Four out of five GCSE and A-level grade appeals were upheld last year, new Ofqual data shows, the TES reports.
Overall, 27,560 of the 6.1 million grades awarded for GCSE and A-level were challenged and 18 per cent of challenged grades were changed. One appeal could cover multiple grades.
Most changed by just one grade but a small proportion of grades changed dramatically: in 15 cases, appeals led to a change of six grades, while in 85 cases, appeals changed by four grades.
While 80 per cent of appeals were upheld in 2019-20, just 52 per cent of appeals were upheld in 2018-19. However, Ofqual says the extraordinary arrangements for grading and appeals in summer 2020 make it hard to compare the data with that of previous years.
“Centre error” was the leading reason for an appeal to be upheld. Appeals could not be made because the candidate disagreed with their school or college’s professional judgement of the grade.
However, if a student thought their grade might have been affected by wrongdoing or a lack of care taken by their school or college (malpractice or maladministration), including if they had evidence of bias or discrimination, that student could ask the awarding organisation to investigate.
In April, Ofqual chair Ian Bauckham said that appeals this year will “take longer” than in normal years, as there may be more evidence to review this year and that this will look different from one school centre to the next.