The Student Room Group

Grotesque marking

My daughter got a c in Modern studies higher. She got an A in the prelim, an A in the tests and her teacher predicted a big A 85% for her. She felt she did poorly in the assignment and got 70%, not so good in paper 2 and got 79% and brilliantly in paper 1 and got 33%. She submitted 20 correct statistics in paper 1 should have been worth a point each and yet scored only 17/52. We will submit an appeal but if it is not changed are we legally entitled to see her paper. I would for example wish to call in the police and a handwriting expert if it was not changed. Her other results were 4 As including an A band 1 in maths. She is from a private school and there was an incident of a marker sabotaging this particular private school last year. What are my rights. I know my daughter and this Mark is badly wrong.

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Original post by Douglas77
My daughter got a c in Modern studies higher. She got an A in the prelim, an A in the tests and her teacher predicted a big A 85% for her. She felt she did poorly in the assignment and got 70%, not so good in paper 2 and got 79% and brilliantly in paper 1 and got 33%. She submitted 20 correct statistics in paper 1 should have been worth a point each and yet scored only 17/52. We will submit an appeal but if it is not changed are we legally entitled to see her paper. I would for example wish to call in the police and a handwriting expert if it was not changed. Her other results were 4 As including an A band 1 in maths. She is from a private school and there was an incident of a marker sabotaging this particular private school last year. What are my rights. I know my daughter and this Mark is badly wrong.


:wavey:

Sorry to hear your daughter didn't get the grade she wanted...Unfortunately you cannot appeal a grade, only request a marking review/clerical check- more info on that here. Marking reviews are done objectively, so whatever that comes out with is the grade that will be awarded. No, you are not legally entitled to see the paper, the closest you can get is a subject access request.

Hope this helps :smile:
(edited 4 years ago)
Original post by Douglas77
My daughter got a c in Modern studies higher. She got an A in the prelim, an A in the tests and her teacher predicted a big A 85% for her. She felt she did poorly in the assignment and got 70%, not so good in paper 2 and got 79% and brilliantly in paper 1 and got 33%. She submitted 20 correct statistics in paper 1 should have been worth a point each and yet scored only 17/52. We will submit an appeal but if it is not changed are we legally entitled to see her paper. I would for example wish to call in the police and a handwriting expert if it was not changed. Her other results were 4 As including an A band 1 in maths. She is from a private school and there was an incident of a marker sabotaging this particular private school last year. What are my rights. I know my daughter and this Mark is badly wrong.

I think calling for a remark is your best point of call. I'm not 100% but the person who remarks shouldn't know what the original mark is. @Labrador99, would you know anything about this?

I was hoping to ask - what is your daughter's writing like? Could it be that her exam script for that particular exam might have been misread?
Original post by Quick-use
I'm not 100% but the person who remarks shouldn't know what the original mark is. @Labrador99, would you know anything about this?


Not sure on that one, sorry! :redface:
Original post by Quick-use
I think calling for a remark is your best point of call. I'm not 100% but the person who remarks shouldn't know what the original mark is. @Labrador99, would you know anything about this?

I was hoping to ask - what is your daughter's writing like? Could it be that her exam script for that particular exam might have been misread?

As exam boards now use 'reviews of marking' as opposed to remarks, I'm pretty sure they would be able to see the mark because they would be able to see all of the previous examiner's marking
Original post by scrippsy
As exam boards now use 'reviews of marking' as opposed to remarks, I'm pretty sure they would be able to see the mark because they would be able to see all of the previous examiner's marking

Does this apply to the SQA?
Reply 6
Her Handwriting is superb. Very neat
Reply 7
Original post by Labrador99
:wavey:

Sorry to hear your daughter didn't get the grade she wanted...Unfortunately you cannot appeal a grade, only request a marking review/clerical check- more info on that here. Marking reviews are done objectively, so whatever that comes out with is the grade that will be awarded. No, you are not legally entitled to see the paper, the closest you can get is a subject access request.

