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Original poster

A level re mark

57 replies

AngelsWithSilverWings · 16/08/2024 08:49

Wondering if anyone has any experience of getting papers reviewed.

DS got disappointing grades yesterday but luckily is still able to take up his Uni place.

I noticed that in Economics he was 1 mark off a higher grade , politics 4 grades and geography 4 grades.

It's going to cost a small fortune to get these all reviewed so I'm thinking we should just look at the economics one and am also wondering if we should bother at all paying for a review of a multi choice paper?

Any advice will be gratefully received.

Even though he has his Uni place he is worried that the lower grades will hold him back when job seeking.

OP posts:
TheFallenMadonna · 16/08/2024 08:54

My son had his history paper reviewed even though he got into his first choice because he was going to do history and it mattered to him. He was 2 marks from the boundary. You can get the papers reviewed one at a time, which I suggested because marks can go down as well as up. He gained 5 marks in the review, and got the higher grade. Some subjects (especially with essays) are just very variable with their marking.

LottieMary · 16/08/2024 09:06

Ok, few thoughts - just check carefully HE wants them reviewed and this is all coming from a really supportive place; I’m sure you’ll feel that but it does have to be driven by his feelings about it

they’re reviews to check the mark scheme has been applied appropriately. Probably less likely to find a difference in multiple choice than something History or Politics which is a more holisitic interpretive markscheme. (I’m English and marks change all the time)

do you mean grades or marks?! If it’s grades then check with his teachers that the questions have all been marked - I had a student last year whose second essay was missed so got a C then went up to an A* as it actually received full marks.

you don’t have to do them all at once; if it’s about improving his grades overall (and you meant marks) then do one at a time or however many you can stomach paying for and then send another if one comes back. You get money back if grade changes. The deadline is early September iirc.

CitizenZ · 16/08/2024 09:29

Shame that students from poor families can't afford to buy higher grades.

He's got his place, why do you feel the need to pay to improve on the grades he has achieved. It sends a bad message to your son.

Original poster
AngelsWithSilverWings · 16/08/2024 09:46

@CitizenZ this is coming from him. He got into uni by the skin of his teeth as he qualifies for contextual offers due to having been adopted from the care system. He has had many struggles in his life which have held him back but he is a very bright kid. I won't go into all that here but I'm sure you can imagine and this is not a case of a spoiled rich kid trying to buy advantage.

The reason he wants to see if he can go up to the next grade is that he is worried that if Uni does not work out for him ) which is possible due to his mental health and other issues ) he will have to apply for jobs with underwhelming A level grades.

OP posts:
mumonthehill · 16/08/2024 09:49

I think it is always a risk and I agree with others if he has got a place at uni that he wants then might not be worth it. Having said that ds had an unconditional offer a few years ago and was 2 marks off an A in geography and did choose to get it remarked and got his A. He needed to do it for his own peace of mind.

tennissquare · 16/08/2024 09:49

Look in the Higher Education section of MN and the Facebook page, WIWIKAU, there are endless posts on marking reviews / remarks.
Congrats to your ds on his place, as
your request won't be priority you have quite a bit of time to make the decision and his teacher can review the paper for free first of all. Speak to the school.

Original poster
AngelsWithSilverWings · 16/08/2024 09:49

@LottieMary thanks - I'm not I've understood the difference re marks/grades

From the info we have and the grade boundaries we know that had he scored one mark more in one of his Economics papers he would have got a C instead of D.

OP posts:
Butterflyfern · 16/08/2024 09:50

What career does he want to go into? Some MNers may be able to help with whether A-levels actually matter for entry level to his career. That way you can decide whether it's worth the cost.

I went into engineering (approx 15yrs ago though) and no one's ever asked for my A-level results since I got my degree).

Butterflyfern · 16/08/2024 09:51

Or indeed whether moving from a D to a C really would matter for anything other than pride

Original poster
AngelsWithSilverWings · 16/08/2024 09:51

@tennissquare oh so the school can look at it first without me having to pay for a full review? I think that's much cheaper so I'll ask the school about that first. That's really useful thank you

OP posts:
40andlovelife · 16/08/2024 09:52

CitizenZ · 16/08/2024 09:29

Shame that students from poor families can't afford to buy higher grades.

He's got his place, why do you feel the need to pay to improve on the grades he has achieved. It sends a bad message to your son.

As an ex teacher and now working for a huge exam board this is a bad take.

Examiners are human and make mistakes. It's entirely possible that the candidate deserves a higher grade.

