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will I get disqualified?

I'm really worried about my English language paper 1 exam as my creative writing may be viewed as plagiarism even thought its my work.

Basically, last year I wrote a creative writing piece and I commented it on a youtube video because I wanted a teacher to mark it and he made a video about it. Fast forward to my GCSEs where I used lots of the same sentences from that in my actual piece but I just realised the writing I commented online doesn't have my name on it and it looked like I stole it, but its mine. I tried to correct it by commenting my real name on it but is that enough?
Reply 1
Don't worry, it is not a submitted essay. It's an exam, they will just mark it and give you a grade.
Hi there, yeah that sounds quite stressful for you but I wouldn't worry.

Your work wasn't actually 'published' by the YouTuber or your comment (i.e. you didnt put any copyright claims on it) so I don't think you've inadvertently plagiarised yourself.

Is it that your username om youtube isn't you're real name so the exam board wouldn't know you're copying your own work if they even did see the video? If so, I don't think exam boards have software that run plagiarism checks to the extent of checking youtube videos.

Have a word with your teacher and see what they say, worse comes to worst you have to tell the exam board but it's highly unlikely you would get penalised.

Pepole copy ideas all the time - think about people who copied word for word what their English Lit revision textbook said in the exam and claimed it was their own idea, or people who learn word for word parts of a bio textbook.
Just to add that examiners mark tons of papers and they won't be arsed to check every single one for plagiarism :smile:
Reply 4
If this was a written exam, it probably won't even be checked for plagiarism. It would take examiners a lot more time than they have to type up every student's paper and put it through a plagiarism checker. If it was coursework, it would only be flagged as possible plagiarism if it deviated from your usual writing style, which I assume yours doesn't, since the 'copied' text was written by you in the first place.
I would agree with all the above. They need to mark thousands of papers, they don’t have time to plagiarise check it.
Reply 6
Original post by Andrew97
I would agree with all the above. They need to mark thousands of papers, they don’t have time to plagiarise check it.


Thanks so much I have been really worrying myself. :smile:
Reply 7
Original post by Beth_H
If this was a written exam, it probably won't even be checked for plagiarism. It would take examiners a lot more time than they have to type up every student's paper and put it through a plagiarism checker. If it was coursework, it would only be flagged as possible plagiarism if it deviated from your usual writing style, which I assume yours doesn't, since the 'copied' text was written by you in the first place.


I didn't know that they don't check written exams for plagiarism. Thanks so much. It was a written exam btw.
Reply 8
Original post by bluebells1
Hi there, yeah that sounds quite stressful for you but I wouldn't worry.

Your work wasn't actually 'published' by the YouTuber or your comment (i.e. you didnt put any copyright claims on it) so I don't think you've inadvertently plagiarised yourself.

Is it that your username om youtube isn't you're real name so the exam board wouldn't know you're copying your own work if they even did see the video? If so, I don't think exam boards have software that run plagiarism checks to the extent of checking youtube videos.

Have a word with your teacher and see what they say, worse comes to worst you have to tell the exam board but it's highly unlikely you would get penalised.

Pepole copy ideas all the time - think about people who copied word for word what their English Lit revision textbook said in the exam and claimed it was their own
idea, or people who learn word for word parts of a bio textbook.


Hi there no I had another username but I commented my real name on the video comment section
Reply 9
Original post by H.a.hx
Don't worry, it is not a submitted essay. It's an exam, they will just mark it and give you a grade.


Thanks, so they don't check written GCSE exams for plagiarism . That's a relief!
Original post by Littyboi
Hi there no I had another username but I commented my real name on the video comment section


Ah ok, to be honest, regardless I don't think it would ever get to the point that the exam board would want to check.

If it was digital coursework, yeah then I'd think it would be a concern if you hadn't referenced or cited but for a handwritten gcse exam amongst thousands of others it's very very unlikely - if not completely ridiculous - that they'd check :smile:

I hope it puts your mind at rest but I know what it's like when something worries you and no matter what people say you're still convinced otherwise! Hopefully we've been reassuring but if you get really worried about this, you could always just tellsomeone at your school and they would say the same thing - that it's all fine!

Good luck on results day! (And if it makes you feel any better my friend put tons of swear words in her creative writing and still got an 8 so, whatever floats the examiners boat)
Reply 11
Original post by bluebells1
Ah ok, to be honest, regardless I don't think it would ever get to the point that the exam board would want to check.

If it was digital coursework, yeah then I'd think it would be a concern if you hadn't referenced or cited but for a handwritten gcse exam amongst thousands of others it's very very unlikely - if not completely ridiculous - that they'd check :smile:

I hope it puts your mind at rest but I know what it's like when something worries you and no matter what people say you're still convinced otherwise! Hopefully we've been reassuring but if you get really worried about this, you could always just tellsomeone at your school and they would say the same thing - that it's all fine!

Good luck on results day! (And if it makes you feel any better my friend put tons of swear words in her creative writing and still got an 8 so, whatever floats the examiners boat)


thank you so much, it has been making me upset but you've made me feel a lot calmer. for some reason I thought they could easily check my handwriting and could track it somehow but I think that was my imagination going wild when I overthink things- thanks again! :wink:
Reply 12
Original post by Littyboi
Thanks, so they don't check written GCSE exams for plagiarism . That's a relief!


No they don't. Enjoy your summer and try not to worry about these things
Reply 13
Original post by H.a.hx
No they don't. Enjoy your summer and try not to worry about these things


I'll try :smile: and you too!
Reply 14
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Reply 15
Original post by H.a.hx
For python you can use codeacademy


???
Reply 16
Original post by Littyboi
I didn't know that they don't check written exams for plagiarism. Thanks so much. It was a written exam btw.

I can only assume they don't. The examiner has no way of knowing whether the script they're marking deviates from the candidate's usual writing style (since they don't know you, and even if they did, the papers are marked anonymously). The only way to catch plagiarists would be for every script to be typed up and checked online, which would be a massive waste of time and money. I suppose they just assume that the strict exam conditions and the fact that students don't know the question beforehand makes plagiarism unlikely.
Reply 17
Original post by Beth_H
I can only assume they don't. The examiner has no way of knowing whether the script they're marking deviates from the candidate's usual writing style (since they don't know you, and even if they did, the papers are marked anonymously). The only way to catch plagiarists would be for every script to be typed up and checked online, which would be a massive waste of time and money. I suppose they just assume that the strict exam conditions and the fact that students don't know the question beforehand makes plagiarism unlikely.


yeah you're right I'm just over thinking it.

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