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In 2012, a total 31,510 GCSE grades were changed. Photograph: Rui Vieira/PA
In 2012, a total 31,510 GCSE grades were changed. Photograph: Rui Vieira/PA

Record number of GCSE and A-level results sent back for re-marking

This article is more than 11 years old
This summer's GCSE English fiasco thought to be partly responsible for 36% rise in number of enquiries about results

The number of GCSE and A-level papers sent back for re-marking has risen by more than a third.

Secondary schools submitted almost 280,000 queries following this summer's exams, according to data published by England's exams regulator Ofqual, up 36% from just over 200,000 last year.

The queries resulted in more than 45,000 GCSE and A-level grades being changed this year.

Ofqual said the rise in inquiries about results may have been fuelled by changes to GCSEs and A-levels, but it is also likely to spark suggestions that it was caused by this summer's GCSE English fiasco. Headteachers say that tens of thousands of teenagers received lower-than-expected grades in the subject after exam boards raised the grade boundaries between January and June.

Ofqual's figures show that schools submitted a record 279,046 queries about results this year, compared with 204,575 in 2011. These inquiries resulted in 45,630 grade changes, an 18.7% increase. This is understood to be the highest ever number of grade changes.

Ofqual said that in total, there were 21m entries for exams and assessments this year.

The record numbers of queries and grade changes come at the same time as a dip in national GCSE and A-level pass rates.

This summer, 69.4% of all GCSE examinations were given at least a C grade – down 0.4 percentage points on 2011.

At A-level, 26.6% of the exams were given an A or A* this year, down from 27% in 2011 – a record drop of 0.4%.

In its report, Ofqual said there had been "significant revision" to GCSEs and A-levels in the last three years.

At A-level, the number of modules students must complete has been cut from six to four, and the A* grade has been introduced.

Most GCSE courses have now been split into modules, and "controlled assessment" – a new style of coursework which is completed under classroom supervision – has been introduced.

Ofqual's report says: "These changes will have impacted on the number of inquiries about results received and the resulting grade changes."

Schools and colleges can request a review of marking if they have concerns about the accuracy of the initial marking of a pupil's work.

The report shows that there were 187,356 inquiries about GCSEs, and 91,690 about A-levels.

This resulted in 31,510 grades being changed at GCSE, and 14,120 being changed at A-level.

An Ofqual spokesman said: "These figures show a significant increase in the number of enquiries about results [EARs] for GCSEs and A-levels, and in the proportion of grades being changed as a result, although this is increasing at a slower rate.

"While there are many external factors that will be driving this, we know that schools are concerned about the quality of marking and we are listening to them. It is vital that marking is fair and accurate, especially as we enter a period of significant exams reform, so we are currently conducting a programme of work to look into this area, including exam board practices and processes, and the appeals process itself.

"But it is also important that we keep these statistics in context. A total of 98% of exam scripts were not subject to any EAR requests, and just 0.54% of all subject certifications were changed.

"This year there have also been well publicised concerns over GCSE English. Those concerns were around grade boundaries and not the exam board marking.

"For the first time, we have gathered subject specific information for every unit that received an EAR, and although we see that English is towards the top of the list for most of the awarding organisations, this is largely to be expected due to the nature of the subject and the figures are broadly in line with similar subjects, and the same subject at A-level."

The figures show that the AQA exam board – which has high numbers of entries for GCSE English – had a high proportion of inquiries for the subject.

In total, there were 26,487 inquiries about two GCSE English papers, out of 357,973 entries.

Malcolm Trobe, policy director at the Association of School and College Leaders, said: "In all probability, a significant proportion of the increase in inquiries is going to be about GCSE English."

A large number of schools were "very surprised and shocked" at their results in the subject, Trobe said. "They were not in line with what was predicted for these students and this has led to an increase in inquiries."

He said that if schools or an individual wanted to appeal against a grade, they had to go through the process of submitting an inquiry, and this could have also contributed to the hike.

Trobe said that, at A-level, the rise in EARs could be partly down to students attempting to secure university places asking for papers to be re-checked.

Russell Hobby, general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers, said: "As the volume of papers increases and the time/resources devoted to marking decrease, mistakes are on the rise.

"Schools' lack of confidence in Ofqual also makes them more likely to challenge."

More on this story

More on this story

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