Blue ink not black!!

[GCSEquery]

Reposted from AIBU:

Can anyone tell me a GCSE controlled assessment will still be marked if a student inadvertently completed it in blue ink instead of black?

My son has apparently done this in his history assessment, and the teacher has left me a message that he wants to talk to me. DS thinks he will receive no marks and that the paper wont be put forward.

Is this likely? He was expecting an A or A*.

I'd like to be prepared for the conversation. I know DS should have read the instructions more thoroughly, and i reaslise that the papers scan less well in blue ink, but surely it isnt the end of the world?

WIBU to think that it is too much to disqualify a paper over it (if they do!), and that in any case the invigilator should have spotted it in class?

I don't think this is a problem, There's nothing on my CA paperwork that specifies pen colour but we always say blue or black - unless he used a friction pen (the rub out ones) as they don't scan well?

Right, I just had a quick read through of my AQA CA guidelines. The generic instructions specify black ink but after ten years of teaching I have never had any problems with submitted work written in blue. As long as it's not a gel pen, frixion pen or pencil I would say it's fine. Perhaps the history teacher wants to talk about something else!

Interesting, I didn't know friction pens didn't scan well. I do all my controlled assessment marking in them. Wonder if it matters?

Sorry to hijack!

olivo I think I read on here once that friction pen ink can fade in heat, hence not working well in scanners, and also being a bit iffy if you leave exam papers in a hot car. No personal knowledge on this though.

If a pupil uses blue ink rather than black and if it does not scan properly, then the script itself is marked. So actually it doesn't matter really.

Thanks for your replies.

He says the teacher used it as an example at the start of class- when he read out all of the students marks, and didn't say anything to him afterwards.

So I'll wait till tomorrow to see what he has to say.

It is a problem to the exam board because it takes so much longer to mark. However it is likely still to be marked, as the exam board actually does want everyone to get the grade they deserve. In theory , they are not obliged to mark it, and may not have enough markers if a lot of people have written in the wrong colour. In practice I have never known this happen. However, it is never a good idea to ignore exam board instructions, at the very least you get an annoyed examiner, not in any one's interest.

HI all

AS I said at the beginning of the thread, this was a repaste from AIBU.
That thread did in the event take off, so I wont post of this one again.

The other one is here:

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/2098998-GCSE-Controlled-assessment-cock-up?msgid=47497659#47497659

But if you cant be bothered, and wanted to know the outcome, it was (as posted on other thread) :

Hi

Spoke with teacher this morning. Apparently he had been trying to teach DS and the rest of the class a lesson, and had intended to catch DS at the end of the lesson to say he wouldnt fail the assessment in practice. Events at the end of the lesson meant that this didnt happen, and he had been trying to contact me so I could let DS know.

In any case DS may have to retake, he said, since he got 15 out of 20, and depending on the outcome of the next assessment, he may not meet his
high target with that grade. I ended up feeling quite sorry for both of them!

Oh well, all's well that ends well!

Thanks to everyone for your quick input last night