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The Official "Result of remarks" 2008 thread!

T kay

That is shocking, really does worry me. But don't you think that because A levels are so important that they'd make sure that marking is of a high and correct standard?

That is easier said than done when it comes to subjects like History. It is much easier to insure high standards of marking in a subject like Maths for example where you've either got it wrong or right. The examiners will follow the mark scheme and it's much rarer to have scripts marked significantly generously or harshly.

You have to remember however that examiners are paid very little and it really is just not worth it for them to spend more than 2-3mins per script. There are senior examiners who are supposed to moderate the work of normal examiners. However, there have been many reports in the media where it has been stated by examiners themselves that this moderation is poor to say the least. In fact someone on tsr posted an article a day or two before results day where an examiner was saying exactly this.

In a remark however, your work is marked by a senior examiner, which is just as well.

Reply 41

Kaz007

Here's the article:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2007/aug/21/schools.gcses

Reply 42

Kaz007

And here's part of an article explaining exactly what I was saying about examiners not specialising in what they are marking (English in this case):

"The criticisms are many and varied. For example, examiners marking essay-style questions are not always required to have read the book or play in question. Many are paid by the paper, a potential incentive to grade as quickly as possible. Others must work alongside an onscreen traffic light-style "productivity meter" measuring the examiners' speed. And some English A-level examiners complain of burnout after having to mark the same essay hundreds of times consecutively."

"Another problem is that entry-level Edexcel examiners say they regularly have to mark long A-level essay questions without being asked to have read the books or plays in question. Glowach says that she had only read a few of the Shakespeare plays she was dealing with, and even then had not done so for seven or eight years. She told the examiner.

"His response was, 'Well, you've been accurate so far...' These were A-level essays, and at no point did I feel pressured to have read or to review the plays. It was like, 'Hey we're both professionals here, I'm not gonna give you homework'."

Full article:

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/schools/will-this-years-results-be-queried-460723.html

Reply 43

brookemiller

Has anyone gone up in maths yet? Via a remark

Thanks

Reply 44

mischa90

A2 Edexcel Chemsitry - Gave 3 papers to be remarked and I went up by 2 UMS marks. Not enough to get the A though. :frown:

Reply 45

dani2511

2

mischa90

A2 Edexcel Chemsitry - Gave 3 papers to be remarked and I went up by 2 UMS marks. Not enough to get the A though. :frown:

How much do you need to get up to the A?

Reply 46

xthatgurlx

7

got my sociology remark
went up about 10 marks still not happy enough.
it's a big dilema in my college everyone seems to have got Us and Es across the board
it is extremely weird for A grade students like me
they are going to request all the papers back.
lucky my results AABAAU (now and E did not affect my overall grade a B)
but i still deserve an A i worked hard for that exam

Reply 47

Mukti

I sent mine off on the 18th...
AQA French and Business, I had A's and B's in all the modules, then bus6 came out with a D! and my french essay was a C, and I dropped down to ABB, (A in maths), and I may lose my spot at bristol!
So hoping for a succssful remark!

Anyone else heard back??

Reply 48

Balz

I just wanted to ask when the deadline for remarks is? Thanks in advance.

Reply 49

T kay

3

Depends on the exam board, for edexcel its 20th September, I think it's the same for other exam boards too.

My advice is to go and see your examination officer on the first day back, tr and sort out your remark as soon as you can.

Reply 50

brookemiller

Mukti

I sent mine off on the 18th...
AQA French and Business, I had A's and B's in all the modules, then bus6 came out with a D! and my french essay was a C, and I dropped down to ABB, (A in maths), and I may lose my spot at bristol!
So hoping for a succssful remark!

Anyone else heard back??

I sent mine off on the 14th for 3 maths modules to be remarked. I got it back today. 1 module went down 1 mark, 1 module stayed the same, and the last went up by 6 marks!!
So its thoroughly worth while as i was only 3 UMS points from a B in maths, and now i have my B, which gives me ABB which gets me into my first choice university - Loughborough.

Good Luck everyone.

