A level and GCSE exams
Last updated on: 11/03/2008
What should I do if I am unhappy with the outcome of my GCSE or A level examinations?
If you are unhappy with your exam results, talk to your teachers. They will be able to contact the awarding body to ask for an enquiry about results (EAR). An EAR can cover a range of services from a clerical check to the re-marking of an exam paper or the re-moderation of coursework. In general, the outcome of an EAR may lead to your overall grade being confirmed, raised or lowered. If a re-moderation request is made, a grade may only be confirmed or raised.
If you remain unhappy with the outcome, your centre can send a formal appeal to the awarding body.
If you are still unhappy with the formal appeal process, your centre can send a further appeal to the independent Examinations Appeals Board (EAB).
For further details about the enquiries and appeals process is available on our website or visit the appeals section of the EAB website.
Who do I contact to complain about the teaching at a centre?
You should discuss the situation with the teachers if you are unhappy with the quality of teaching of the general qualifications, GCSEs and GCE A levels. If you are still unable to resolve your query, you should talk to the head of the centre. All centres have an internal complaints and appeals procedure that you can follow. This may include progressing your complaint to the centre’s governing board. Please find out what the procedure is at your centre.
You may also wish to contact the local education authority as they have an interest in the performance of the different centres in their area.
Is it possible to get a GCSE or GCE A level exam paper(s) back?
Yes. If you would like an examination paper returned to you, you should talk to your teachers. Your centre can then apply to have your exam paper (or a copy of it) returned by using the access to scripts process.
Is it possible to get extra help in GCSE or A level examinations?
If you think you need extra help in your exams, you must talk to your teachers or other adults who help you with access arrangements in class.
Access arrangements must be approved before an exam or assessment. Their purpose is to allow attainment to be demonstrated, for example a modified paper for a visually impaired candidate. A range of access arrangements is available to assist candidates with different requirements in different exams, without giving an unfair advantage or undermining the integrity of the examination.
Your centre should use the Joint Council for Qualifications regulations to check which particular arrangements are available for you.
Although the JCQ regulations are updated every year, access arrangements authorised when you started your course will be available for your exams.
For more information on access arrangements, visit the access arrangements section of the JCQ website.
What is special consideration?
Awarding bodies have procedures for centres to request special consideration for candidates. Centres can request special consideration for candidates who were absent from an examination or disadvantaged as a result of a temporary illness, injury, indisposition or other unforeseen circumstances immediately before or during the examination period, and for candidates for whom access arrangements were approved but not implemented on the day of the exam.
Special consideration only allows for a relatively minor adjustment to a candidate's mark, of up to five per cent of the maximum mark for the question paper. The maximum adjustment is reserved for exceptional cases, for example candidates disadvantaged by a recent death of an immediate family member. Most adjustments for special consideration are smaller, for example two per cent of the maximum available mark for candidates with minor illnesses on the day of the examination.
To apply for special consideration, please contact your centre directly.
I’m a student and I think there was a mistake on my GCSE or A level question paper. Who should I tell?
If you think that something on the question paper was wrong, talk to your teachers as soon as possible. Your centre is responsible for contacting the awarding body and explaining the situation. If there was a genuine error on the question paper, this will be taken into account by the awarding body when exam grades are awarded.
How can private GCSE or A level candidates get help with an enquiry?
If you are a private candidate who has paid a fee for taking an exam, you must contact the awarding body directly, rather than a centre doing this on your behalf.
Awarding bodies provide a separate enquiry service for private candidates.
When you contact the awarding body, you will need to provide your candidate number, centre number and make it clear that you are a private candidate.
How can GCSE or A level candidates taking their exams outside England get help with an enquiry?
Ofqual is the regulatory body for England only. Learners and candidates in centres in Northern Ireland should contact the Council for Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment and learners and candidates in Wales should contact the Department for Children, Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills.
What are the changes to the assessment of GCSE coursework?
Changes to the assessment of all GCSEs except science are to be introduced in September 2009. Coursework will be replaced by controlled assessments in: business studies, classical subjects, economics, English literature, geography, history, modern foreign languages, religious studies and social sciences.
Decisions will be taken about English and ICT once the methods of assessment for functional skills are finalised.
Coursework was removed from mathematics from first teaching in 2007.
Internal assessment will continue for art and design, design and technology, home economics, music and physical education, where stronger safeguards should be put in place.
Further guidance about suggested safeguards is included in the PDF Authenticating coursework: A teacher's guide.
Controlled assessments will be taken under supervised conditions. They will either be set by the awarding body and marked by teachers or set by teachers and marked by the awarding body. Controlled assessments may involve different parameters from those used in traditional written examinations. They may, for example, allow access to information sources such as the internet, under supervision.
Further information about the amendments to GCSE is available on the coursework page.
What guidance is available to identify candidates?
Candidates are asked to provide photo identification on arrival at the general examination to ensure authenticity of the candidate. Instructions relating to examinations are provided by the Joint Council of Qualifications (JCQ). These instructions are for use in all AEA, GCE, VCE, GCSE, GNVQ and ELC examinations, including module tests, practical and oral examinations, except where the awarding body specifies otherwise.
The instructions provided are in addition to any guidelines or regulations which the awarding bodies issue in their regulations or specifications. For the most up-to-date guidelines, visit JCQ's website.