What should I do for this for A-Level private test centre results?

[kmo0416]

I retook my A-level exams this year.

I did well in the two others (both A-Stars), but for A-Level History there was a problem.

Last year, I did coursework in which I got full marks: 40/40.

I asked the private exam centre I did my A-level resits with whether I could carry this mark foreward as I was retaking History. They said I could.

In fact, when I submitted my application to do my exams with them in February, I was emailed by them saying that they needed a copy of my “Statement of Results” from my original A-Levels (from 2024) so they could carry forward the marks. I don’t know what they trying to do with that - get my ULN number or UCI number or see the mark? Though there is no coursework related mark on the 2024 statement of results or specific breakdown of results - it just has the grade and the raw mark.

Anyway, I sent them an email with a photo of the statement of results, confirming what it was, and they processed my application, sent an invoice and I paid.

Since they allowed me to pay and sit the exams, I thought that they had managed to confirm that they’d be carrying forward my coursework mark (40/40).

Just for the record, A-Level history is marked out of 200 with 160 marks for the exam papers and 40 for the coursework.

On Results Day, I got my results from them and got a B with the raw mark showing as 143/200. Just for the record, an A-Star is 172/200 and an A is 160/200.

I asked for my scripts back and checked the marks for each paper and just on the exam papers alone I achieved 143 marks so 143/160 (as there are only 160 marks for the exam papers - the other 40 come from coursework).

This means they definitely have missed the 40 marks from my coursework.

If you add 40 marks (coursework) to 143 marks (exams), that’s 183 marks so an A-star not a B.

I’m worried that something has gone wrong as the universities I applied to were telling me on UCAS that they could see I got a B in History and the result came out as a B. So, what happened to the coursework?

Would it even have been possible for the exam centre to book me in for an A-level history test without processing any form of coursework given it is a component of the qualification? If not, would the exam board just give me a 0 for it.

Is this too late to solve as apparently there’s a deadline to submit coursework or a deadline to modify exam results on these basis?

Would it be possible for them to add the 40 marks on to my exam results or not?

Would the exam centre know that they didn’t carry forward the marks?

I tried emailing them but they said to wait 3-5 working days.

They might know but realistically carrying forward previous year’s coursework marks, already moderated, would be unusual. It should have been clear from the outset whether the new centre would require it afresh. Are you comparing ums or raw scores? Was it even the same question this year? Do you now have the grades to be accepted for the foundation course?

They literally do allow you to carry forward A-level history coursework from the prior year. The exam board Edexcel states that it allows it and the test centre said so, too. Yes, it was the same exam paper.

Linear A Level (GCE) qualification resit rules

If students are taking the fully linear A Level, they can 'resit' the exams. However they are required to resit all exam components. There may be an exception with to NEA (coursework) components where they can transfer the grade from the previous session. When making the entry, centres will indicate this transfer of grade with the option code T.

Was there an exception for history, did the centre mark it as such? It might be an admin oversight but perhaps it was recorded as a 0 if not.

Well done on your results. Have you had your place confirmed?

But please do not put your plans on hold while waiting for them to reply. You really need to be moving on in the meantime and treat this as a minor detail.

Totally agree with LIZS. The only person your results matter to is you. Everyone else simply sees them as a tick box exercise.

You have so much to look forward to, so please stop looking behind you all the time.

I work in an Exams Team. It is certainly possible to carry forward a coursework mark - we do it for our ex students who return to resit. You need to insist your exams centre looks into this as a matter of urgency. It may be an admin error or oversight on their side or the exam board but it should be fixable

Is it possible to resolve the admin error and carry forward the mark or is it too late?

Contact your test centre and explain the situation & ask them to contact your exam board. Supply any evidence which demonstrates you asked them to carry forward your history marks to your resit. Then sit back and look forward to your place at Cambridge (which I assume is confirmed)

Have you contacted Edexcel directly yourself and copied your college into the email?

Maybe title the email Centre (add code) Error?

Guilt them into supporting you in this.

I would say it isn’t too late. Admin errors can be resolved very quickly at this stage.

I did n’t think candidates could discuss results with the board directly, does they not have to go via the Exams Officer at the centre?

