LORETO COLLEGE (ST ALBANS)
GCSE
POST RESULT
INFORMATION
Post Result Information
This booklet is designed to answer any queries that may arise from your statement of results.
1. Missing and Incomplete Results
The most serious category is missing or incomplete results and you should complete the
enclosed form and return it to the exams office ASAP. There is no fee for this service.
2. Enquires About Results (EARS)
Whilst the School does check for anomalies that might need investigation, ultimately the onus is
on the candidate to suggest that there might be reason for a re-mark. The regulations prohibit the
School from submitting a re-mark request without first obtaining the permission of the candidate.
One poor unit may well be counterbalanced by another excellent one, so the candidate needs to
consider the overall aggregation or the grade as the sole criterion.
Re-marks
If you are very close to a grade boundary, it may be worth requesting a re-mark.
For the individual candidate, there are two enquiry options:


a clerical re-check [rarely requested], and
a re-mark of the script [which is done by an experienced examiner].
If you request a re-mark, the new result will stand – even if it is worse than the original result. You
will be required to sign a form to say that you understand that your mark and possibly grade can
go down as well as up.
N.B. Requesting a re-mark does not mean that your examination script is returned (see below).
Candidates should discuss concerns with the appropriate Head of Department. If an enquiry is to
be made, then the School must handle all requests to the exam boards. Exam Boards will not deal
directly with candidates or parents
Having discussed your result with the Head of Department and your parents, should you decide to
go ahead with a re-mark, please complete a Re-mark Request Form. Forms are available at back of
booklet. These forms will also be available on results day, from the Exams Office or on the school
website. The cost of the re-mark will vary depending on the subjects and type of paper.
Enquiries must be realistic:
Look carefully at the total mark. If the total is 290, this is 30 marks away from either edge of the
grade boundary, and the chances of a new grade being achieved by re-marking a single unit are
slim; it may even be mathematically impossible. On the other hand a mark of 318 is a much safer
bet. Not only is there a reasonable chance of reaching 320, but also the re-mark would have to be
bizarre for the total to fall out of the bottom of that grade.
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Warnings over enquiries:
Enquiries may be expensive. There may be no charge if the certification grade changes.
It is perfectly possible for marks to go down as well as up, which may lower the grade. Every year,
a couple of candidates typically go down by more than 10 marks. This is the main reason why the
School is not allowed to submit a request with the candidate’s permission.
There can be no appeal against a remark decision. The paper will have been marked by a top
examiner whose opinion is, by definition, final. Fees for remarks are expensive but are waived if a
new mark for a particular unit causes the overall mark to cross a grade boundary. However, if two
or more units are remarked for a particular subject, but only one of these caused the grade
change, then the remark fee is still charged for the other units.
There are fixed deadlines:
The remark deadline 20th September 2014 no request will be accepted after this date. Deadline for
the return of scripts is 4th October 2014. There is no priority script return service available for
GCSE.
Result enquiries normally have to be agreed by the relevant Head of Department.
Key Terms Explained
Grades
The overall awards for achievement are A, B, C, D, E, F and G
Raw Mark
This is the actual mark given to answers by the examiner. The total of number of raw marks
available in each exam paper can vary from paper to paper. For example, a paper could be marked
out of 50 or 120.
Grade Boundaries
The number of raw marks required to attained specific grade. These are set by senior examiners
based on a sample review of candidates’ work, exam papers from the current year and from
previous years, examiners’ report and statistical data. Each exam paper is unique so the difficulty
of the exam can vary. This means that grade boundaries may vary from exam season to exam
season.
GCSE Grades
By inter-awarding body agreement, the uniform mark grade boundaries in GCSEs are at the
following percentages of the maximum uniform mark for the unit/module or qualification:
A* 90%, A 80%, B 70%, C 60%, D 50%, E 40%, F 30%, G 20%.
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GCSEs are divided into different units, which may be assessed by exams or by controlled
assessment with not all units having equal weighting. The unit will be marked out of a maximum
raw mark. For most subjects, the marks scored nationally are then analysed and the raw mark is
converted statistically to a uniform mark scheme (UMS ) mark. This is not a linear conversion but
takes into account the difficulty of the paper and the spread of marks obtained nationally to
obtain the desired spread of marks. GCSE results are then issued in UMS marks. This allows all
GCSEs in all exam seasons to have the same percentage grade boundaries. Each GCSE has a
maximum total mark, normally 200, 300 or 400 UMS. This is purely for ease of assessment and a
higher total mark does not mean that the GCSE is worth more; a GCSE is a GCSE. Each unit within
the GCSE also has a total mark, e.g. a unit worth 25% of a 400 UMS GCSE would have a maximum
mark of 100UMS. There are some subjects where a subset of the whole GCSE is also a half GCSE in
its own right with its own grade. e.g. either RE unit is a half GCSE in its own right, half GCSEs can
also be obtained in French and German in Reading & Writing and Speaking & Listening. However,
universities do not count both the full GCSE and a half GCSE contained within it.
