GCSE remark timeframe

[notanothernamesurely]

Hi

DD got great GCSEs but narrowly missed the grade above in 3 subjects (1-2 marks)

We’ve asked for a remark in two subjects and are waiting for the teachers advice in the third.

Official guidance is that it can take up to 20 days but I’m just wondering if any markers/teachers/people with previous experience can say how long they’ve waited in the past?

thanks

Most back by early September some longer no obvious pattern

@Octavia64appreciate the reply.

It felt a shame that Instead of celebrating amazing results a lot of the kids were upset knowing they were so close to the grade above.

After the mocks when a lot of the kids were moaning saying they had “just missed out” one of DD’s teachers told them to stop moaning and that if they got a high six that’s the level they were at, and if they had been working at a 7 level then that’s the grade they would have got. Having said that DD missed the grade above by one mark on three subjects and the school wants to review and has offered to pay 🤷‍♀️

I would be discouraging this kind of attitude, I don't understand how it's helpful.

Absolutely go for a review of marking if you are willing to to pay for it. It’s worth a punt. But bear in mind there are always going to students 1 or 2 marks below the boundary! That’s how grade boundaries work!

Well yes… every year lots of people narrowly miss the grade above because their work wasn’t quite the grade above. That’s how grades work!

absolutely it’s how it works. There has to be boundaries. I just don’t know if it would be better not to tell them the marks and just the grade and it is what it is. Because the kids do have the attitude that they’ve ’just missed out’

I’ve paid the money and asked for a review because my dd really really wanted to despite us telling her she’s done amazingly anyway.

I just think it’s also important to remember they can move the grades down as well as up.

Absolutely. They are made to sign a form to say they understand the possible outcomes.

@notanothernamesurely it's a small thing in the scheme of things but be aware it isn't a remark, it's a review of marking so the reviewer will be making sure that the marking is within tolerance, not looking for extra marks. You will hear lots of tales of huge grade increases but be prepared that the overwhelming majority don't change.

I personally think most reviews of marking are a waste of time and money but at the very least your dd will be able to move fowards knowing the grade she has is the correct one and can hopefully be proud of herself for her hard work and good grades. 💐

@BlueBerryBiscuitthank you. I think that’s the thing - she’ll know that it’s been double checked and the grade is whatever it is. Hoping they come back quickly - most of what I’ve managed to find out suggests a week or two at this time of year which is v quick! Apparently once the schools go back in sept there’s an influx and it can take a bit longer.

UPDATE - got the first review of marks back. Took a week. Four extra marks were awarded pushing DD into the grade above.

That’s great news! Congratulations 🥳. Can I ask which subject it was in? And did you review the papers before sending off or just sent off the paper with lowest marks? We have 5 subjects just 1 mark off 😩 but school won’t even process requests until term starts so it’s still a long wait for us. Feel like the sensible thing to do is review the paper first before sending off but then that delays us even further! So happy your DD got the result she wanted - fingers crossed for the rest!

@notanothernamesurely thats great! Did you get this update today? I told DD that they wouldn’t get anything over the weekend and to not bother checking. Who did you get notified by? I know of someone who hadn’t had any notification but the grade on the results app had just changed.

Yes the teacher reviewed the papers on results day and advised getting both papers reviewed. This was in English literature. The email from the exam board was sent to the school and forwarded to me yesterday (it is dated with yesterdays date)

We submitted 2 history papers at the same time and haven’t got anything back on those yet - we were not able to get these checked by a teacher til mid September so we just went with submitting for a review. And submitted maths 6 days ago.