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Question about grade boundaries for various subjects, and whether it’s worth a re-mark

37 replies

VillageFete · Yesterday 11:17

English Lang, Sociology, Drama and History…

AQA for all bar History, History is Edexel

3 marks off next grade boundary in Eng lang, History and Sociology

4 off in Drama.

Those with more knowledge- is it worth submitting for a re-mark?

My child is studying Lang and Sociology at A level so keen for a re-mark, even though she got very decent results.

She’s adamant she wants the papers looking at.

I’m thinking “3,4 marks - definitely easy to achieve” But I know nothing, zero experience or any of this and I imagine it’s not as easy as it sounds on paper.

I imagine she won’t drop enough marks to be given a lower grade as she’s sitting within very comfortable limits, the higher end.

Out of those 4 subjects/exam boards, is it worth pursuing?

OP posts:
Piggywaspushed · Yesterday 13:18

Doodledoggle · Yesterday 12:56

I am sure. I have been an EO for 10yrs.

Photo from Google below, using AQA for example.

That's priority deadlines, though.

TorroFerney · Yesterday 13:40

VillageFete · Yesterday 11:32

The majority of her English Lit/Lang fellow students were shocked - all gained a lower grade than in mocks. I think they were all
expecting more. Some went from 8’s to 5’s. Board is AQA.

My daughter was predicted a 7 in language, was one mark off an 8 so have paid for the review. Predicted 7 in lit, got a 9. Aqa also.

prediducted 9 in history , got 8 four marks from a nine. Too much for a recheck to be worth it.

if all the class were lower that suggests something wasn’t covered or the grades predicted too high to me, not that they’ve all been marked incorrectly.

clary · Yesterday 13:43

It's not (as another poster mentions on a different thread) really about how many marks short a student is though. It's whether the grade awarded is very surprising and out of sync with expectations and whether the paper when examined appears to have had the MS wrongly applied. If that is the case, the mark can change by quite a lot. If it is not the case, it won;t change even by one mark, if that makes sense.

ETA Oh gosh ignore me it was MrsHamlet who has said the same on here hahaha. Too many "shall I ask for a review" threads today lol.

TorroFerney · Yesterday 13:44

Doodledoggle · Yesterday 13:08

@AugustDieSheMust scripts are free to obtain. Some schools charge an admin fee, my school doesn't. It takes less than 30 seconds to download a script.

How it works is:
Candidate looks at marks against grade boundary and talks to teacher.

Teacher recommends obtaining a copy of the script.

Student submits consent form for access to scripts.

I download script and email teacher and student.

Teacher reads script against markscheme and advises student on possible review.

Student submits consent form form for review, agreeing to fee.

I've done several hundred in the last week.

Yes my child asked for her history script yesterday and she had it by the end of the day. I think I’ll get her to speak to her history teacher to see what he thinks , as I say it’s four marks off a 9 but it’s also not loads of marks off a 7 so it’s a risky game!

MrsHamlet · Yesterday 13:47

I think we're echoing each other @clary 🤣. At least we're in good company!

DataColour · Yesterday 13:52

GirlsInGreen · Yesterday 11:44

In 2024 my DD was 2 marks off a 9 - it got sent for priority review & it went up by 12 marks!

We could only fathom marks were added incorrectly🤷

I can beat this!

Last year my DS's English Lit went up from 5 to 7...18 marks! All in paper 1.

My DD this year exceeded expectations for Eng Lit and got a very high 9 and she still doesn't know how or why as it's one of her weaker subjects. But it was her only 9!

Glittertwins · Yesterday 14:08

We have an essay based paper going back for review as the teacher feels it has been marked too harshly and the mark scheme not followed.
All the papers we have submitted for review have always been after a teacher review and them telling us to submit them.

Stowickthevast · Yesterday 15:28

Thanks @Doodledoggle . I emailed them and they've sent me through the scripts.

I don't really know what I'm looking for though. She seems to have got fewer than half marks on the 40 mark questions on each paper which is what has let her down but as I'm not an English teacher, I don't know whether it's a fair assessment of her writing or not.

Spacecowboys · Yesterday 16:01

A couple of years ago.
Ds one mark off a 9 for Maths and Biology. Two marks off a 6 for English lang, 4 marks off a 9 for RS.
His school were amazing with this. The kids signed a consent form on collection of results, consenting to school being sent scripts back. School looked at them. Recommended a review.
Maths and Biology went up to a grade 9, English Lang stayed exactly the same. RS gained 3 marks but that still left him 1 mark off a 9. School paid.
So in our experience it was worth it.

Piggywaspushed · Yesterday 16:02

Hiw far is it from the next grade down stowick? You can apply for review of marking without teacher input. It helps , but isn't a necessary step and not all teachers will be hanging on their inboxes.

Crispsandwich25 · Yesterday 16:07

Spacecowboys · Yesterday 16:01

A couple of years ago.
Ds one mark off a 9 for Maths and Biology. Two marks off a 6 for English lang, 4 marks off a 9 for RS.
His school were amazing with this. The kids signed a consent form on collection of results, consenting to school being sent scripts back. School looked at them. Recommended a review.
Maths and Biology went up to a grade 9, English Lang stayed exactly the same. RS gained 3 marks but that still left him 1 mark off a 9. School paid.
So in our experience it was worth it.

Do you know if they asked for specific papers to be reviewed? I’ve been told we have to state which papers so without teacher input it’s tricky to understand what to ask for!

Spacecowboys · Yesterday 17:03

Crispsandwich25 · Yesterday 16:07

Do you know if they asked for specific papers to be reviewed? I’ve been told we have to state which papers so without teacher input it’s tricky to understand what to ask for!

Yes, the teachers only asked for one specific paper per subject to be reviewed, except for RS where it was two.
This was a state school, bog standard ' comp' (as they'd have been called), where loads of grade 9 's are not the norm. Seven teens in his whole year group got a grade 9 for maths, as an example.
I wouldn't have felt confident about doing it without teacher input tbh because they know better than I do about exams.

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