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Original poster

GCSE review advice please

27 replies

HebeJeeby · 25/08/2023 18:19

Hi, DD is one mark off a grade 7 in her maths GCSE. We are going to have it reviewed and wonder if we should do it one exam at a time rather than getting all 3 papers looked at. The reason being we don’t want to risk her losing marks on one paper and gaining on another for example, which might then negate any possible increase in marks. Does anyone have any advice please?

I was thinking of asking for all the papers back to review and then being tactical about asking which paper to be marked, if it is believed that there are more marks up for grabs.

i’d be grateful for any advice. I do appreciate it is harder to find spare marks in maths than the essay based exams but we feel it is worth a go. I’d be very happy to hear any personal experiences of getting maths reviewed (good or bad - preferably good 😄) and marks being increased. Many thanks.

OP posts:
MrsHamlet · 25/08/2023 18:27

Ask for the scripts back first.
Get someone who knows the spec and the standard to look at them all.
Then decide.

There are no "marks up for grabs". If the marks awarded are fair, they stick. And marks can and do also go down.

Original poster
HebeJeeby · 25/08/2023 18:49

Thank you, we will request the papers back first and take it from there.

OP posts:
grass321 · 25/08/2023 18:51

Our English teacher suggested the one review at a time approach. That way, if the first paper happens to go up, you don't run the risk of the second one going down and offsetting it.

MargaretThursday · 25/08/2023 19:02

When we've done it we asked for the papers back and reviewed them and made a decision on each paper separately. BUT we didn't have any time scales waiting on it.
When dd1 was looking at her FM papers (2 marks off) she could see on one paper they'd failed to mark one 3 marker. On the other two papers, one she thought one question could potentially go down by one, and the other one looked correct. So we put the first one in for remarks.

You do also pay per paper, so it can save on finances too! (although they do refund if it changes)

gemini70 · 31/08/2023 19:16

Hi, my daughter is one mark off a grade 4 in her English Language paper. We asked for a copy of it via the school. Most of it is marked, we can see ticks but the two twelve mark questions have not been ticked, they just say evaluated. Does anyone know what that means?

MrsHamlet · 31/08/2023 19:30

In the papers I mark, we are not meant to use ticks at all - so you might think it's not been marked because they're "missing".

Ideally, you need someone who actually marks that paper to have a look at it for you.

NorthernGirlie · 31/08/2023 19:36

The marl schemes are a minefield- do you have someone who can decipher them for you?

Losing the odd mark on 1 paper wouldn't bring the grade down to a 6 so if you're going to do it I'd just submit all 3 back to the exam board

gemini70 · 31/08/2023 19:36

Thanks for responding. Are you suggesting I pay for a review?

MrsHamlet · 31/08/2023 19:42

gemini70 · 31/08/2023 19:36

Thanks for responding. Are you suggesting I pay for a review?

No. You need someone in the school to look at them for you first. Ideally, they need to be an examiner because there are "rules" we follow that people who don't examine might not be familiar with

House4DS · 31/08/2023 21:23

@gemini70 those 12 markers will be Level of Response questions - the overall answer will fit to a tier in the mark scheme. Different marking to those where each point made us ticked.
@NorthernGirlie no! Definitely do one at a time
If you do all and paper 1 goes up by one mark, and paper 2 goes down by one the overall mark would stay the same.
If you put paper 1 in for the remark alone and it goes up by one, you stop there as the required mark has been found and the grade goes up. It it doesn't go up, then send off paper 2 etc.

gemini70 · 01/09/2023 06:46

Thank you Mrs Hamlet and House4DS.

NorthernGirlie · 01/09/2023 19:37

@House4DS to be honest I advised that as a burnot out teacher who is prepping for next week. I know I've not got time to look at scripts 1 by 1 for any more of my students.
I'd rather parents just paid the fee and sent them all off!

House4DS · 01/09/2023 20:42

@NorthernGirlie you have my sympathy. This free return of scripts has increased our work load enormously - and at completely the wrong time of year.

happyhippiehippo · 01/09/2023 20:45

Out of interest, has anyone heard of anyone being marked down this year (whether GCSE or A-level)? I know it's anecdotal but I've not heard of any. At all. and heard people go up by 12 marks in sciences (which I wouldn't have expected). Although not a remark and a review, I wonder with the tightening of grades this year, whether subconsciously (or not) those reviewing are erring on being more lenient or at least not penalising by marking down?

Does anyone have any further insight?

MrsHamlet · 01/09/2023 20:50

I do, and yes. People tend not to post about that though!

BorrowedThyme · 01/09/2023 20:54

MrsHamlet · 01/09/2023 20:50

I do, and yes. People tend not to post about that though!

Agreed, more downs than ups in my experience

happyhippiehippo · 01/09/2023 22:40

BorrowedThyme · 01/09/2023 20:54

Agreed, more downs than ups in my experience

Show quote history

More downs this year?

grass321 · 02/09/2023 06:15

Out of interest, has anyone heard of anyone being marked down this year (whether GCSE or A-level)?

Don't think our GCSE reviews are back yet.

Last year, our school had something like 75% of reviews resulting in a higher grade, which was apparently unheard of for them. (My son was amongst them). Think they did some kind of investigation although I never heard the outcome.

It created a lot of issues though. One student missed his Oxford deadline so had to take a year out (his grade went up so he met the offer but after the final date).

happyhippiehippo · 05/09/2023 16:42

So, what is the verdict. Anecdotally, I've only heard of mark ups this year...

MrsHamlet · 05/09/2023 20:21

I've heard of downgrades too.

grass321 · 05/09/2023 20:46

I've posted this on the other thread but another pupil's GCSE English Lit review has come back 28 marks higher (from an 8 to 9).

happyhippiehippo · 07/09/2023 15:46

MrsHamlet · 05/09/2023 20:21

I've heard of downgrades too.

Good to know. Was this in English, and by how much?
Through my parent network I've only heard of those who have gone up (but maybe others have kept quiet).

MrsHamlet · 07/09/2023 16:06

Yes it was, and by a varied number of marks.

BorrowedThyme · 07/09/2023 16:08

yes, downs only here, no ups

Housetreehouse · 29/09/2023 18:25

Just got 3 back from AQA today. 2 up (Eng Lang up 3 marks to a 9 and Biology up 1 mark to an 8) but Physics stayed the same despite dropping 4 marks

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