N.B. The UMS mark is the formally issued result mark. It is derived from the mark scored on the
paper (the ‘raw mark’), but the number of marks available on the paper is unlikely to be the same
as the maximum UMS mark. The conversion from the raw mark scored on the unit to the UMS
mark is determined statistically after the unit has been completed and varies slightly with every
subject and exam season to take into account the difficulty of the paper. This means that there are
no set raw mark grade boundaries.
Grade Boundaries for Qualifications:
Grade boundaries for units with different max marks
Max
Mark
A*
A
B
C
D
E
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
120
140
150
160
240
36
32
28
24
20
16
45
40
35
30
25
20
54
48
42
36
30
24
63
56
49
42
35
28
72
64
56
48
40
32
81
72
63
54
45
36
90
80
70
60
50
40
108
96
84
72
60
48
126
112
98
84
70
56
135
120
105
90
75
60
144
128
112
96
80
64
216
192
168
144
120
96
Raw and Scaled Marks
In the Awarding Bodies results documentation, candidates’ scaled marks (sometimes abbreviated
to ‘sca’) are listed for each unit or component. For most specifications, scaled marks are the same
as raw marks. They may be different in the small number of specifications where a unit is divided
into two (or more) components.
For example, if Component 1 is marked out of 30, Component 2 is marked out of 60 and each is
intended to account for 50% of the assessment of a unit, candidates’ marks for Component 1 must
be multiplied by two before being added to the marks for Component 2. Therefore, a Component
1 raw mark of 24 out of 30 becomes a scaled mark of 48 out of 60. For Component 2, no scaling is
needed, so scaled marks are the same as raw marks. Candidates’ total marks for the unit are
subsequently converted to uniform marks.
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What happens with tiered units?
Tiered units place some restrictions upon the number of uniform marks that a candidate may
obtain. Candidates on the Foundation Tier may not be allocated a uniform mark above the range
allocated to grade C, whatever their raw mark. Candidates on the Higher Tier who fail to reach the
standard required for grade D are given a proportion of the uniform marks allocated with grade D.
How is the overall subject grade determined?
The uniform marks obtained for each unit are added up and the subject grade is based on this
total. The table below shows the percentage of the total uniform mark required for each grade.
Percentage 90 to
80 to
70 to
60 to
50 to
40 to
30 to
20 to
of total
100
89
79
69
59
49
39
29
uniform
mark
Grade
A*
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
awarded
As an example, if the total uniform mark allocated to a subject is 200, a candidate with a total of
180 to 200 uniform marks would be awarded grade A* and a candidate with 80 to 99 uniform
marks would be awarded a grade E.
GCSE and A-Level Point Scores For Achievement and Attainment Tables
Qualification
GCSE
(Short Course)
Points
GCSE
(Full Course)
Points
Point Score for
achievement and
attainment tables.
A*
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
29
26
23
20
17
14
11
8
A*
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
58
52
46
40
34
28
22
16
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Understanding your Results Slip
Season:
Name:
Summer External Exams 2013
Candidate Number:
UCI:
Board
Level
EDEXL/GC
EDEXL/GC
AQA
OCR
AQA
AQA
GCSE/FC
GCSE/FC
GCSE/FC
GCSE/FC
GCSE/FC
GCSE/FC
AQA
GCSE/FC
AQA
OCR
Key
Grd1 =
GCSE/FC
GCSE/FC
Mark =
Equiv =
0192
Element Title
Code
Mathematics A (linear)
1MA0H Option H
2GB01
Geography B
4052
Religious Studies A
J632
Additional Science A
4707
English Language
ENG02 Eng/Eng Lang Unit 2
Eng/Eng Lang Unit 1
ENG1H Tier H
English Language Unit
ENL03
3
A312F
Add Sci Unit 2 F
Series:
Year:
Reg.
Group
ULN:
Grd1
(All)
11
11S
Grd2 Mark Equiv End1 End2 Points
B
C
C
C
C
46
40
40
40
40
272
131
185
188
37 c
86 b
65 d
45 d
Overall subject grade
UMS (uniform Mark Scale): Marks for the individual
unit
Grade for individual unit or/and Overall UMS: total marks
for the subject
DfE Performance Points (Used to calculate average
point score)
Points =
Note:
The UMS balances out differences between exams, so raw marks you get are converted to a UMS
mark, allowing comparisons with other sittings of the same unit.
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Grades Required for Entry into Loreto College Sixth Form
GRADES EXPECTED AT THE END OF
YEAR 11
OPPORTUNITIES
AFTER Year 11
5 A* - C grades including Maths and
English with an Average Point Score
of 44.00
Four AS courses in
Year 12
5 A* - C grades including English
with an Average Point Score of 40.
Three AS courses in
Year 12
To be accepted on the Level 3 course
students will need four GCSE passes
at ‘C’ grade or above. (The Level 3
Diploma is equal to two B grade ALevels and is an accepted university
entrance qualification).
