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Education

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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:

toobusytothink · 19/08/2024 17:47

Not heard back re economics paper 3 yet though

Original poster

AngelsWithSilverWings · 19/08/2024 18:21

@toobusytothink that's fantastic news.We have gone for non priority so it could take up to 20 days to hear back.

OP posts:

lindaandrews · 26/08/2024 23:52

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.

How exactly does this work for subjects like English or History?

For essay subjects, “marked appropriately” is subjective. One person might mark an essay which was out of 20 marks at 18 and another might mark it at 19.

If a review happened, the reviewer may think 18 was “appropriate” and let it stand, when in reality, if they independently remarked it without looking at the previous marking, they could get to 19.

But even if through a review the reviewer thought that 19 marks was more appropriate than 18 marks, would they probably keep it at 18 since it is reasonable and not that far off what they thought.

Am I right in this?

lindaandrews · 27/08/2024 00:02

Okayornot · 27/08/2024 11:55

I think you are right, but there is a difference between the example you have given, when a degree of subjectivity is probably ok, and one where the marks awarded either don't reflect the mark scheme properly or the marker has missed the point(s) a student is making or where the grade they have applied is out of step with what the board wants.

The mark scheme for AQA English Lit splits answers into 5 categories with descriptions like "perceptive" (an answer in this band might get between 20 and 25 marks) or "straightforward" (which will get you 10-15 marks). It is possible that an examiner might put an answer in the wrong bucket, or give a grade at the bottom for that category which really ought to be in the top. They are very pressed for time and will have varied experience both in teaching and in marking, so mistakes can happen.

MrsHamlet · 27/08/2024 12:18

If a review happened, the reviewer may think 18 was “appropriate” and let it stand, when in reality, if they independently remarked it without looking at the previous marking, they could get to 19

OFQUAL removed remarks for exactly this reason. 18 and 19 are potentially both reasonable marks - if everything that was remarked was given another mark, that would disadvantage the candidates who didn't pay for remarking. Reviewing means that only unreasonable marks change.

lindaandrews · 28/08/2024 20:19

But surely that applicant would be disadvantaged as if they had had a different examiner they could have had an extra mark in the first place and thus potentially a higher grade.

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