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Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

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Original poster

GCSE exam board lost exam paper 2023

49 replies

Cbed · 25/08/2023 21:16

My daughter just got her GCSE exam results back and for biology, she got an 8 in the second paper, but they have lost her first paper, which was mainly typed. So now I’ve been told the exam board are trying to locate the paper. I have no confidence now that she will get her correct grade and that they will find it. 80% of her paper was typed. Does anyone know what will happen? Apparently up to a three week wait to get her results back too and I need to know if we are not happy, is this too late to appeal. She says the paper went very well, like the second Paper.

OP posts:

MrsHamlet · 25/08/2023 21:33

Papers are scanned into the system with bar codes - typed scripts are scanned with the paper the candidates write on. They're all stored in a huge warehouse somewhere.
I imagine that they're now trying to locate the missing script - but there will be a contingency plan for this. I know it's easier said than done, but try not to panic.

Wavingnotdrown1ng · 25/08/2023 21:34

Was it typed at school? It should be backed up and the IT technician should be able to bring it up from the server. There are rules and protocols about using computers to avoid this sort of thing. It’s school that also need to be looking for it, not just the exam board.

samlovesdilys · 25/08/2023 21:48

Our papers aren't backed up - it the school should have a record it was sat and thus was lost...they should be able to calculate a grade from the work they have

Pinkandgreentrousers · 25/08/2023 21:50

We don't back ours up either.

HarrietSchulenberg · 25/08/2023 21:52

From the JCQ regs on wordprocessors:
14.27 Centres may retain electronic copies of word-processed scripts. The electronic copy of a
word-processed script may be accepted by an awarding body where the printed copy
has been lost. However, the centre would need to demonstrate to the awarding body that
the file has been kept securely. The head of centre would be required to confirm this in
writing to the awarding body.

The school might have kept a copy. Our school does not as we haven't got capacity.

Original poster

Cbed · 26/08/2023 07:17

Thank you so much. I would like to send your reply to the school. The school do have a copy. But the school have said they are not allowed to send the exam board their copy, they have to follow the process, but this makes no sense to me. I’m worried as 80% was typed, 20% written, the typed part was printed out, about 7 pages. My daughter signed and numbered every page. It seems the typed answers got separated from the written, and just her written got marked, and she just got 12% for paper 1 (2) and 60% for paper 2 (8). I would like to email your reply to the school so they know where to access the information as they say they have to trust the process and they’ve only seen this happen a few times. I don’t trust the process now

OP posts:

lanthanum · 26/08/2023 15:57

If they don't manage to locate it, then I imagine they will do what they do when someone misses a paper, and calculate a grade based on the other components - so most likely an 8, unless there was a significant difference between the papers across the cohort.
Presumably the exam board will try and locate their copy of the paper first, as that will be more secure, but may resort to the school's copy if no luck.

You can see how scripts are handled here:

The Life of a Script: Scanning and processing exam papers

Have you ever wondered what happens to examination scripts when you send them to Pearson? This video talks you through "The Life of a Script". Find out more ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-X8Hc7dc4g

SunsetGirl · 26/08/2023 18:57

That is a completely mad process. I'm not surprised it goes wrong sometimes!

Original poster

Cbed · 27/08/2023 08:42

Thank you so much for this. Having watched the video, which is insane, I can’t see how those papers which have a combination of typed and written are processed. I’m thinking of getting legal advice about this, as the school have a full copy, or so they say, in a secure place. But the school are saying they can’t send it to AQA unless it is requested, they just have to ‘trust the process”. I want my daughters work to be marked as she worked so hard for this.

OP posts:

MrsHamlet · 27/08/2023 08:47

I'm an examiner. I've marked literally hundreds of papers this year where there's a mixture of written and typed responses. The vast vast majority of the time, it does work.
I know that doesn't help you immediately, but there will be a process which has to be followed.

Original poster

Cbed · 27/08/2023 08:48

Thank you. The school have told me they have a full copy securely kept, but they can’t send it to AQA unless they request it. They have to ‘trust the process’. I want my daughters paper marked, not a calculated mark. So having read the regs from the JCQ on word processors, the school and AQAs approach does not seem right to me.

OP posts:

Original poster

Cbed · 27/08/2023 08:52

Thank you for this. I guess I will have to wait then and hope that her work is found and marked

OP posts:

MrsHamlet · 27/08/2023 08:53

The key word in the JCQ regs is "may".

The school can't send it at the moment because there is nowhere to send it to - we mark scanned copies of everything, so it's not like the old days when you could send the print version to an examiner.

We're only 2 working days post results - I know there are people working at the boards now, but these things take time. The size of the warehouses is immense!!

Original poster

Cbed · 27/08/2023 08:55

if she is given a mark in the next week or so, will we know if it’s a calculated mark as they couldn’t find her work, or that they have found her work and it’s an accurate mark of her exam

OP posts:

MrsHamlet · 27/08/2023 08:58

I'm afraid I can't tell you that, because I don't know.

Original poster

Cbed · 27/08/2023 08:58

Thank you for your input, it’s been very useful

OP posts:

WheelySquirrel · 27/08/2023 08:59

There’s very little point in getting legal advice - it’s a highly regulated process which the school’s exams officer and the exam board will know and be following. If you’re concerned that the school isn’t following the process then you can try to talk to the exam board yourself but they will almost certainly refer you back to the school. Papers go missing every year, the vast majority are found and then marked, but if it’s not found then an assessed grade will be awarded and yes you will be told that it’s been assessed rather than marked. This really is one just to trust the school on though - I know it’s a massive deal for you and your daughter, but the exams officer will deal with stuff like this every year & as I say there are clear processes in place.

wabek · 27/08/2023 09:02

I think you need to give them chance to solve the problem first and then if you're unhappy with the outcome you can challenge it. There will be a process that needs to be followed in these circumstances and at this point the school won't be able to do anything as AQA need to first try to locate the script. If they can't the will likely request this copy from the school. I appreciate it's frustrating but you need to give them time, your daughter shouldn't be disadvantaged and if she were I'm sure he school would challenge it as it will be in their interests for her to get the best result possible as well.

Original poster

Cbed · 27/08/2023 09:02

Thank you. Yes, having spoken to the school and now read the responses on mumsnet, I do trust the school. The frustrating thing is the school do have a secure copy of her paper and I want this marked, and not a calculated mark to be given.

OP posts:

Original poster

Cbed · 27/08/2023 09:03

Thank you. This is exactly what I would like to happen

OP posts:

wabek · 27/08/2023 09:04

Cbed · 27/08/2023 09:02

And no one is saying that won't happen, but they need to see if AQA can find their copy of the script first. If they can't they will likely request a copy from the school. Give them time, they haven't said they won't request it yet, they've just said they are trying to locate the script.

wabek · 27/08/2023 09:07

Scripts can also be scanned in incorrectly, it's quite possible the two parts have been marked separately and they just need to find them and join them together again. Give them time, they are dealing with thousands of papers.

MrsHamlet · 27/08/2023 09:10

My exam alone has nearly 600,000 candidates. They do 2 papers for each of my subjects. The volumes are immense!!

Original poster

Cbed · 27/08/2023 09:23

Thank you everyone

OP posts:

SunsetGirl · 27/08/2023 11:08

The bit where they should find the typed pages is the "look through the treasury tag hole". (The pages should be added with a treasury tag.)

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