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Original poster

Results from GCSE remarks?

132 replies

3076Worb · 06/09/2018 13:09

Just making final decisions about which to get remarked and heard some shocking info I wanted to share. (I realise marks can go up and down.)

A student who was 1 mark off a higher grade in English GSCE (AQA) has just got the results of the remark of paper 1 and has gone down 10 MARKS! She has now dropped a grade and has a tough decision about whether to get paper 2 remarked or not.

I was advised with being only 1 mark off a higher grade (around 10-11 marks between each grade) a remark was 'a no brainer'. School have now said, with this shock of 10 marks down, they have suggested no remark. There are saying it seems the boards are being a LOT tougher this year (esp. after getting so many marks wrong last year, with the new system, they want to show they have now got things sorted).

Has anyone got results from THIS year's GCSEs remarks yet?

OP posts:

Original poster

3076Worb · 09/09/2018 17:04

I don’t think it’d double standards. You would expect some variance between different markers, but it really should be that big!
If you’d childs mark was 1 of the grade boundary above, it’s worth having it remarked. Of course, the remark could come back a FEW marks higher or lower (or the same) but I think it’s treasonable to expect the variance between markers to only be small.
This student’s English GCSE had 10 marks between the two grades & she was 1 mark off the grade boundary above. To get a remark of 10 marks variance from just one paper is pretty shocking.
It seems from what I’m found out that this is a very be off, most remarks are results big in a change of up to 4 marks either up or down, which seems far more reasonable.

OP posts:

user1471530109 · 09/09/2018 17:15

I have 9 students in one class that are 1 mark off the next grade. Triple science. But there are 2 papers per GCSE and each paper for Aqa is £37.55 for a review of marking.

I feel morally that my department should pay to have them reviewed. But it is such a lot of money! Then there are even more that are 2 marks off....

I can't seem to find anything about how science 'remarks' have gone this year. Due to the extra grade boundaries for combined science, there are now an awful lot more kids that are a mark off a boundary ( 3,4 5,6 aswell as 4,4 6,6 etc).

I have my suspicions that the hike in cost and the extra boundaries plus the huge increase in students that are 1 mark off is all a money making opportunity for the exam boards .

Deadline is a couple of weeks and I just can't decide! It would be expected to come out of my budget rather than parents...

Original poster

3076Worb · 09/09/2018 17:31

Thomasinaa. As she is only 1 mark into that grade I would not take the chance. As everyone had said, marks can go up and down, so it would be unwise to risk it when you are right at the bottom of a grade boundary.

The situation of why she didn’t answer the questions as well as she maybe could have would not be taken into consideration at this time I don’t think, but I’d get advice from the school.

OP posts:

Thomasinaa · 09/09/2018 18:23

We won't risk a re-mark, but I think the school should have complained about the misleading layout of the paper, which has badly affected a number of children. The school is dodging the responsibility, which annoys me.

tararabumdeay · 10/09/2018 20:50

Another two AQA English Language reviews back today. Both no change in marks or grade so that's seven out of nine student's (two of which resubmitted both papers).

Waiting the results of the other two who resubmitted one paper each. Not holding out much hope in light of the above.

MaisyPops · 10/09/2018 21:06

Part of the problem is that many people don’t understand that the procedures have changed. Papers are no longer remarked, as such: the original marking is reviewed and if it is found that the original examiner applied the mark scheme incorrectly, or there has been a clerical error, then changes are made. But they really don’t care if Candidate X is just 1 mark off the higher grade - they’re not going to try to find that extra mark. If Candidate X’s answers have been placed in the wrong band, however, then they will make the change.
This.
They are not remarks.

People need to get out of the mentality of 'it was 2 off and we want to pay and chance for the higher grade so we'll send for a remark'.
People are quick to accept marks going up, but then quibble if marks go down.

When there were remarks then you'd gain odd marks.
Now it's a review of marking, its checking work is in the correct band and the mark scheme has been applied properly so I would only expect to see big changes either way.

(Should add I'm just talking about the current situation not saying I like the sitiation)

user1471530109 · 10/09/2018 21:16

It was a review of marking last year and we had at least 3 from 7 go up a grade. 1 went down 2 marks but no grade change.

I haven't had chance to even think about it today.

Are papers not moderated anymore? When marking I mean? I also used to have someone double check my adding up (they found an error once ).

TheFallenMadonna · 10/09/2018 21:30

With online marking, the moderation comes from marking pre-marked answers. You get stopped if you are out of tolerance and have to discuss with your team leader before being allowed to continue. After the first few which you know you are being checked on, you don't know which are the seeds and which are the unmarked scripts. Adding up is done for you as you don't mark whole scripts.

