · 06/09/2022 16:04

I suppose it depends what your kids goals are , for example if they want to study medicine at cardiff then gcse grades are taken into account , ( see below ) if you are 1 mark off an 8 , in this case, then best to go for a remark in my opinion , as you’ll get an extra “point “which may make all the difference if you don’t do so well at a level .

GCSEs

9, 8, A* = 3 points

7, A = 2 points

6, B = 1 point

A-level

A* = 3 points

A = 2 points

The cut-off score for interview varies each year as it will depend on the competitiveness of all the applications.

Degree (minimum GCSE and A-level grades required)

27 points in total

The maximum points you can achieve are 27. The cut-off score for interview varies each year as it will depend on the competitiveness of all the applications

Bristolparent123 · 06/09/2022 17:17