Hope this helps :smile:

Not Really

What I really want is to compare the handwriting on paper 2 and the assignment with the handwriting on paper 1. I simply want to make sure that the paper 1 that has been marked is the paper 1 she submitted, it should have 20 statistics in it for example. I don't seem to have legal recourse to do that. I am not looking for a couple of extra marks, she thinks she got around 90% not the 33% she was awarded. I have no doubt the marks she received for the assignment and paper 2 were genuine. It is the marker who marked paper 1 who should probably be investigated. I consider there could be a major scandal involving the SQA and I do not want it hushed up. In these exceptional circumstances is there no legal recourse.
Reply 8
Original post by Douglas77
Not Really

What I really want is to compare the handwriting on paper 2 and the assignment with the handwriting on paper 1. I simply want to make sure that the paper 1 that has been marked is the paper 1 she submitted, it should have 20 statistics in it for example. I don't seem to have legal recourse to do that. I am not looking for a couple of extra marks, she thinks she got around 90% not the 33% she was awarded. I have no doubt the marks she received for the assignment and paper 2 were genuine. It is the marker who marked paper 1 who should probably be investigated. I consider there could be a major scandal involving the SQA and I do not want it hushed up. In these exceptional circumstances is there no legal recourse.

Unfortunately, you will not be able to access the physical script that your daughter submitted as this is exempt from General Data Protection Regulations. However, if you submit a subject access request to the SQA, they will send all of the information that they have on your daughter, other than the paper itself. If I recall correctly, there was somebody who sent away for a subject access request and they were able to see the mark they were awarded for each question and any marker comments.

In the meantime, speak to the head of modern studies at your daughter's school and see if they will put in for a marker review - the grade may go up if it was initially marked incorrectly.

If you're interested see: https://www.sqa.org.uk/sqa/57681.html

Otherwise, @labrador99 is the person to go to :smile:
Reply 9
The head of Modern studies is indeed going to put in a marker review. Perhaps that will solve the issue. What I want most of all though is someone to check that the small neat handwriting on the assignment and paper 2 is the same writing on paper 1. That paper 1 has 20 statistics in it. I want to make sure the paper 1 that was ascribed to my daughter is really her paper. If it is not in small neat handwriting with 20 statistics on it it is not the paper my daughter submitted. I am concerned there is a rogue marker in the SQA. It sounds like an SQA marker review will not check for this.
Reply 10
Original post by Douglas77
The head of Modern studies is indeed going to put in a marker review. Perhaps that will solve the issue. What I want most of all though is someone to check that the small neat handwriting on the assignment and paper 2 is the same writing on paper 1. That paper 1 has 20 statistics in it. I want to make sure the paper 1 that was ascribed to my daughter is really her paper. If it is not in small neat handwriting with 20 statistics on it it is not the paper my daughter submitted. I am concerned there is a rogue marker in the SQA. It sounds like an SQA marker review will not check for this.

I’m not trying to be confrontational at all, however, Higher Modern Studies essays incorporate marks for Knowledge, Evaluation, Analysis and conclusion. Simply using 20 statistics won’t guarantee a good mark without quality analysis and evaluation of how those statistics address the question.
Reply 11
Okay. Her teacher set her a test in class that was very similar to the Higher modern studies paper 1 prior to the higher, she got full marks for it,100%. The only exam she came home from admitting she did well in was Modern Studies paper 1. Look at the 3 marks she got in modern studies 70%, 79% and 33%. Come on. Her analysis is superb her statistics are relevant and appropriate. Her teacher predicted a big A 85%. She has never failed a Modern studies paper in her life and yet she is getting 17/52 when her favourite questions come up. The award is grotesquely wrong. Yes I know parents have rose coloured glasses when it comes to their kids but she is sure she could not have got 17/52 as am I. Apparently I am unable to request a remark incorporating a handwriting check. Let us hope the remark is enough to achieve justice. I shall post the outcome of the remark.
Original post by Douglas77
Okay. Her teacher set her a test in class that was very similar to the Higher modern studies paper 1 prior to the higher, she got full marks for it,100%. The only exam she came home from admitting she did well in was Modern Studies paper 1. Look at the 3 marks she got in modern studies 70%, 79% and 33%. Come on. Her analysis is superb her statistics are relevant and appropriate. Her teacher predicted a big A 85%. She has never failed a Modern studies paper in her life and yet she is getting 17/52 when her favourite questions come up. The award is grotesquely wrong. Yes I know parents have rose coloured glasses when it comes to their kids but she is sure she could not have got 17/52 as am I. Apparently I am unable to request a remark incorporating a handwriting check. Let us hope the remark is enough to achieve justice. I shall post the outcome of the remark.

