A-Level OCR CS Remark

Original post by kiliawawa

I'm one mark off an A*, which would put my in a pretty good position for applying to unis next year (as I'm on a gap year). I got 112 on paper one and 113 on paper 2. As the results are so close, I'm not sure whether I should have both re-marked or just one. I'm worried I might gain a mark on one paper just to lose it on the other.
I have the scripts, but without a mark scheme I'm not sure if they're useful.
Thanks :smile:

The normal strategy here (where there is not a uni place directly depending on the result) would be to submit just one of the papers for remarking and await the result. If that gains you the mark, you're done. If it doesn't, then you submit the other one. That way your "mark on one paper just to lose it on the other" concern, which is a valid one, doesn't arise.

However, you've really left it too late for that approach. The deadline for exam boards to receive a request for a "review of marking" is 28th September. (Note that this isn't the deadline for you to request that your school submit the request, this is when the exam board need to have received the request by.)

I guess you could request a remark of one paper (via your school) today and hope that it's back by 26th/27th, but the chances are that it won't be. That's probably what I'd do, to be honest. Quite what you should do once you hit 26th/27th if the first review is still outstanding isn't clear.

Reply 2

Original post by kiliawawa

I'm one mark off an A*, which would put my in a pretty good position for applying to unis next year (as I'm on a gap year). I got 112 on paper one and 113 on paper 2. As the results are so close, I'm not sure whether I should have both re-marked or just one. I'm worried I might gain a mark on one paper just to lose it on the other.
I have the scripts, but without a mark scheme I'm not sure if they're useful.
Thanks :smile:

Have you asked a teacher to look at it? They would have access to the mark scheme.

Reply 3

OP

Original post by Muttley79

Have you asked a teacher to look at it? They would have access to the mark scheme.

I was waiting for my CS teacher to respond, hence why I've left it so late. He's said he doesn't have access.

Reply 4

OP

Original post by DataVenia

The normal strategy here (where there is not a uni place directly depending on the result) would be to submit just one of the papers for remarking and await the result. If that gains you the mark, you're done. If it doesn't, then you submit the other one. That way your "mark on one paper just to lose it on the other" concern, which is a valid one, doesn't arise.

However, you've really left it too late for that approach. The deadline for exam boards to receive a request for a "review of marking" is 28th September. (Note that this isn't the deadline for you to request that your school submit the request, this is when the exam board need to have received the request by.)

I guess you could request a remark of one paper (via your school) today and hope that it's back by 26th/27th, but the chances are that it won't be. That's probably what I'd do, to be honest. Quite what you should do once you hit 26th/27th if the first review is still outstanding isn't clear.

Damn, I should've thought of that. I suppose I could do what you said and get one paper remarked, but ask for my school to submit the second paper if the first doesn't get back around the 27th.
Do you think it matters which one I send first?

Reply 5

Original post by kiliawawa

I was waiting for my CS teacher to respond, hence why I've left it so late. He's said he doesn't have access.

All teachers do have access - he should talk to the exams officer if he hasn't sorted it for himself.

Reply 6

OP

Original post by Muttley79

All teachers do have access - he should talk to the exams officer if he hasn't sorted it for himself.

He's pretty unreliable. If I email him, I probably wont get a response for a few days and I'm kinda running out of time. I could ask the exams officer myself, or a different teacher I guess.

Reply 7

Original post by kiliawawa

He's pretty unreliable. If I email him, I probably wont get a response for a few days and I'm kinda running out of time. I could ask the exams officer myself, or a different teacher I guess.

Phone the school ... the call wil be registered - when you e-mail copy in the HOY and mark urgent.

Reply 8

Original post by kiliawawa

Damn, I should've thought of that. I suppose I could do what you said and get one paper remarked, but ask for my school to submit the second paper if the first doesn't get back around the 27th.

Agreed. Buy you need to make absolutely sure that they submit the second paper on time (if that proves necessary). Don't rely upon them doing so unprompted by you.

Original post by kiliawawa

Do you think it matters which one I send first?

In the ideal world, you only want to submit one - the one with the best chance of gaining a mark. Only someone who has looked at your marked paper, and compared it with the mark scheme, will be in a position to judge which that one is. If you end-up having to send two, the order isn't relevant.

This would be a lot simpler if you could persuade your unreliable CS teacher that this was important / urgent. So follow @Muttley79's advice to try and get that sorted.

Reply 9

OP

Original post by Muttley79

Phone the school ... the call wil be registered - when you e-mail copy in the HOY and mark urgent.

I went to see him in person, he said he can't give me the mark scheme but he's had a look through and thinks it unlikely I'll lose marks on either paper, but more likely to get marks on paper one. I'll submit that one now and, on the 27th if I haven't heard back, I'll submit the other.
Thanks to both of you for the advice, I'll update the thread once I get each paper back (if anyone cares)

(edited 7 months ago)

Reply 10

Original post by kiliawawa

I went to see him in person, he said he can't give me the mark scheme but he's had a look through and thinks it unlikely I'll lose marks on either paper, but more likely to get marks on paper one. I'll submit that one now and, on the 27th if I haven't heard back, I'll submit the other.
Thanks to both of you for the advice, I'll update the thread once I get each paper back (if anyone cares)

OK great - hope it works out.

He can't give you the mark scheme as it's locked for students :smile:

Reply 11

Original post by kiliawawa

I went to see him in person, he said he can't give me the mark scheme but he's had a look through and thinks it unlikely I'll lose marks on either paper, but more likely to get marks on paper one. I'll submit that one now and, on the 27th if I haven't heard back, I'll submit the other.
Thanks to both of you for the advice, I'll update the thread once I get each paper back (if anyone cares)

That's great news. (And yes, please update this thread - we absolutely do care! :smile:

)

Reply 12

OP

Got my paper 1 back about a week ago, didn't gain or lose any marks, but paper 2 came back yesterday and I went up two marks, so I've got my A*!
Thanks for all the help :smile:

Reply 13