The Student Room Group

Screwed by IA moderation

Hey guys (and girls), this is my first post on the forums and I'm writing this mostly out of frustration, but also a hoping o get some help.

I was predicted a 7 in HL physics and got stunning 47 out of 48 points for lab reports. I expected this to get moderated down, as it often happens, but only by 4, 5, or even 10 points. My work was not sent to the IB moderator.

I received a 5 in Physics and was quite down because of it. Later I went to school and saw my detailed results. My mark for lab reports had been moderated down by 23 points resulting in 24 points overall. Only 30 points would be enough to give me a 6, and had I received 47 I would get 7.

Nothing like that has happened to my teacher before - moderation by almost 50%. I am extremely angry. No one has seen my work and it was decided that it was worth only 24 points. I am certain that I should get at least 30 points, and 40 is not out of the question.

This has a major influence on the universities I will go to. Unfortunately IB does not provide any way to appeal. My teacher wrote to them, but the response was less than helpful.

Has anything like this ever happened to any of you? What did you?


P.S. I was also predicted a 7 in HL mathematics and received only a 6. When I asked for a remark they increased my number of points for paper 1 from 89 to 113 (out of 120), but also decreased my mark from paper 3 by 3 points. All of this has made my total percentage 78.83, while the 7s start from 79%. Nice coincidence, huh?

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Reply 1

I'm really sorry to hear that :frown: I'm afraid there's nothing anyone on here can really do apart from console you. I doubt it will make you feel better, but the same thing (albeit not on the same scale) happened to my Biology. I got 46/48, mine was not sent off, and I was awarded 33, so moderated down by 13. One of my friends in the same class only went down by 3, and his was not sent off either. My teacher's marks have never been changed before. I have no idea how they decide to award marks to work they have not seen, but it annoys me the way they don't even make the same adjustments across the board, and how it always seems so hit and miss.

Weirdly again (although this was good for me), my Chemistry was 48/48 and didn't get sent off and was not moderated down. Other people in my class (whose work wasn't sent off either) were taken down by a few points. I'd really like to know how they decide to make these weird decisions!

The only thing you can do is get it remarked (if they let you). I know it sucks, but that's the only way you might be able to change anything, apart from resitting, which I doubt you want to do.

That's a big increase in your maths paper 1! I wonder how they managed that, because maths shouldn't be subjective to mark :confused: Anyway, I thought percentages were rounded to the nearest integer, so that should give you 79, and so a 7.

Interesting the way the IBO works really :s-smilie:

EDIT: Loads of people get screwed by IA moderation every year. People think they're safe, when they're probably the part you'll lose the most unexpected marks. People's World Lit essays in my school went from a 7 to a 4, and most of my Biology classmates dropped at least a grade due to the moderation of our lab reports.

Reply 2

I did send it for a remark, but they do not recheck the lab reports and my mark has not changed.

Jesus, the moderations seem so random. I just cannot believe that a work of a great significance over my future life is marked by someone who has not seen it and that there is no way to appeal. When I signed up for IB, I just assumed that the remark includes the recheck of my IA. Hell, I would pay more just for that.

In mathematics they must've lost one page or something, because 24 points is very significant. It's like one part B question. Are you sure hey round the percentages?

Reply 3

I thought they did - I remember reading a document outlining the marking procedures and awarding of grades, but I just searched and can't find it any more... If they don't then that's just harsh. I'd expect them to, because grade boundaries are written in integers. It's not just 'above x', they're given as 'x-y'. So for Maths (although I haven't seen the grade boundaries yet) it should be something like:
6 whatever - 78
7 79-100

That's what all the others look like. If they stick to that then they'd need to round it I guess...

Reply 4

I don't know about the IB but severe loss of marks can happen with moderation, usually through a fatal teacher marking error- even in maths as someone mentioned above - my teacher was the principal CW moderator for my maths exam board and he was sent scripts with full marks that he remarked as 1 or 0s, if you're teacher had done something this severe it would most probably drag your mark down, however I would've thought that in cases were work was losing 50% that the whole batch would be remarked form scratch.

