Appeals and Remarks 2024
Appeals: Reviews of Marking / Moderation & what you need to know
This advice applies specifically to JCQ exams (AQA, OCR, Edexcel, WJEC etc). Other types of qualifications and other exam boards will vary.
Super important things to remember are in bold
Understand your results
Start by taking a close look at your results. Make sure you understand the grades you've received, how they compare to your expectations, and what this means for your next steps. Speak with your teachers or advisors at your school or college if you are not sure. If you are holding university offer(s), make sure you understand what the conditions of these are.
You can sometimes miss these conditions and the university will still offer you a place. Universities have your results days before results day to process all of this and make these decisions.
A basic outline of the appeals process
If you are unhappy with your grade(s), speak to your school / college
Schools & colleges have a number of different options to follow. Here they are:
Review of marking
This is where the exam board asks an examiner to check that the work has been marked correctly.
The examiner does not mark it again - it is therefore not a remark. But it checks that the work has been marked correctly the first time.
The school is charged for this service, this fee will only be waived if the grade changes as a result of the review of marking.
If the marks change but the grade does not, then the charge still applies.
The school may charge you if you are asking them to request a review of marking.
Reviews of marking can cause grades or marks to go up or down. Therefore, the school will ask for your explicit consent before requesting this service.
See below for how you can get a priority review of marking (section called "Impact on your next steps")
Review of moderation
Your school can request a review of moderation if they feel an internal assessment has been moderated unfairly. This will mean an examiner checks that the person who moderated externally has done this properly. Your consent is not required for this, as lots of candidates grades may be affected. Your grade cannot go down from this process, only go up. The school are only likely to request this service from an exam board if they see several students lower than expected at internal assessments.
Further appeals
There are three further steps that your school / college could take if reviews of marking / moderation do not go the way they want.
Appeal 1 - An appeal document is submitted from the school to the exam board, outlining why they think an error has still occurred. Exam board will consider this and reply, potentially changing the outcome for the candidates affected if they agree that an error has taken place. Exam boards will each have separate criteria for this.
Appeal 2 - If the school has gone through appeal 1 and been unsuccessful, they can request an appeal hearing. The exam board will have an appeals panel (again, details depend on the board) who will hear the case and make a judgement.
EPRS - Ofqual offer an Exam Procedures Review Service. This is where Ofqual simply check that the exam board have followed their policies and procedures in the handling of the papers, distribution of grades and appeal process. Ofqual will not mark anyone's paper for them.
Schools will usually be very unwilling to go into appeal 1, 2 or the EPRS. It's a complicated and lengthy process.
Request the script
Separate to the above, schools / colleges can request that your exam paper is sent back to them - allowing them to review your answers and decide whether or not to submit a review of marking. For priority reviews, and where your scores not close to the next boundary, this may not be worth waiting for. But less urgent queries it might be what your school decide to do first.
Impact on your next steps
If your place at uni depends on your grade changing, you need to make sure school request a priority review of marking. Priority reviews of marking are only for those who need the outcome of an appeal for their higher education place. Everyone else must do a non-priority appeal.
Ring up the universit(ies) whose offers this may affect - firm and insurance if it affects both. Inform them that your exams are undergoing a review of marking and ask them to honour their original offer if you meet your original offer conditions. UCAS recommend universities give you a deadline of 4th September to meet your offer conditions. However, universities do not have to follow this and can set different deadlines, so ring them to check.
Priority reviews of marking will have a response within 15 calendar days. So if these are submitted on A Level results day (15th August) then you should have an outcome by 30th August - within the 4th September deadline recommended by UCAS.
Always prepare a plan B: you cannot rely on reviews of marking going your way. At The Student Room we recommend planning for every outcome. You can still ring up universities in clearing, accept a clearing offer and if the review of marking goes your way then press "decline my place" and re-connect with your original university provided that they have agreed to this. Make sure you inform your firm or insurance university of your plans to check they will agree. Note down the name and role of the person you speak to on the phone from universities
Important Dates
The deadline for *priority* appeals is 22nd August
The deadline for non-priority appeals is 26th August
UCAS recommend universities give you a deadline of 4th September to meet your offer conditions
Retake Information
If you wish to resit your exams, that depends on which exams they are. If you want to retake GCSE English or Maths - there is opportunity to do that in the November 2024 exam series - speak to your exams officer at school if you want to do this.
