FAQ:
I am a private candidate, can I still submit a review?
Yes, the process is no different for private candidates.
Are there any downsides to appealing?
One- your grade could go down instead of up.
Two- whilst waiting on an appeal, which may not be successful, you might miss out on the chance to find a great place via clearing with the grades you do have. If you end up with the same results in early September, you may find yourself having to take a gap year, instead of being able to go to uni.
Is my school allowed to refuse to conduct a review/refuse to submit my appeal?
No, they must conduct a review and they must submit your appeal. If they don’t, this is considered malpractice for the exam board.
I am unhappy with the evidence/procedures my school has used. Do I have to wait until results day to appeal?
No. You can make an appeal without knowing your grade, and ask your school to review their procedures before knowing your grade.
I want to appeal my result as I have missed my firm offer, what should I do?
As a first step, contact your school for advice. They will be able to advise you as to the most successful route for your appeal, and let you know the process. You should then let your university know you are getting an appeal and ask them to hold your place until 8th September.
Your exam centre should provide you with:
• The centre policy
• The sources of evidence used to determine your grade and the grades given for this evidence
• Details of variations in evidence based on disruption to teaching
• Details of special circumstances that were considered including access arrangements and mitigating circumstances.
The centre will then conduct a review. If you disagree with the result of this review, you have the right to go to an exam board appeal.
You school will help you submit the appeal, but you may be asked to come up with a rationale for the appeal. If the rationale is not accepted by the exam board, your appeal will be rejected.
I have requested a priority review. Am I guaranteed a result by 8th September?
No. Due to the nature of appeals this year, it may be that an exam board will need additional evidence, or there may be another delay in determining your result. Therefore, it cannot be 100% guaranteed you will get your result by 8th September. If there is a delay, you should inform your university ASAP, but unfortunately, they do not have to hold your place.
You should try to start the appeals process as early as possible to avoid this!
What are the possible outcomes of an appeal?
Firstly, it will be decided if you have valid grounds for appeal, in which case your appeal will be upheld. If you don’t have valid grounds, your appeal will be rejected, and your grade will not change.
Secondly, a grade will be determined. It may be that although your appeal is valid, it’s decided your grade should stay the same. Alternatively, your grade could go up or down.
How is the outcome of the appeal decided?
If the exam board finds that there has been a procedural error, or suggests alternative evidence should have been used, they will report this to the centre and direct them to review the teacher assessed grade.
The centre will then submit a new grade to the exam board, based on the evidence or procedure they are told to use. The exam board will then review this grade and approve it.
If the exam board feel there has been an error in academic judgement, an independent reviewer will determine the alternative grade.
As a result of my exam board appeal, my grade has gone down. What should I do?
Unfortunately, there is nothing you can do in this situation. The exam board’s decision is final. This is why it’s important to carefully consider all outcomes before submitting a review.
Can an appeal submitted by one student affect the results of others?
Yes. If a review or appeal finds a procedural error, it may be realised this error has impacted multiple students. The centre would therefore change the grades of other students, and inform them of the reason.
In some cases, an administrative or procedural error could have led to a student getting a grade which is higher than it should be. In these cases, schools and exam boards are allowed to lower grades without the consent of students. However, this will be considered on a case by case basis by schools. This is to ensure there is public confidence in the results.
I feel my grade is unfair, but my school have advised me I have no grounds for appeal. What should I do?
If you are certain you want to appeal, your school cannot refuse to review your grade or submit the appeal to the exam board.
However, you should bear in mind that if you appeal, and it is not upheld, you will have the same grades, and it may be too late to find a place via clearing. In this scenario, you'd need to be happy with potentially taking a gap year.