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Original poster

GCSE remark - worth it?

84 replies

ClareDeLune · 20/08/2015 13:15

DS has calculated that he is 10 UMS points off the next highest mark in one of his exams (taking into account each of the three modules). He's also calculated that he's 2 UMS points off another one, in one module, that would take him into the next mark bracket.

Worth a remark?

OP posts:
TheSecondOfHerName · 20/08/2015 13:18

Would the remark make a difference in accessing a course he wants to study?

Is it the difference between a C and a D in Maths or English?

If the answer to either of these is yes, that would make me more likely to consider it.

iAmSiri · 20/08/2015 13:18

It depends on what grade he was given. If it wood take him from a fail to a pass then yes.

iAmSiri · 20/08/2015 13:19

*would

Original poster
ClareDeLune · 20/08/2015 13:21

No, neither of those scenarios. It's more about achieving his predicted grades.

OP posts:
ErrolTheDragon · 20/08/2015 13:24

I'd guess that yes to the latter, maybe not the former (marks can go down as well as up!) Can he discuss it with a teacher? My DD has had it suggested that her eng. lit is remarked, which was 4 points below a B (eng lit seems generally somewhat down)

Original poster
ClareDeLune · 20/08/2015 13:32

He's emailed school to ask, but because it's not anything crucial and just about achieving predicted grades, I'm not sure it's worth the bother if nothing will change.

OP posts:
TeenAndTween · 20/08/2015 13:56

10 UMS off sounds like a solid result to me, what is the range for the grade? In some subjects a grade is only 20 UMS wide. Remember scores can go down as well as up on remarks.

DataEducator · 20/08/2015 14:00

You have to look at see how many 'raw' (actual marks equate to 1 UMS). In the second instance that could just be one mark. In the other instance it could also be less than you might think.

Of course though by asking for a remark you have to accept that grades may go down as well as up.

EvilTwins · 20/08/2015 21:21

What subject and board is it? The grade boundaries (raw and UMS) are available on the exam board websites. That way you'd be able to see the range and decide how close a miss it was.

stonecircle · 20/08/2015 22:45

Errol - ds is one mark off a B in Eng Lit (predicted a A) so I'm thinking of asking for a remark.

Original poster
ClareDeLune · 22/08/2015 18:11

Spanish and AQA. In each unit he got 1) a* 2) b 3) a 4) c. But that unit 4 is 61 ums points and a B would be 63 ums points. If he got the B it'd take his overall grade to an A.

Disclaimer I don't really care what he does and tbh I think he should accept "good enough" but like his dad, he's a perfectionist. It'd take his grades to all A or A*. He's not happy about the one B especially as it's so close.

OP posts:
TeenAndTween · 22/08/2015 18:16

Clare - what is unit 4? If it is one of the CAs it can't be re-marked anyway as I understand it.

Tisy10 · 22/08/2015 18:18

Unit 4 is the writing and can be remarked. If he's only 2 ums off its definitely worth getting it remarked.

Original poster
ClareDeLune · 23/08/2015 09:33

Yes it's the writing one.

OP posts:
QOD · 23/08/2015 09:40

I spoke to a 6th form teacher at dd's new school only Friday about this
he said 3 points or less it's worth it.
He said it's not that uncommon to gain or lose (don't forget it can go down too) a point or 2 but more than 3 would raise concerns on all marking done by that marker.

My dd has 3 subjects that we are having re marked as she is 1 point from an A in Biology and English and 2 from an A in Physics grrrr

QOD · 23/08/2015 09:41

Oh and she only cares about the Physics one but sods law she'll get A* in one of the others so ... in for a penny, in for a pound (£33.60)

Original poster
ClareDeLune · 23/08/2015 11:25

Thanks QOD, I know it seems ridiculous to quibble over the tiny difference between an A and a B but DS wants all his predicted grades.

OP posts:
QOD · 23/08/2015 14:11

Dd was predicted all B's
she's so quiet and unobtrusive that she's spent her school life invisible Angry
2 A* and 7 A's up their arse

Her new 6th form grammar welcomed her on registration Friday as "well you are an exceptional young lady"
About time someone noticed other than me!

lifesalongsong · 23/08/2015 14:17

How do you know that another two marks would take him to an A?

I haven't been able to find any info on the overall grade boundaries. I have all the individual marks and in one subject the school failed the students on the CA which has dragged down the overall grade and I'm very interested to find out if a remark is worth it

TeenAndTween · 23/08/2015 16:25

life On DD's results slips she has the UMS for each paper (except for maths) as well as the total UMS against the final grade.

If you search something like AQA GCSE UMS boundaries you can with a bit of delving find on a pdf the UMS needed for grades for each GCSE. Similarly for EDEXCEL. Then there are convertors that you can back engineer to see how many actual marks for a paper a certain UMS is (and thus how many actual marks change is needed to make a specific change in UMS).

Sorry, hopefully someone else can explain better.

JanetBlyton · 23/08/2015 17:03

We went by what the teacher said who recommended a remark as one son was half a mark or something that small off an A in French (and no other subject was a B so I think he's quite like to have no Bs). Whether it will be marked up will remain to be seen.

lifesalongsong · 23/08/2015 21:36

Thanks Teen I had all the pdfs but stupidly hadn't realised that there was a total mark line at the end of each of the subjects Smile

I've checked them all now and the one I was interested in was bang in the middle of the grade boundaries so no point in a remark however one of the other subjects was 2 UMS off the next grade so I've emailed the school to find out about the remark process.

I'm able to pay to get one and there's no realistic chance of going down a grade so go to be worth doing. The letter that came wit the results says that grade changes are rare, it this true and do they remark all the elements including the CA marked at school?

TeenAndTween · 24/08/2015 11:42

life From what I have read elsewhere:

  • they don't remark CAs
  • each paper is a separate re-mark, so if you want 2 papers for the same subject done, then you have to request (and pay) for both.
Tisy10 · 24/08/2015 13:53

It depends on the subject as to whether they'll remark a ca. Certainly in mfl they do.

lifesalongsong · 24/08/2015 15:47

It geography, 2 papers and a CA, I guess I'll have to pay for both then

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