OP I would get the remark only when within 3 marks of the boundary, otherwise you risk the grade going down

MrsHamlet · 16/08/2024 09:53

I'm a teacher and examiner. I would recommend first getting the scripts back and asking his teachers to cast their eye over them to see if there's any point in paying for a review. It's expensive, and the reviewer isn't looking for more marks to give.

I've already had some scripts back, and whilst I'd love to say they should be reviewed to get higher grades, the marking is totally reasonable.

Original poster
AngelsWithSilverWings · 16/08/2024 09:56

@Butterflyfern that's a good point. He wants to get a job in accounting , finance , banking i
or insurance. He narrowly missed out on a great accounting apprenticeship with a top firm but I think his grades would have put paid to that even if he had succeeded at the final stage interview.

OP posts:
tennissquare · 16/08/2024 10:01

@AngelsWithSilverWings , yes it's all done through the school anyway. The school will be focusing on the priority remarks for students who have uni places waiting on a grade increase but see if you can ask the teacher to have a look at the papers for you.

Original poster
AngelsWithSilverWings · 16/08/2024 10:11

@tennissquare thanks so much. I have just had a chat with the school office a they were really helpful and are making an appointment for me to discuss options on Monday.

OP posts:
Original poster
AngelsWithSilverWings · 16/08/2024 10:39

@CitizenZ your comment has really bothered me so I have more to say in response. I came and asked here for help and you replied by offering nothing but a snide comment about buying privilege.

For your info I have spent all the time since becoming DS's mum attempting to make up for and battling against the huge disadvantages he has faced since he was born into the care system He was on the at risk register as a unborn child and his life has been bloody tough. Adoption isn't a magic wand that made all of his troubles go away. I'm incredibly proud of him and just want to make sure his life is not held back anymore than he has already and will help him with anything he needs and that includes "buying him better grades" if that's how you insist on seeing it.

OP posts:
Marcipex · 16/08/2024 10:56

My sister had a paper re-marked years ago, although our head told her not to bother and to accept that she had failed.
Her grade went from an E to an A. Someone had transcribed 79 as 19 iirc.

Oblomov24 · 16/08/2024 11:33

I disagree with most. I think asking teacher to review is not a big issue at all. I also disagree with D to C being only pride, it's not, it's the differences of a pass.

I'd definitely ask teacher to review. Then I'd pay for an official remark depending of what teacher says. If you can afford it.

Oblomov24 · 16/08/2024 11:35

Pre the Monday meeting. I'd get ds to email all the teachers now, and ask for them to review. Sew the seed today, Friday, pre the weekend. Be proactive!

Oblomov24 · 16/08/2024 11:37

What was the apprenticeship op? Ds1 applied to PwC, ey, Deloitte, BDO plus others. Are you sure it's not worth contacting them again. I would do!

MrsHamlet · 16/08/2024 11:38

Oblomov24 · 16/08/2024 11:35

Pre the Monday meeting. I'd get ds to email all the teachers now, and ask for them to review. Sew the seed today, Friday, pre the weekend. Be proactive!

No point asking teachers to look at anything until the candidate has the scripts.

The first job is for the candidate to request the scripts back from the boards.

WonderingWanda · 16/08/2024 11:40

Definitely get the teachers to look at the scrips and also look at the mark breakdown. I have a student who missed a grade by 2 marks but it's her NEA which brought her mark down and I don't think a remark of her papers will help.

Beth216 · 16/08/2024 12:07

CitizenZ · 16/08/2024 09:29

Shame that students from poor families can't afford to buy higher grades.

He's got his place, why do you feel the need to pay to improve on the grades he has achieved. It sends a bad message to your son.

She's not buying him a higher grade. She's having to pay to be sure he was fairly graded.

If you think it's unfair that you have to pay for that, and unfair that there are inconsistencies in marking, then be angry with the system. A mother with a child adopted from care, trying to do the best for him is not the person to be taking that out on.

Original poster
AngelsWithSilverWings · 16/08/2024 12:48

@Oblomov24 it was EY. He got all the way through to final partner interview so did really well. He can't re apply for 6 months. He didn't get as far with some of the others and missed last year's application deadlines for PWC and BDO and some of the other big ones due to not wanting to apply until he had his mock results. He was hoping to apply for those this year but is now worried that his grades won't be good enough. He will be happy with a smaller firm as he has realised he may have to lower the bar.

OP posts:
Dahlietta · 16/08/2024 17:48

Don’t forget that it doesn’t need to be the paper which was closest to the boundary that you get remarked. The grade for the qualification is worked out on total number of marks, so the multiple choice might not be the one to get remarked even if it’s the one that is closest to a grade boundary in itself. A couple of marks on any of the papers would do the job.