Just last week I wrote about knowing the grade boundaries and getting remarks after GCSE marks and results day. I cannot stress enough how important it is and even more so after today’s shocking news. Basically the current exam marking system is flawed and as a parent and former teacher it horrifies me and I am asking can you have faith and trust in GCSE marking? I’m not so sure now. The thing is that the system is there to confuse parents. Exams are marked by examiners with little checks on their qualifications. I have been an examiner and understand just how the system works.
Can you have faith and trust in GCSE marking?
Stage one is that a few exam papers are sent to markers online, using the supplied mark scheme, markers give a score to each question. Examiners have to be within tolerance which means just a few marks out of agreement with the senior marker. Once this stage has been passed the online marker receives batches of completed exam papers. Personal details are removed and we just have the scripts. Within every 20 scripts, 1 has been premarked, which is randomly included. When an examiner marks they have to be intolerance on that previously marked paper, if they are not the system locks them out until they speak with a team leader. Then they are reset and can continue marking. However, if there is a bad marker I now don’t believe this system roots them out as they are simply free to carry on marking under the pressure of time.
The rate of pay for marking is just a few pounds for each paper and therefore you try to do as many as you can as fast as you can. This is wrong on so many levels and when marking essays it is a long process.
Markers only deal in raw marks. These marks are then converted to UMS marks which don’t change year after year although the raw score does. A Uniform Mark Scale, or UMS, is a way of standardising the marking of papers across different examination boards, allowing someone to compare two marks marked by two different examination boards. Grades are then calculated using grade boundaries set at particular UMS scores.
Confused yet?
The UMS marks are that 90% = A* 80 = A ect but the raw mark is never shown on your results slip, so students will either see a UMS mark, a points score or no numerical mark at all. The UMS score is a lower value than the raw mark. If you are a few UMS marks away from the next grade boundary get a remark as that actually only often equates to 1 mark.
You can find the grade boundaries online and I urge you to check carefully as knowing where you lie on a grade is just as important as the grade itself. I looked at all my daughter’s grades and UMS marks. I saw that she was just two UMS marks away from the next grade boundary in both PE and English Language, a UMS is less than a raw mark. This year the marking has to be out of tolerance before they will change the grade but I decided to test the system. It costs approximately £30 for a remark if the grade doesn’t change. I decided to ask for two remarks and Chloe had to sign to authorise this. The other side is that of course, a mark could go up or down. However, I decided that the likelihood of dropping that many marks were improbable – in all my years teaching GCSE and A-Level I have submitted scripts for remarks and changes could be one or two marks. This would be enough to move her up a grade but not enough to drop down to the lower grade.
Just two days after putting Chloe’s English Language paper in for the remark the result was back. Chloe was summoned via the school tannoy system to the examiners office. The exam officer broadly grinned at Chloe claiming never in all her years had she seen a mark change so much. Chloe’s mark increased by a shocking 19 UMS marks we now can see that this was an extra five raw marks. This took her very comfortably into the next grade. Her teachers were all talking about it – it was quite unprecedented to go up that much and questions need to be asked. Where is the quality assurance in exam marking? How can it be so different according to another examiner?
As a parent of Chloe’s, of course, I’m thrilled, she deserves that grade and it is what the mark scheme says she should receive. But why was it so far out before? What faith does this give parents and teachers in the marking system – these results define what courses young people can start at post 16 level – can we trust the results.
As a teacher in the classroom, we are subject to many observations on our teaching, the pay is now performance-related and the value-added we provide is checked and double-checked. But against what? It seems that the marking system cannot be relied on and that affects teachers in the classroom who are judged on those results and of course the young people themselves who are awarded the grade.
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8 Responses
I took resits two years ago now and I was 4 marks off the next grade in Maths and 1 I think it was in my English. I debated with getting them remarked but being a student money was tight. I got a C in Maths and a B in English so I had improved on when I originally took my GCSEs in 1998.
Well done on getting the deserving grade for your daughter.
When you say “floored” in the first paragraph, do you mean “flawed”? Also, what is your source for the information about marking? Are you a marker or have just read the information recently?
The reason I ask is because (after my son’s GCSE results last year) a whole school year’s papers for one subject were sent for remarking last year after all grades were lower than expected and everyone’s grade rose by at least one grade.
I do mean flawed you are quite right! My source is that I was a marker last year for Sociology and therefore know the recruitment side and also the pressure and pay for markers. I am experiencing the results as a parent too. As a teacher I have sent many back over the years and I believe the issue is getting worse. To be one mark out is acceptable (technically) and would ofetn still be within tolerance of the markscheme, being five marks different a whole different matter.
How do you check, we were really disappointed with Kian’s grades this year but don’t know how to check!
Hi Emma
Just to clarify…if the grade remains unchanged, I have to pay £30. If the grade (A B C etc) changes, the remark is free.
Is my understanding correct?
Eek! This is really scary. Of course I had no idea and I doubt many parents would have an idea. I wouldn’t know how to check what my son’s exact marks were and how close they were to the boundaries (or do they get that info when they get the results?).
I’m glad Chloe got the grade she deserved, but I can totally see why you would have lost faith in the system.
I hardly remember the boundaries for my own GCSE’s let alone what they will be for my daughters in so many years time, but this is really helpful to know and so important to get checked if you need to. Its shocking examiners try to rush through to get enough money. #bigpinklink
Oh my goodness, I was definitely confused by the marking system you outlined here!! As it’s never been on my radar, I’ve never thought about it before. It definitely needs to be re-evaluated-you’re right, when this is somebody’s entire future, the system needs to be a lot more foolproof than this. It’s lucky that your daughter has you, who knows the system, and knows it can be flawed, to be an advocate for her. It’s sad that others will not question a grade that was unexpected, when it may actually be wrong. I certainly hope a better system will be in place when my children come to do their GCSE’s. Thanks for highlighting this important issue!
#bigpinklink