FanSpamTastic · 10/09/2018 21:52

DD had AQA maths remarked - all 3 papers. She was 2 marks off a 9. Results came back - no change.

But it gave her some comfort as it confirmed her thoughts that she had had a bad time on paper 2.

Bbbbb27 · 10/09/2018 22:10

DN English language just back, stayed the same

tararabumdeay · 10/09/2018 22:17

This (may) be the reason:

TES article.

AQA admits breaking rules on exam re-marks
The exam board has been told to take action by Ofqual, to ensure that it abides by regulations over the review of exam grades

NorfolksGiven · 10/09/2018 22:20

My DS had English language remarked as was 2 marks off a C /4 It came back on Friday - 1 mark gained 🙄 so he has to redo it at college. He got A's in art, graphics and media but really struggled with English and Maths but thankfully got a 5 in that.

user1471530109 · 10/09/2018 22:22

it will cost my budget around £500 just to review the 1 mark off students. Feeling the pressure to do it.
The school has had some success this year I believe?

I won't hold out much hope then !

You see, when I did this well over a decade and then some ago. We were told to double and triple check students who fell a mark on a boundary and find that mark if we could! But this was when marking the whole paper etc etc.

TheFallenMadonna · 10/09/2018 22:36

I never re-marked scripts once boundaries were set, even back in the day. And I didn't know what the boundaries were until results day, like everyone else. There will always be candidates who score just below the boundary, wherever you set it...

Honeywort · 10/09/2018 22:43

My Dd has paper 2 English language Aqa in for a remark too, though this thread has worried me. She is mid grade boundary but her teacher said it was probably worth a remark as she was scored 0/12 on one of the longer question which just seems odd (was predicted a 9 and all her other answers in both paper1 or 2 were much better than this, including the long questions in paper 1)

Anyone else have these sort of marks?

Whistle73 · 11/09/2018 11:49

That does seem very odd Honeywort, but would extra marks on that one question realistically be enough to push her up a grade? I suppose it must or the school wouldn't bother.

My dd has just found out she is one mark away from a 5 in maths so will go for a re-mark.

Honeywort · 11/09/2018 13:29

Yes, as I understand it, she needs 5 marks to go up a boundary. If she got half marks on this question that would do it (the worst of her other answers, across both papers, scored three quarters of the marks available for the question.).

But now obviously, I’m worrying about whether we did the right thing in going for a remark,

Good luck for your DD too!

Oranges1234 · 12/09/2018 18:48

My Dd ended up with a 7 in English language ( edexcel) she had a 9 in paper 1 and a very low 6 in the other so overall ended up with a 7, she says that she felt the papers went the same so I am surprised with the discrepancy in results for each, the dilemma is should we remark as she is 4 away from 8 on other hand she is 6 away from dropping to 6.
thoughts please ?

Honeywort · 12/09/2018 19:01

Is edexcel one of the boards where you can get a copy of the exam script before you decide whether to get a remark? If so I would do that first. And/or look at the marks given for each answer. Exam marks are given in bands as set out in the marking scheme for each subject and as I understand it, they will only be changed if the wrong band has been assigned to the answer. So you need to make judgement on how likely it is that individual questions are in the wrong band.

We are in a similar position, but have gone for a remark based on the scores for individual answer. Still don’t know if we have done the right t thing though!

Oldowl · 12/09/2018 19:03

DS is one mark off a 7 in English Language after getting a 9 in one paper and a 5 in the other. We have put in for paper 2 to be reviewed after the Head of Department said it is worth a shot. They have reviews(remarks) back this year that have gone up 1 and 2 whole grades.

I will be happy with one mark!

MaisyPops · 12/09/2018 19:15

Oranges1234
GCSE English Language Paper 2 is the weaker paper nationally and that's certainly the case for every school I know of (including my own).
The texts are more challenging, the nonfiction element throws students, there's a greater need to be able to identify author intent on sometimes unusual texts, the writing section is 50% of the mark and the summer question was an odd one about sports and fairness in sport. It's always non fiction writing but students seem to do worse on that than stories and description.

Paper 1 this year by comparison was a lovely paper.

Whistle73 · 12/09/2018 21:56

We are going for the re-mark in Maths as explained earlier but saw the teacher today and although DD is one mark away hopes are not high. The school had 10 papers back today alone - no change either up or down on any of them.

Bouledeneige · 12/09/2018 23:50

Oh gosh - I am worried. But I'm also wondering why its taken so long. I submitted for a re-mark on results day and still had nothing back...

LARLARLAND · 13/09/2018 10:16

We asked for a review of Eng Lit 20 days ago and haven't heard back yet.

LARLARLAND · 13/09/2018 16:20

We have now heard. He has gone up 10 marks and a grade. I am very pleased for him but I wonder how the originally marker could get things so wrong?

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