A Level remark. Who pays?

28 replies

Sleeplessinthesouth71 · 18/08/2022 23:57

So DD went into school to collect her results today and was asked to sign a request for a remark as one mark off an A. She doesn't need grade for University as such.
So is school likely to pay if grade isn't changed or will we ve asked to pay.
Thank you

OP posts:

red4321 · 09/11/2022 06:32

Our school has started an investigation into this year's A level marking due to the high proportion of grade uplifts after the reviews/remarks. I think a couple of students went up two grades, although most just one.

Soontobe60 · 09/11/2022 06:50

piisnot3 · 08/11/2022 08:51

@Caercaer had a similar experience with international A levels which are modular. Asked for scripts for 3 modules (£11 per module). All 3 had mistakes in applying the mark scheme. In 2 of them this had resulted in a significantly lower mark. Requested "reviews" for both of these (around £65 per paper). Both went up i.e. the UMS scores increased. This made the difference between not having full UMS for the subject and having full UMS. The UMS went up but because the grade was already the top grade, it didn't go up. We paid over £150 in total and were not reimbursed a penny despite there being glaringly obvious errors in the original marking. It's a complete scam. If the mark goes up at all - even by 1 mark - then a full refund should be given. Otherwise people on tight budgets can get their scripts (if they can even afford that), be fully aware they've been robbed of marks, but be unable or unwilling to have this corrected as it's unaffordable.

What’s the point of having papers reviewed if the student already had to top grade? Who even looks at the number of marks someone got for their A levels? Surely universities / future employers only ask for the grade?

piisnot3 · 09/11/2022 08:11

@Soontobe60

(1) yes, it can matter to universities. Cambridge specifically ask for any available UMS scores and they're used in their admissions decisions. e.g. if AS or A levels are already taken, an average of 93% UMS across 3 best subjects used to guarantee that for all courses except maths and medicine the candidate would at least be "pooled" rather than rejected if the individual college doesn't have room on that course.
(2) in the case in question, the student was a few marks short of full UMS for the subject. but the scripts showed these had been deducted unfairly. The review meant they have now rightly been credited with full UMS. This puts them in line for a "best in country/region/world" award from the exam board, which can again be mentioned on UCAS applications / CV.
(3) just from the perspective of fairness, it stinks to have worked very hard for a couple of years, performed very highly, then be given a spuriously low mark by an inept examiner too lazy to apply the mark scheme.

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