If you wish to retake a different qualification this will probably mean taking it in Summer 2025. You must retake the whole qualification. This is a big decision, think carefully and speak to family/loved ones before deciding to do this. Or ask us for help.
Other helpful links
Getting out of an unconditional offer and applying through Clearing
A Level Didn't do as well as you hoped thread
Universities in Clearing thread 2024
Clearing Vacancy Threads on TSR 2024
Medicine clearing thread
University Transfer FAQ
Ask a question about A Levels
Ask a question about Universities
(edited 4 weeks ago)
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If you’ve got into your 1st choice (and are ecstatic about that) but unhappy with one of your A level results how does it work??Do you notify the University you are getting a remark? Do not want to risk Uni offer! Scored full marks on one paper, another paper high marks, 3rd paper unsure if was disadvantaged. The school had not finished teaching the topic for one of the speaking cars options. Slightly panicked when saw out of the 2 choices they get this topic was one of the cards. Felt forced to pick the other topic which wasn’t an easy image to discuss. Frustrating because IRP near perfect too. School advise can remark but unlikely to change due to the topic/card. The mark scheme is out of 60 (120 weighted) - need 4 marks to move up - would have to lose 20 marks to move down. Was it a disadvantage that card choices included a card on a topic not finished yet in school ? Thinking ahead would not getting an A*/A impact applications for internships/work placements and Masters in the future ? Thank you
Original post by ilovelemons
If you’ve got into your 1st choice (and are ecstatic about that) but unhappy with one of your A level results how does it work??Do you notify the University you are getting a remark? Do not want to risk Uni offer! Scored full marks on one paper, another paper high marks, 3rd paper unsure if was disadvantaged. The school had not finished teaching the topic for one of the speaking cars options. Slightly panicked when saw out of the 2 choices they get this topic was one of the cards. Felt forced to pick the other topic which wasn’t an easy image to discuss. Frustrating because IRP near perfect too. School advise can remark but unlikely to change due to the topic/card. The mark scheme is out of 60 (120 weighted) - need 4 marks to move up - would have to lose 20 marks to move down. Was it a disadvantage that card choices included a card on a topic not finished yet in school ? Thinking ahead would not getting an A*/A impact applications for internships/work placements and Masters in the future ? Thank you
A Level grades will not impact on masters in the future, same for internships or work placements.
My advice would be this isn't worth the (small) risk of you being downgraded
Original post by 04MR17
A Level grades will not impact on masters in the future, same for internships or work placements.
My advice would be this isn't worth the (small) risk of you being downgraded
My advice would be this isn't worth the (small) risk of you being downgraded
Thank you - my YP feels the same - on the whole - just seems a little unjust a card for a topic they’d not finished was included. Day after the exam they discussed concerns with the teacher, the school advised they didn’t think they’d been disadvantaged. So they moved on as with other exams looming had to put it behind and refocus. Guess it’s me as a parent that now needs to do that!
Original post by ilovelemons
Thank you - my YP feels the same - on the whole - just seems a little unjust a card for a topic they’d not finished was included. Day after the exam they discussed concerns with the teacher, the school advised they didn’t think they’d been disadvantaged. So they moved on as with other exams looming had to put it behind and refocus. Guess it’s me as a parent that now needs to do that!
Yes
The exam board issue the grade, and the exam board wouldn't consider this as a mitigating factor at all because it's not the exam board at fault.
The important thing is that the outcome is what they wanted
Original post by Zahrax321
I am remarking my A Level biology papers and am 6 marks of but I need a higher grade for my firm choice at university do you think it's possible
Possible? Yes
Likely? Don't think so
Do it anyway but plan A now is your insurance uni
Got an English Lit remark (OCR), but had my firm already accepted. Was 4 raw marks away from an A* but realised I am also only 5 raw marks away from a B- didn't see at the time. Tried to get the remark cancelled the afternoon of results day, but exam officer only got back to me the next morning and by that time, the paper was already being remarked.
Reason for the remark was for future proofing: I'm going into Law and Law firms very much take into account A-level grades when looking at applicants for training contracts, but now I'm realising it might have been a risk I shouldn't have taken.
I have Biology (AQA) also being remarked, being 3 away from the next grade though.
Am I finished, or am I just overthinking?
Reason for the remark was for future proofing: I'm going into Law and Law firms very much take into account A-level grades when looking at applicants for training contracts, but now I'm realising it might have been a risk I shouldn't have taken.
I have Biology (AQA) also being remarked, being 3 away from the next grade though.
