Exam boards and examiners
Last updated on: 11/03/2008
Do examiners get training to mark papers?
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Yes they do. Most examiners are trained teachers who have a number of years experience and often hold senior positions in schools. As such they will be experienced in marking and used to following marking schemes to the standards required by the examining boards. In some circumstances their official marking period with an examining board might begin by attending a standardisation meeting as a reserve marker without any scripts to mark. At the standardisation meeting they will meet with all the other examiners for that paper and will mark the same photocopied scripts as they do, which ensures that all markers mark in exactly the same way. This allows the examiners’ work to be monitored by senior examiners. If an examiner is unable to mark their allocation of scripts, through illness or other circumstances, then the reserve examiner can take over. And in other situations some new examiners might need more training and supervision. But all examiners have their marking scrutinised continuously throughout the marking period and if anyone does not come up to scratch then their scripts will be re-marked by a senior examiner to ensure that every candidate is marked to the same consistently high standard throughout.
I sat my A levels in 2000 but don't have the actual certificates. Where can I get the originals or replacements?
Certificates will only be replaced if there is valid reason for their loss, for example if they were destroyed in a fire or stolen. Appropriate documentation would be required from the police or a similar authority as verification. However, exam boards will always verify results to universities or employers if asked, where certificates and records have been carelessly lost or destroyed by candidates.