Reply 5

madmck
but also decreased my mark from paper 3 by 3 points
There are only two outcomes to a remark: increase in marks or marks staying the same. They do not reduce your marks.

IA moderation ain't fair, but whatcha gonna do? I was predicted 41 and instead got a lower 30's score due to moderation, and 93% of my class failed to get the diploma (although most were idiots, so you can't totally blame the moderation for this)

jay8
People's World Lit essays in my school went from a 7 to a 4
World Literature essays are externally assessed, not internally assessed and externally moderated, so this is totally irrelevant to the topic. If your classmates world lit's went from a 7 to a 4, both your teacher's (for predicting so much higher) and your classmates (for writing such ****ty essays) sucked

Reply 6

IB-Seed
There are only two outcomes to a remark: increase in marks or marks staying the same. They do not reduce your marks.


Apparently they do. Mind that these are component marks, not the overall grade. I asked for several remarks and in some of them some component grades have been reduced, but the overall grade stayed the same.

Reply 7

madmck
Hey guys (and girls), this is my first post on the forums and I'm writing this mostly out of frustration, but also a hoping o get some help.

I was predicted a 7 in HL physics and got stunning 47 out of 48 points for lab reports. I expected this to get moderated down, as it often happens, but only by 4, 5, or even 10 points. My work was not sent to the IB moderator.

I received a 5 in Physics and was quite down because of it. Later I went to school and saw my detailed results. My mark for lab reports had been moderated down by 23 points resulting in 24 points overall. MId you that only 30 points would enough to give me a 6, and had I received 47 I would get 7.

Nothing like that has happened to my teacher before - moderation by almost 50%. I am extremely angry. No one has seen my work and it was decided that it was worth only 24 points. I am certain that I should get at least 30 points because of it and 40 is not out of the question.

This has a major influence on the universities I will go to. Unfortunately IB does not provide any way to appeal. My teacher wrote to them, but the response was less than helpful.

Has anything like this ever happened to any of you? What did you?


P.S. I was also predicted a 7 in HL mathematics and received only a 6. When I asked for a remark they increased my number of points for paper 1 from 89 to 113 (out of 120), but also decreased my mark from paper 3 by 3 points. All of this has made my total percentage 78.83, while the 7s start from 79%. Nice coincidence, huh?


Wow...I guess your teachers must be very bad at following the IB rubric. Nevertheless...I think it's possible to talk to the universities and tell them what happened. I think they will understand. After all, it isn't your fault your teachers happen to be horrible markers.

Reply 8

madmck
Hey guys (and girls), this is my first post on the forums and I'm writing this mostly out of frustration, but also a hoping o get some help.

I was predicted a 7 in HL physics and got stunning 47 out of 48 points for lab reports. I expected this to get moderated down, as it often happens, but only by 4, 5, or even 10 points. My work was not sent to the IB moderator.

I received a 5 in Physics and was quite down because of it. Later I went to school and saw my detailed results. My mark for lab reports had been moderated down by 23 points resulting in 24 points overall. Only 30 points would be enough to give me a 6, and had I received 47 I would get 7.

Nothing like that has happened to my teacher before - moderation by almost 50%. I am extremely angry. No one has seen my work and it was decided that it was worth only 24 points. I am certain that I should get at least 30 points, and 40 is not out of the question.

This has a major influence on the universities I will go to. Unfortunately IB does not provide any way to appeal. My teacher wrote to them, but the response was less than helpful.

Has anything like this ever happened to any of you? What did you?


P.S. I was also predicted a 7 in HL mathematics and received only a 6. When I asked for a remark they increased my number of points for paper 1 from 89 to 113 (out of 120), but also decreased my mark from paper 3 by 3 points. All of this has made my total percentage 78.83, while the 7s start from 79%. Nice coincidence, huh?