Am I finished, or am I just overthinking?
(edited 2 weeks ago)
Original post by rlippp0
Got an English Lit remark (OCR), but had my firm already accepted. Was 4 raw marks away from an A* but realised I am also only 5 raw marks away from a B- didn't see at the time. Tried to get the remark cancelled the afternoon of results day, but exam officer only got back to me the next morning and by that time, the paper was already being remarked.
I have Biology (AQA) also being remarked, being 3 away from the next grade though. Am I finished?
I have Biology (AQA) also being remarked, being 3 away from the next grade though. Am I finished?
Are you sure ? 4 raw marks from an A* but 5 away from a B? Surely the boundaries between grades can’t be that close?
Original post by ilovelemons
Are you sure ? 4 raw marks from an A* but 5 away from a B? Surely the boundaries between grades can’t be that close?
Got 109/120 = A
equivalent to 145/160 - both papers out of 60 are weighted to be out of 80, and then add coursework out of 40
Total I got was 182 = A (37 in coursework)
RAW MARKS
A* = 113/120 (187/200)
A = 104/120 (176/200)
Stupidly I didn't know you could get individual papers remarked, and the exam officer didn't let me know either, one paper I got 58/60 and one I got 51/60, so I have no idea if she sent both papers to be remarked.
(edited 2 weeks ago)
Original post by rlippp0
Got an English Lit remark (OCR), but had my firm already accepted. Was 4 raw marks away from an A* but realised I am also only 5 raw marks away from a B- didn't see at the time. Tried to get the remark cancelled the afternoon of results day, but exam officer only got back to me the next morning and by that time, the paper was already being remarked.
Reason for the remark was for future proofing: I'm going into Law and Law firms very much take into account A-level grades when looking at applicants for training contracts, but now I'm realising it might have been a risk I shouldn't have taken.
I have Biology (AQA) also being remarked, being 3 away from the next grade though.
Am I finished, or am I just overthinking?
Reason for the remark was for future proofing: I'm going into Law and Law firms very much take into account A-level grades when looking at applicants for training contracts, but now I'm realising it might have been a risk I shouldn't have taken.
I have Biology (AQA) also being remarked, being 3 away from the next grade though.
Am I finished, or am I just overthinking?
Once you have your degree, the important thing for firms is whether you have been involved with the university’s law society, held positions of responsibility, helped out with free legal clinics most law departments run these days etc. Thise things matter more than A levels by the recruitment stage. Well done on your A levels and enjoy your time as an undergraduate.
Original post by Jasraj.K
I'm 2 marks off an A in AQA biology and even though I got into my firm choice I still really want an A. Paper 3 also has a 25 mark essay as well. Is it worth the remark and can I get the school to pay it for me because it's too expensive otherwise.
That's up to school, they are unlikely to pay in these circumstances though.
Do you recognise that a B in A Level Biology is still phenomenal and isn't going to hold you back on pretty much anything (aside from perhaps 2-3 unis for Graduate Entry Medicine/Dent)?
Original post by Jasraj.K
I'm 2 marks off an A in AQA biology and even though I got into my firm choice I still really want an A. Paper 3 also has a 25 mark essay as well. Is it worth the remark and can I get the school to pay it for me because it's too expensive otherwise.
If it helps, the average mark change after a remark is around 1 mark for Biology, and that could be up or down.
Some useful stats that I give to students who are considering a remark. This is raw mark "change" so that could be up or down.
AS/A Level
GCSE
Annoyingly, I don't think Ofqual provide further info like the standard deviation for example. to be able to calculate the probability of increasing by a certain number of marks.
AS/A Level
GCSE
Annoyingly, I don't think Ofqual provide further info like the standard deviation for example. to be able to calculate the probability of increasing by a certain number of marks.
(edited 2 weeks ago)
Original post by Notnek
If it helps, the average mark change after a remark is around 1 mark for Biology, and that could be up or down.
i just got my remark back and went up by 1 mark only
Original post by Zahrax321
i just got my remark back and went up by 1 mark only
Sorry to hear that. Unfortunately an increase of 6 marks was extremely unlikely.
Original post by Notnek
Sorry to hear that. Unfortunately an increase of 6 marks was extremely unlikely.
Does it depend on the subject? Luke psychology has very subjective marking
Original post by Zahrax321
Does it depend on the subject? Luke psychology has very subjective marking
Yes as the stats I posted above show. Although psychology still only has an average mark change of 1.2-1.5.
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