Exam blunder work to be re-marked after parents protest

Maverick · Dec 10, 2008

Failing an exam because of the wrong format

Exam blunder work to be re-marked after parents protest

Exam board have agreed to re-mark the Coteland's School CiDA course work

Published Date: 09 December 2008
By Andy Hubbert

Tuesday, 3.30pm. PUPILS have been spared the anxiety of having to re-take their computer technology course after an exam board agreed to re-mark their work because of an exam blunder.
All 29 students who took a Certificate in Digital Applications (CiDA) at Cotelands School, Ruskington, worth two GCSEs, were failed by exam board Edexcel.

The mark was unavailable in August and after a five month wait the computer students finally received a letter confirming they had all failed and would need to re-take it by attending night classes.

But, after protests by parents, Edexcel has agreed to look at the work again and remark it.

Rhiannon Clifford, 16, of Billinghay was annoyed when she learned the exam board had rejected all the pupils' efforts because part of the work was saved in the wrong format. She said her teacher had told them all to save their course work in a Word document format and felt the students should not be penalised.

Rhiannon, now in Sleaford Joint Sixth Form, said: "Have we spent two years doing all that work for nothing? Nobody in the year has been given a grade and people like my friend Colette should have passed with flying colours because her work was fantastic."

Her mum Karen Easton was relieved to hear the school would be able to convert the files and re-submit them.

She said: "I just want them to get a genuine result now. It was not fair on the kids, they have worked hard."

Cotelands School principal Paul Watson has admitted that a teacher mistakenly instructed the students to save their work into a file not compatible with the exam board's marking programme.

Since then the school has been negotiating to resubmit the work.

Spokesman for Edexcel, Jenny Stopher said: "Some of the students' work was submitted in the wrong format by the school, which meant it could not be accessed for moderation and therefore no marks could be awarded for those sections of the assessment.

"Edexcel have been in discussions with Coteland's about this issue and have agreed the work should be re-submitted in the correct format."

She said they should get their results in February/March.
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Akki · Dec 10, 2008

with enough complaints it would be unwise not to.... looks bad on the company...

ralphrepo · Dec 10, 2008

The teacher that gave out the wrong information should be suspended without pay for the same amount of time that it takes to sort out the students grades.

Exam blunder work to be re-marked after parents protest

Maverick Lord Vader

Akki ...

ralphrepo Well-Known Member