I am in a VERYY similar situation. I was disappointed about how physics SL IA was moderated down by 11 (from a 48/48 to 37/48) - making my overall score a 6 instead of a 7! My IA was not one of the samples sent and I feel the moderation was unfair, and the samples didnt represnt my IA very well. So I want it to get remarked by IB somwhow.

Reply 9

Moderation represents a seriously weak link in an otherwise excellent program.

While the philosophy behind moderation is sound, the practice is not. Work gets sent to supposedly moderated moderators who have been 'trained' in the process. Whatever they decide from this point on is written in stone and cannot be changed.

There has been a constant battle between teachers and the IBO regarding the variable nature of the moderators standards, however the IBO always closes ranks.

There are many (and I mean a lot - about one third of teachers who attended an IB group 4 conference three years ago had had their student's grades slashed by up to 50%) teachers bewildered and frustrated by the situation. Work that was presented and moderated as being totally suitable for the criteria applied one year may be criticised that it does not meet the very same standards the very next year.

Once a teacher's experimental work is moderated, the marks are then 'adjusted' across the board. This is clearly unfair on all parties involved. There seems to be a adjustment factor applied, with high scoring students losing many marks and average scoring students losing far fewer. To slash a students marks, sight unseen, is simply not right. There are very few legal systems in place that do not allow for some kind of appeal, but with the IBO there is nothing in place.

This is no consolation to the students of group 4 subjects I know.
This year was the last year that the old criteria were applied. To be fair to the IB they have stressed the need to be rigorous is the application of the criteria, to the point of absurdity in some cases.
They have even made moderation videos available for teachers, to press home their point.

Ways forward?

For anyone involved in teaching the subjects, the message is clear - all practicals MUST be suitable and appropriate for the criteria applied. Students MUST be given their own opportunity to plan, record and analyse experiments. Teachers have to mark the work as rigorously as possible.

However, I personally (and I suspect many of my colleagues) would like to see something done on the part of the IBO to address concerns from the very people that support them - the schools and the students, without whom they wouldn't exist.
Any problems are usually stonewalled and discussion regarding decisions taken are impossible. Next year the group 4 project is to be the ONLY source of information for personal skills criteria. However, if a student takes two sciences they don't necessarily have to have input into the GP4 for both subjects. Now where is the sense in that?

Reply 10

jay8
I got 46/48, mine was not sent off, and I was awarded 33, so moderated down by 13. One of my friends in the same class only went down by 3, and his was not sent off either.


Sorry but could you clarify this?
how can the mark be downgraded if it wasn't sent off?
I thought moderation process takes place when you send off the documents to the IBO, nah:no:?

For one thing, my ITGS teacher told me this selection is random and arbitrary :frown: which ***ks

Reply 11

shinhans31
Sorry but could you clarify this?
how can the mark be downgraded if it wasn't sent off?
I thought moderation process takes place when you send off the documents to the IBO, nah:no:?

For one thing, my ITGS teacher told me this selection is random and arbitrary :frown: which ***ks

You pretend to be a know-it-all and you don't know the most basic stuff? Random IA samples get sent to evaluate how your teacher has checked them, and based on that evaluation everybody's marks are adjusted.

And yes, it's just an excuse :smile: What can I say, you caught me!

Reply 12

shinhans31
Sorry but could you clarify this?
how can the mark be downgraded if it wasn't sent off?
I thought moderation process takes place when you send off the documents to the IBO, nah:no:?

For one thing, my ITGS teacher told me this selection is random and arbitrary :frown: which ***ks


It's basically what IB-Seed said (though not in the most diplomatic of ways, I have to admit). For IA's, the teacher sends off all the marks that they themselves have awarded students. A random selection of different students' work is then requested by the IBO and moderated. Based on the moderations, all the students' marks are adjusted: mine wasn't sent off, but it was downgraded because the moderator felt my teacher had awarded us marks that were too high.

