GCSE English Lit and Language review of marking

[SomersetBrie]

There is lots of chat about review of marking on the GCSEs threads but I am interested specifically in anyone who is reviewing English (Lang or Lit) and whether the review provides an increase in grade.
DS, predicted a 7, got a 6 in both. He is not very close to the grade boundary (4 marks away) but the difference in marks between Paper 1 and Paper 2 have encouraged me to request access to the papers and see if it's worth a review.

Is anyone else asking for a review? I am curious to know how many marks people go up/down and if it results in a change of grade for many people.
(DS does not need a 7 but he was expecting a 7 out of 1 or other at least.)
This is AQA.

We just put paper 1 in as it was much lower than the other paper. Paper 1 - low 3. Paper 2 - high 6. DD won’t mind as she got a 5 and had never passed it before! I just thought it was worth a remark to see.

Pretty sure you hear at the same time as they can only tell you if the grade has changed then.

Great news @OWCAAgentP

@newmum1976 definitely worth checking it out then and congrats that they achieved more than expected anyway 🙌

I got back paper 2 Lit - not heard yet about paper 1. But don't know when anything was submitted.

English Lang back here - no change. Never mind! She'd always have wondered if we hadn't...

Sorry not better news but good you know as you say.

Can I ask when you submitted? Lang seems to be taking a lot longer to come back than Lit (anecdotally).

AQA Eng lang back with no change in marks. I’d really hoped it would save ds from the November resits but it isn’t to be.

AQA English Lit paper 2 review back here - with an unbelievable increase of 20 marks (on one paper!), shifting the final result up 2 grades. So, lots of emotions here as you can imagine - elation plus anger at how this could have been so wrong and scepticism about the whole process.

Our reason for review was entirely based on the grade being so at odds with both previous and predicted grades and how DC felt the papers had gone. This jump in marks goes to show that being close to a grade boundary is completely irrelevant, as @MrsHamlet advised - so, how does anyone decide whether to go for a review, anyway?
Very glad we took the step to review - but many can't, and the system is not set up to be fair and accessible to all - which really really bothers me a lot when there are errors as large as this getting through.

In terms of timings, we got this back within 4 working days. My nephew got his AQA Eng Lang back today within 2 working days (no change in mark). There seems to be no rhyme or reason for why some are taking longer than others.

A teacher on this thread asked what AQA provide in terms of feedback - I requested the annotated script and received it. A teacher would be able to interpret the changes but it's not so easy if you don't know the jargon - but what I can see loud and clear are lots of 'errors in academic judgement' which just about sums it up! I'd love to know if examiners are given feedback and training on the back of these mistakes.
Good luck to everyone still waiting and thanks to @MrsHamlet and other experts for some very helpful advice through this process.

Seem to be a few coming through the system now. Sorry for those where it's stayed the same but you did your best. @Username999999 I hope the resit goes really well, it will be over and done with before you both know it.

Absolutely @Username999999 - you did all you could... and all best wishes for the next one

@Trampoline wow! What a good thing you put that in!

I'm just glad that's all over and we can now relax and think about the next thing.

That's amazing for your DC @Trampoline but appalling that a national assessment system has that amount of error in it, particularly in one of the subjects that are crucial for entry to further and higher study.
That's the poetry paper isn't it? Was it mismarked across lots of questions or just one or two of the longer questions? What grade did your DC move from?

Yes @Examinetheexams that's the one plus the modern text.
As a teacher said further up the thread, if the levelling is wrong then the marks can increase/decrease quite dramatically, and that's what appears to have happened here. Across most (all?) of the paper, incorrect levelling had been applied, which has resulted in a jump in marks from one question to another. EG 16 marks to 20, 16 to 25 etc. It's gone from a grade 6 to an 8 - which was what was predicted. I think it was one of your earlier posts about your situation which I read and felt I could have written myself - I hope you get a good outcome too!

So headteacher of DC’s former large secondary had sent me several emails saying 4 of DC’s subjects going for ‘remark’ - he insisted in dealing with this personally which seemed odd. 1 subject teacher called to say gone up. History called today to say looked at paper and felt marking was fair so advised against. I was fine with that as DC felt had totally messed up one paper and teacher confirmed, but annoyed I had been misinformed and told on deadline day!

Now told 1 of others was issue with moderation of practical element for all cohort (had heard they all came down several grades) so school have asked for that to be looked at, so not a review as such. So English lang outstanding and am now unclear whether even went in!

GCSEs have left a bitter taste in my mouth!! Including some of the huge swings on this thread - am of course pleased for those with DC who went up, including my own DC in Spanish…I hope A levels/ BTECs etc better experience

@Bufftailed I wouldn't be so sure. We also had A-Levels this year - DD1 had one remarked - just one paper went up by 6 marks, changing the grade. We didn't put in the other two, but maybe should have!

It's all a bit ridiculous really.

I know! Now I feel like I should have been more pushy parent with the school. But DC knew things hadn’t gone well, so was just happy we could get him into a good 6th form for his chosen subjects because the worst scenario in my head was worse than the not great one which materialised.

If he drops anything needed in A level will be on red alert. Sigh.

My DC is doing English Lit at A-Level—if they miss a grade and get a re-mark, what are the implications? Automatic entry into the clearing system? Even if the re-mark is successful?

@ThatsCute unis will usually hold your place until remark happens as long as you tell them it is happening (you can get a priority one for a level so quicker) but you can lose your accomm. Thankfully for us DD1 had her place despite missing the grades, but we were still very pleased with the remark.

The main issue I have seen is where someone has missed their grades... say they were asked for AAA and they get ABC. The university would have accepted them with AAB or ABB, but not ABC. The C is reviewed and comes back as the A it always should have been. Hooray... they now have AAB which would have been a shoe in on results day.

But... they gave away all the places in clearing and now they can only honour it if you get AAA.

I've seen that happen to a number of kids.

No change for AQA for second child on Eng Lang and Lit( their twin has both go up a grade). I think it’s easier for the higher achievers iMO.

With regards to predicted grades one of DS's teachers made the point that IF his predicted English grade (6) had been the same as his intial (pre remark grade 5) he probably would not have been offered a place at his preferred college

I thought from post above you get a priority remark and they hold the place??

They do if it's a case of getting the offer grades.

But not if you missed, weren't offered a place on lower tariff but then get the lower tariff that would have been accepted on results day... if that makes sense

No idea 🤣🤣

Maybe this is next year’s problem

Son get his AQA English back today. Submitted on 11th Sept. Was one mark from the 4. Teacher felt he had been harshly marked. School paid for the remark of both papers. Disappointingly it came back as no change. Reviewers comments very limited just say original mark was reasonable.
good luck to everyone one else and to all those having to resit in November.

WJEC English language, 2 marks off a C. Both papers reviewed at a cost of £86. No change in either paper.

If marks don't change, then there's no requirement to annotate unless there's something worth flagging up - like a lack of annotation by the original marker.