Anyone marking exams?

[TaggySits]

I'm marking GCSE papers for the first time. I was expecting it to be busy, but it is insanely demanding!

Doing it online, regularly get seeded papers that have been pre-marked by the lead examiners and if I'm more than 3 marks off their total my marking is suspended until I review what I've done wrong. Spent hours and hours marking today, checking and rechecking, submitting, getting suspended, having to review and then resubmitting.

Is this common practice across exam boards?

Am really glad of the experience, it will definitely help with how I deliver the course next year but although I was prepared to put a lot of time into it but it's so demanding I don't know if I'd do it again.

Yes it’s common practice.

This will be the best CDP you ever do for your subject. You are investing in yourself and your future classes.

It’s also a complete pig on top of a full time job.

Yes it is common - I’ve got staff at my school who do this now as a top up to income and they say it’s a nightmare based on everything you have said above.

My staff that do it though are part time. I agree, doing this and juggling a full time teaching job whilst trying to have a worklife balance is relentless….. I know teachers who do it though so that they can pay for their summer holiday!!

Be really careful about what you post here. The contracts are very clear about social media.

This my 23rd year 😂

Yes but it gets much easier as you go through the batches. You will speed up. Good luck and don’t worry if you don’t finish it all. Try your best. And enjoy the extra money despite it not being that much! It’s only for three weeks!!! (Unless you do two papers like me and it’s 6 weeks!)
I Set up a spread sheet with a target number of scripts per day. Try and do 10 per day but in the first part try just 5. Track the number of papers marked and the % completion (although depends if you mark whole or part papers). Last year I added a how much I’ve earn column! I have a light weight TV programme on in the background (audio books and podcasts demand too much attention) Usually a mega series I’ve already watched.

Thank you for the good advice and solidarity, it's appreciated!

In one sense I'm enjoying the challenge and I'm definitely learning a lot, but didn't expect it to be quite so demanding.

I know I'll get quicker and more accurate with more experience, so I would (possibly!) consider doing it again. Certainly will be glad of the extra money!

Has anyone done it once and hated it so much they didn't do it again?

Yep! Me too! I feel your pain with the seeds and blocking but it’s my third year so I can’t hate it that much! It’s pretty tough on top of a full time job but it’s only for a few weeks. I’m not teaching anymore either so no half term for me next week. I’m trying to do as much as I can this weekend and I’m planning a few early finishes in the day job next week.

Yes, me. I will be careful not to name names (although I’m no longer under contract to any awarding bodies) but I had a terrible experience last year. The connection to the electronic marking system was unreliable and I would regularly be unable to access it at all. I’m a single parent and carving out child-free time to mark takes some planning. I ended up marking every morning at 5 a.m. before my children woke up to be able to access my scripts reliably.

It’s not as good CPD as it used to be. The training has been cut to the bone and any developmental benefit is largely dependent on how good your team leader is.

Combine all this with what’s left over as a higher-rate taxpayer and it just was not worth it for me this year.

Yes, it's painful but I need the money. I work 3 days in school and my kids are school age now so I have 2 full days to crack on. I don't think I would ever do it if I were full time again. I barely get any done on work days because I'm absolutely brain dead by the end of the day.

Doing it this year and I'm not overly impressed by the experience. I have to say it does make me wonder about how accurate the grades that my students get back are. The training is rushed, and while there is feedback on the scores I give at times, the focus does seem to be on just getting through as many scripts as possible rather than ensuring everything is marked accurately.

I am. I am chipping away at lang paper 1 every single day for about 3-4 hours. I've been stopped by seeds 4-5 times. It actually makes me feel quite anxious and I don't know what the maximum is before you aren't allowed to mark anymore. It's exhausting!

Anther marker here. I'm doing English Lit and am on the home straight! 😅Good luck to those of us still plugging away!

I am losing the will to mark - how common is it not to finish? I am trying my best also as a lone parent and I just seem to be so slow. I can't speed up - but when I calculate how much I will learn assuming I don't get my bonus as I just can't see how I will make the deadline it is just below min wage - before tax!

If you're struggling, speak to your team leader. But it's really unwise to discuss this sort of thing on a public forum.