Reply 51

sh_86

hi all,

my sister missed an A by 1 UMS in edexcel drama and theatre studies. Firm choice Leeds wont let her in to do business and economics even though she has an AEA in business and 2As and 2Bs at the moment due to oversubscription.

Had a remark of A2 exam unit and it has come back the same. Sent the performance off for remark today - a teacher told us it couldn't go as a priority remark and then we found out it actually can but if we had added it to original remark request it made the target date after 31st August (Leeds deadline) so hopefully 1 UMS will turn up. Anyone have any experience of having a filmed performance re-marked??

Reply 52

worthers

History, and similar subjects should have two examiners marking papers and a correlation between them, in order to ensure candidates are being marked correctly.

Reply 53

Salinger

1

I've ordered a photocopy of my unit 3 accounts, and unit 2 in physics
due to the fact i thought i'd done really well in accounts, and was looking at 90+, came back at 74, with physics i've seen the official mark scheme and thought i had at least 75 UMS, not 60 UMS.

the photocopys are costing 10 pound each, and my college gets them and has the time of about 8 days since getting them to decide whether to remark.. and whether its worth it. (i'll discuss it with my tutors) surely AS people like myself are best off doing it this way, due to not needing a priority remark and saving alot of money by checking photocopy against a mark scheme first? because i think its basically 'clutching at straws' if your just going on the off chance you'll go up.

i agree that if a university place depends on it you should by all means send off for priority remarks if your a few UMS off the offer, but for AS people to send off for remarks straightaway i find it stupid, rather than getting a photocopy first - as you still have time to send off for remark, + like myself, i'm getting photocopys first but i will also resit them.

Reply 54

worthers

Salinger

I've ordered a photocopy of my unit 3 accounts, and unit 2 in physics
due to the fact i thought i'd done really well in accounts, and was looking at 90+, came back at 74, with physics i've seen the official mark scheme and thought i had at least 75 UMS, not 60 UMS.

the photocopys are costing 10 pound each, and my college gets them and has the time of about 8 days since getting them to decide whether to remark.. and whether its worth it. (i'll discuss it with my tutors) surely AS people like myself are best off doing it this way, due to not needing a priority remark and saving alot of money by checking photocopy against a mark scheme first? because i think its basically 'clutching at straws' if your just going on the off chance you'll go up.

i agree that if a university place depends on it you should by all means send off for priority remarks if your a few UMS off the offer, but for AS people to send off for remarks straightaway i find it stupid, rather than getting a photocopy first - as you still have time to send off for remark, + like myself, i'm getting photocopys first but i will also resit them.

I agree and disagree. I think people jump at re-marks before thinking about it, true. However, the re-mark I'm getting will help me decide what subject I'm going to drop next year, and I don't want to be doing that for 6 weeks when I don't have to.

Reply 55

jenny90

6

I ordered an edexcel remark of my history unit 6 paper on monday 18th. I got a U in that unit and AABBC in the other units! I need 7 ums to get the B overall instead of the C i currently have. Who knows what'll happen! Fingers crossed :smile:

Reply 56

adelebelle

I just found out that my Edexcel French A-level went up 10 UMS to give me 7 UMS above the A which i needed to meet my first choice offer.

unit 1- 70 to 72
unit 5- 62 to 67
unit 6- 84 to 87

Still waiting for History OCR..

Good Luck to everyone.

Reply 57

Medicine Man

16

my mates edexhell bio and chem remarks got back today - no change in either!
I've already got an overall A in physics (only just) but a C (5 ums of a B) in Ph1 for edexhell. School said remark results were back but the exams officer said she couldn't tell me over the phone because of "confidentiality issues". wtf? Who the heck did she think she was speaking to then!! What was she on?? :confused:

I've got to get into school at 8.30am on tuesday!

Reply 58

Mukti

Medicine Man

my mates edexhell bio and chem remarks got back today - no change in either!
I've already got an overall A in physics (only just) but a C (5 ums of a B) in Ph1 for edexhell. School said remark results were back but the exams officer said she couldn't tell me over the phone because of "confidentiality issues". wtf? Who the heck did she think she was speaking to then!! What was she on?? :confused:

I've got to get into school at 8.30am on tuesday!