Fingers crossed! Hopefully, your daughter's school will also support her as much as they can to get to the bottom of this. Have you spoken to her teacher or head-teacher? What have they said?

As an aside, you had mentioned that there was previously a rogue teacher who was sabotaging the grades of the students at your daughter's school. What happened exactly? I don't think this is relevant to your daughter's case but I am somewhat curious.
Reply 13
The school was Heriot’s and it was the Nat 5’s. so not so important. I’m pretty sure there was no redress for the pupils as results were set in stone after a while there can only be so many As and Bs and so on. I believe the marker was found and presumably banned from marking. It would have been 2 years ago. Not fair though.
Original post by Douglas77
The school was Heriot’s and it was the Nat 5’s. so not so important. I’m pretty sure there was no redress for the pupils as results were set in stone after a while there can only be so many As and Bs and so on. I believe the marker was found and presumably banned from marking. It would have been 2 years ago. Not fair though.

I see. I agree that that wasn't fair. What subjects is your daughter doing this year and what are her plans for university?

I had some friends at uni who went to Heriot's in Edinburgh. They enjoyed it. :rambo:
Reply 15
Original post by Quick-use
I see. I agree that that wasn't fair. What subjects is your daughter doing this year and what are her plans for university?

I had some friends at uni who went to Heriot's in Edinburgh. They enjoyed it. :rambo:

Advanced higher maths, advanced higher statistics, advanced higher english. Not sure what she wants to do, maybe business at Glasgow or St Andrews
Here in Wales you can absolutely get to see copies of the exam papers. I have seen one of my daughters she had a review of marking on and was sent a scan of the paper by email. It cost £11 to get this and additional £49.50 for a remark.
Original post by dking2001
Here in Wales you can absolutely get to see copies of the exam papers. I have seen one of my daughters she had a review of marking on and was sent a scan of the paper by email. It cost £11 to get this and additional £49.50 for a remark.


Alas in Scotland, for SQA exams, you can't.
I would definitely submit an appeal/ask for a remark, however is it possible that your daughter fluffed the exam? From how it sounds, there's a lot of pressure on your daughter - from her school and you, and it seems that she is incredibly bright and therefore probably puts a lot of pressure on herself. From the sound of lots of goods marks and one bad one, it does just seem like she had a bad day - if this was her first exam for the subject, or her first exam entirely, is it not possible that she's just had a bad day and that's that? From what I can gather about the Scottish Education system she will now go on to study the Advanced Highers (is this correct?) so can she not work on and improve this grade then, and learn from the experience that a bad day may just be a bad day?

As a good student (10 GCSEs A*-B, AAB at A-Level and now firsts in uni), I do understand how disappointing a bad grade can be, both as a student and also from the family point of view, but as a student I know that if I got a grade I wasn't pleased with, having a parent going online and threatening to call in the police or a handwriting expert would not be making me feel better at all. A bad grade isn't the end of the world, and what would be best for your daughter now would be going to make sure she's feeling okay, reassuring her of her ability and making sure she knows you're still proud of her grades and ask how she's feeling - maybe she wants to move past this and just focus on next year, rather than having to relive this bad grade?
Original post by Douglas77
Advanced higher maths, advanced higher statistics, advanced higher english. Not sure what she wants to do, maybe business at Glasgow or St Andrews

I hope the remark procedure is going well for your daughter.

If you don't mind me asking, are there any updates? :rambo:

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