BTEC Level 3
Business
PROGRESSION
Degree course at
University
Employment with
training
Degree course at
University
Employment with
training
Degree course at
University
Employment with
training
To study 4 AS Levels at Loreto College students need 5 A* - C including English and Maths with an
Average Point Score of 44.
To study 3 AS Levels at Loreto College students need 5 A*-C grades including English and Maths
with an Average Point Score of 40.
Average Point Score = average point score from highest 8 GCSE grades where
A* = 58; A = 52; B = 46; C = 40; D = 34; E = 28; F = 22; G – 16.
Most students who study four AS levels in Year 12 go on to study three A2 subjects at A2 in Year
13.
Additional A Level provision is available within the Alban Consortium.
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POST RESULTS SERVICES – SUMMER 2014
All post result service (EAR) must be requested through the Exams Department. Failure to
submit your request through the correct route may result in your remark not being processed.
No EAR can be processed without a signature.
Re-mark:
To be used for students who wish to have units(s) re-marked. You MUST talk to your subject
Head of Department before requesting this service as marks can go down as well as up.
Deadline – 20th September
Target date for return – within 30 calendar days of request
Clerical Re-check:
To request a re-check of all clerical procedures leading to the issue of a unit result- i.e. totalling
and recording of marks. If requested, a photocopy of the script can be requested.
Deadline – 20th September
Target date for return – within 20 calendar days of request
Access to photocopy of script:
To be used to decide whether to lodge a request for re-mark or for early access to revision
material.
Deadline – 22nd August
Target date for return –1st September
Request for Original Scripts:
To be used for revision purposes only. Note - scripts are not sent from exam boards until after remark deadline of 20th September and will not then be eligible for enquiries about results.
Deadline – 4th October Not sent out until after 20th September)
Target date for return – 14th November
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Post Result Fees
Priority Re-mark
Re-mark
Clerical re-check
Original Script
Photocopy scripts
Edexcel
£43
£37
£11
£9
£11
OCR
£49
£40
£14
£11
£12
AQA
£45
£37
£15
£11
£13
WJEC
£44
£36
£11
£10
£12
Exam Board Policy on the refunding of fees following re-marking
Edexcel
Fee charged
OCR
Fee charged
AQA
Fee charged
WJEC
Fee charged
Unit mark increases
Fee charged
Fee refunded
Fee refunded
Fee charged
Grade stays the same,
after unit mark increase
Fee charged
Fee refunded
Fee refunded
Fee charged
Grade increases
Fee refunded
Fee refunded
Fee refunded
Fee refunded
Unit Mark stays the
same
Contact Information
For all result and post result information including remark requests please contact the
Examinations Department via exams@loreto.herts.sch.uk alternatively further information is
available on the school website at http://www.loreto.herts.sch.uk/exams/results-dayinformation/
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Enquiry about
Results
Services
(EaRs)
Happy with results
and just want script
back
Request Access to
Script Service By
Deadline
(Priority Copies
GCE Only)
Scripts are normally
sent as a PDF File
Concerned
about result
Request remark by
deadline
Request clerical
check
 Checks all
pages marked
 Marks counted
Want to see script
Request Remark
and
Copy of Script
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Post Result Services
To apply for an EAR you can email your request to exams@loreto.herts.sch.uk with the following
information in the subject line:
 Exam Candidate Number
 Full Name
 Module Code(s) of the unit(s) you wish Post Services for
 Code(s) of the Post Service you require
 Board
 Name of service
Example
Tracy Gibson (Exam candidate number 8796) wishes to have her Physics GCSE Unit 3 A183H
(J245) remarked, with a copy of the script. For GCSE remarks you must include the tier.
You must give the school permission to go ahead with any remark and you must include the
following in your email:
To the Examinations Officer:
Please submit my request for a re-mark to the appropriate exam board. I understand that
my mark and/or grade may go down as well as up. I agree to pay any fees incurred when
requested.
Please ensure that any email request includes all the above information
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Alternatively you can submit a online form at http://www.loreto.herts.sch.uk/exams/results-dayinformation/
GCSE Resits
English Language and Mathematics GCSE’s will be available to re-sit in the November 2014.
Information concerning changes to current English Language exams
You may have read that Ofqual announced changes to GCSE English Language from June 2014.
These changes therefore affect students in years 11 to 9 and those completing their English
Language GCSE in June 2014.
Changes Implemented this summer



The written unit ENG1 (F/H) is now worth 60% of the final assessment rather than the 40%
in previous years.
The controlled assessment is divided into Understanding Spoken Language and Written
Texts (Unit 3) and Speaking and Listening (Unit 2). The marks for the Spoken Language
assessment will still contribute towards the overall GCSE grade and this is now worth 40%
of the final grade
Marks for the Speaking and Listening no longer contribute but instead achievement will be
recorded separately.
The unit for Speaking and Listening for English / English Language will be shown as an
endorsement on your results slip however, the grade will now be numeric and shown as 5-1 (5
being the highest, 1 being the lowest with students below this level graded a U [unclassified] ).
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