External moderation GCSE mocks

[mbell]

Is this normal?

DD thinks she had external invigilators (well at least staff who she has never seen at school before or since) and certain subjects are being marked externally. She’s complaining as will be many weeks before results are back.

Does anyone know if this normal for schools for mocks?

DD's school have external invigilators (they are just people employed for exam seasons so no reason why they would have been seen at school before). No external marking though - I think she might be reading too much into it.

External invigilators is perfectly normal for both mocks and the real exams.
Marking papers is a totally different and separate process to invigilation. Usually mocks are marked by the teachers. Using external invigilators frees up teacher time to mark the mocks (in theory).

Ok many thanks.

I wasn’t too surprised about invigilators as makes sense to allow the teachers to continue their work.

DD is at “that school” being investigated for grade inflation. If external moderation for marking mocks is normal, I can happily tell her that. I just wanted to try and get a sense for normal practice.

External invigilators are perfectly normal for mocks - gives the kids an idea of what the real thing will be like.

For some subjects it may be decided to have them marked externally. not exactly unusual either. It won't take that many weeks. Unlike summer exams, not all schools will be sitting mocks at the same time.

Look on the positive side - your DD now has experience of exams with external invigilators prior to the real thing, and the external marking will also more accurately reflect the experience she'll have in the summer, plus free up her teachers' time to concentrate on teaching the remaining content.