Research and analysis

Survey of examiners on quality of marking in GCSEs and A levels

Findings from a survey of examiners as part of Ofqual's research into the quality of marking in academic exams.

From:
Ofqual
Published
14 February 2014

Applies to England

Documents

Review of Quality of Marking in Exams in A Levels, GCSEs and Other Academic Qualifications: Findings from Survey of Examiners, May 2013

Ref: Ofqual/14/5382

PDF, 768 KB, 76 pages

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Data tables: Review of Quality of Marking in Exams in A Levels, GCSEs and Other Academic Qualifications: Findings from Survey of Examiners, May 2013

MS Excel Spreadsheet, 92.9 KB

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Details

The main themes that emerged from the examiners’ responses were:

  1. The main challenge of marking was completing it in the time available, particularly for examiners combining examining with a full-time teaching role.
  2. Examiners were dissatisfied with the move many exam boards are making from face-to-face standardisation to online standardisation.
  3. Many examiners thought mark schemes needed to be clearer and more detailed, although some believed that mark schemes were too prescriptive.

Many examiners also made positive comments about how much they enjoyed examining, valued the importance of their work and noticed the benefits it had upon their teaching.

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Published 14 February 2014

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