Reply 13

jay8
It's basically what IB-Seed said (though not in the most diplomatic of ways, I have to admit). For IA's, the teacher sends off all the marks that they themselves have awarded students. A random selection of different students' work is then requested by the IBO and moderated. Based on the moderations, all the students' marks are adjusted: mine wasn't sent off, but it was downgraded because the moderator felt my teacher had awarded us marks that were too high.


ohh now I see :smile:
what a lucid explanation!
so basically, its virtually unfair system then :frown:
ummm simply, it doesn't make sense for those whose marks were downgraded even if they didn't it send off

Reply 14

shinhans31
Sorry but could you clarify this?
how can the mark be downgraded if it wasn't sent off?
I thought moderation process takes place when you send off the documents to the IBO, nah:no:?

For one thing, my ITGS teacher told me this selection is random and arbitrary :frown: which ***ks


Usually...they moderate the things to see if the teacher followed the IB rubric or not. If they find it unacceptable, the entire class with that particular teacher would either be downgraded or upgraded. It affects the entire class...that is why marking is very crucial in IB. :biggrin:

Reply 15

dafunkyguy
Usually...they moderate the things to see if the teacher followed the IB rubric or not. If they find it unacceptable, the entire class with that particular teacher would either be downgraded or upgraded. It affects the entire class...that is why marking is very crucial in IB. :biggrin:


Yeah.. I didn't know that the entire class is affected by moderation...

Reply 16

charco
To slash a students marks, sight unseen, is simply not right. There are very few legal systems in place that do not allow for some kind of appeal, but with the IBO there is nothing in place.


I start to think, that the only reason they do not have any ways of appealing is because it would reveal that the system doesn't work. The marks would be significantly different from the moderated ones.

Reply 17

madmck
I start to think, that the only reason they do not have any ways of appealing is because it would reveal that the system doesn't work. The marks would be significantly different from the moderated ones.


BTW, it's really interesting that your HL mathematics paper 1 went up by 24 points (from 89 to 113)
I wonder how that happened at first..Maths shouldn't be marked subjectively.
I mean it shouldn't happen

Reply 18

shinhans31 and IB-Seed: stop derailing the thread with pointless spam. The insult match is not welcome either.

Any more and I'll close the thread.

Reply 19

madmck
Hey guys (and girls), this is my first post on the forums and I'm writing this mostly out of frustration, but also a hoping o get some help.

I was predicted a 7 in HL physics and got stunning 47 out of 48 points for lab reports. I expected this to get moderated down, as it often happens, but only by 4, 5, or even 10 points. My work was not sent to the IB moderator.

I received a 5 in Physics and was quite down because of it. Later I went to school and saw my detailed results. My mark for lab reports had been moderated down by 23 points resulting in 24 points overall. Only 30 points would be enough to give me a 6, and had I received 47 I would get 7.

Nothing like that has happened to my teacher before - moderation by almost 50%. I am extremely angry. No one has seen my work and it was decided that it was worth only 24 points. I am certain that I should get at least 30 points, and 40 is not out of the question.

This has a major influence on the universities I will go to. Unfortunately IB does not provide any way to appeal. My teacher wrote to them, but the response was less than helpful.

Has anything like this ever happened to any of you? What did you?


P.S. I was also predicted a 7 in HL mathematics and received only a 6. When I asked for a remark they increased my number of points for paper 1 from 89 to 113 (out of 120), but also decreased my mark from paper 3 by 3 points. All of this has made my total percentage 78.83, while the 7s start from 79%. Nice coincidence, huh?

i'm sorry and very frustrated to hear that. this is completely unfair for them to arbitrarily downgrade someone's marks, presumably just to fit some *statistical* requirement for their records. unless a student's work is sent off for moderation, the markers should assume that the grade given is valid.

at any rate, things should be okay after time...i mean you did get into a university right??