National 5 modern studies exam

[Bubble0077]

got a B in prelim, top marks throughout the year in class, was confident about passing exam as didn't find any issues with it, however failed it

Might get more traffic in Scotsnet where there is a results thread running.

Check the grade boundaries and mean marks on SQA site. If you suspect your DC was a near miss might help to see.

Criteria for remarks/clerical checks seem to vary due to cost and schools' fears that grade can go down.

I'd argue that your DC has clear grounds as there is more than a 2 levels of difference between expected grade and actual grade. Could be pages were missed in marking process, though with emarking that's almost impossible.

Sorry for your poor shocked DC.

Thank I will check in scotsnet, hopefully school will do something when they are back, just shocked as all year was top of class and getting a high B in prelim, just doesn't add up

I'd explore the possibility of a re-mark here.
There is nothing to lose and it may nudge him into a pass?

Was it a D or a No Award?

It does seem strange if he was doing well all year!

I agree with Salmo if DC had scrapped a pass then a remark would be too risky. But nothing to lose.

A D is considered a pass at Nat 5 ( though progression to Higher in one year would not be recommended) if it's a NA it might be difficult to find enough marks to make a significant difference.

Was there any indication of the quality of Folio (I know it's not called that but name escapes me) as teachers mark first drafts of these.

We have a results thread on Scotsnet.

You might be able to ask for a remark. The school would be the best place to ask.

Two years ago my Dd had a similar experience with Nat 5 History, in that she was predicted an A (her teacher told me at parent's night) but only got a C when the results came out. She looked at the marks online and couldn't see where she had dropped so many marks so the C didn't make sense.

Unfortunately, it was the first year of Nat 5s and her school had decided to make official predictions for everyone of a 'B' rather than and 'A' and refused to send in remark appeals for any pupil who wasn't at least 2 grades away from their predicted mark. Hopefully there's such a difference in your son's predicted/actual mark that his school will apply for one. The schools don't like doing it though as it costs them money.

Hi my daughter got no award, hopefully she can appeal when they go back on Tuesday

That sounds more like a misread question. One of my Dds friends did that last year in her Modern Studies Higher. There were two topics that involved her writing about the US and she misread the question and wrote an essay on the wrong topic. She didn't realise until the time came to write about that topic further into the paper. She was gutted when she came out of the exam because there was no time to fix it.

That brings back memories of my teachers drumming into me to read the whole paper and to be sure that you'd not missed a back page or a fold out before starting.

Not much help now though - but better to have learnt it for the Nat 5s than in the Highers.

Oops - read the post again : in dotdotdash's example, it was the Higher.

In that case bubble there is nothing to lose by asking for a re-mark.

Good luck.

Just to add - an actual "appeal" would need to be based on extenuating circumstances during exams nowadays (e.g. a family bereavement) and evidence of attainment is submitted before the results are published.

Just to add - an actual "appeal" would need to be based on extenuating circumstances during exams nowadays (e.g. a family bereavement) and evidence of attainment is submitted before the results are published.

As long as the school actually sends in the appeal...

My Dd sat an Advanced Higher exam with a school band playing outside her room, she couldn't concentrate. After 20 minutes she told the invigilator and there was a further 10 mins or so of disruption while she was moved room. She wasn't give the time back and felt very rushed during the remainder of the exam. They told her they would put a 'note' on her paper about the disruption. She ended up with a C on Tuesday rather than the predicted A. School haven't responded to my email but I emailed the SQA this morning to ask for confirmation that the appeal for special circumstances had been placed. The SQA called me back very quickly and want her to sign a mandate giving them permission to contact her school. I guess the school didn't bother...

• sorry, not a C but a B