If you missed your offer for uni, you should also contact the university to explain what happened. If you can provide them with the evidence of your scores for the three components, they may be prepared to take you, without waiting for a formal regrade. However as it is now a few days since results, they may now have allocated all available places.

The OP has almost certainly exceeded her offer with the grades she has achieved. It's more for her own peace of mind.

But it isn't so much about the result. It's about a centre error (not submitting the coursework grade) AND that the centre is not helping deal with the error.

I'm not sure if Edexcel will help or not. Just it's worth a try.

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Congratulations on your A-stars, and sorry about the History.
Does it impact your Cambridge Foundation year place?

So what happened @kmo0416 ?

I emailed them on the Results’ Day (14th August) about the Coursework possibly being missing and they didn’t respond.

I then paid them to access my scripts for my two other A-level subjects (just because I was interested in how well I did). But, I paid for a different service for my History exam - I asked for a full-blown priority review of marking with the script as well so it was much more costly.

They sent me an invoice on Friday that I paid and then they sent me the scripts for my other two A-level subjects but not for history.

I assumed this might be because when you ask for a review of marking with your script that they don’t give you the original script; they only give you the scripts after the review has been finished.

Then, randomly on Monday 18th August, they sent my history scripts. I thought this meant that the review of marking had been completed and I saw no change in my marks (to account for the admin error).

This time on the 19th August, I sent an email to their complaints team and they responded quickly to tell me they had logged my complain about the missing coursework and contacted the test centre to tell them. Then, conveniently the test centre emailed me to tell me they had talked to Pearson about this and were conducting an investigation.

They didn’t respond to my email since the 14th August yet as soon I contacted their complaints department, they automatically responded.

Then, on the 21st August, they sent me another email with my A-level history scripts again to tell me that those were my original scripts and that they would contact me again when the review of marking was finished.

I found that confusing as they’d already sent me those scripts on the 18th August and I assumed - maybe incorrectly though I’m not sure - that they don’t give you the original scripts if you have a review of marking.

It’s now the 23rd August and though I’ve emailed them to ask how the investigation with Pearson has been going on, they haven’t responded.

It’s really grating the way they say “Pearson is investigating our query” as though they wouldn’t be fully aware themselves that they hadn’t submitted the coursework or whether they did.

So does your Cambridge place depend upon your B becoming an A or A star? You did really well. I thought the foundation course grades were deliberately lower to give the offer holders the chance they deserve.

I do understand how frustrating it is for you, but presumably they have a lot of other people who are also waiting to find out if their firm or insurance will take them with clearing & other places or next month rapidly disappearing.

I didn’t want to do the foundation year in the first place. I still don’t want to. At this point, I feel like I will just impulsively decline it since it’s stressing me out. I was trying to go through clearing to other universities that I would be okay with and they wanted AAA for certain courses but I couldn’t get in thanks to the exam centre messing up my grades and now those universities have filled all the spaces for clearing.

Should I sue them for causing me to lose all these opportunities?

You're not bringing rational, of course you can't sue them. If you don't want the foundation place then you'll need to reapply next year either with A A A if your review is successful or with AA*B if not.

But it was their negligence which caused me to get the lower grade in the first place that I shouldn’t have got.

But you haven't lost anything, you have a fabulous opportunity in front of you. No university is obliged to give you a place in clearing just because you have met their criteria.

So many people have tried to help you on your multiple threads, but you are seem determined to self sabotage.

I worry that even if you do eventually achieve what you think is your dream, you still won't be satisfied & it will turn into a nightmare. How do you think you will cope writing 3 or 4 essays every week and having them destroyed by your peer group? Are you ready for that? You Cambridge place would help prepare you for that so you can test your own resilience.

Doesn’t matter. Once they sort the coursework admin out you’ll get the A star grade, so there won’t be any negligence. You’re not going to listen though, you’ll decline the Cam place, reapply for Ox, and either not be offered (do you have to do HAT?) or not go next year if you are offered.

The absolute best chance of success is taking the FY place to get your non-academic skills, which you know are desperately lacking because of your ND, up to scratch.

Not taking up Cam will probably mean your life
wont turn out as you want. Sorry but that’s the reality.

Have you actually spoken to any real live Oxford or Cambridge students taking humanities to find out what the reality is? It's brutal & I agree with Titchy's post.