Exam boards

The three awarding bodies in England are AQA, Edexcel and OCR. They are answerable to the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA).

The Joint Council for General Qualifications (JCGQ) liaises between exam boards to ensure consistency.

Exam appeals

Teachers, students or parents can query the results of public examinations. This can lead to grades being confirmed, raised or lowered.

Appeals process for GCSEs, A and AS levels:

In the first instance, an enquiry is made from the school or examining centre to the awarding body, as soon as possible after the results have been received. All awarding bodies charge a fee for dealing with enquiries. This can lead to the candidate's work being re-marked.

If the issue is not then resolved, a formal appeal to the awarding body can be made by the head of the school. This appeal must be made within two weeks of receipt of the initial enquiry's outcome.

Finally, a formal appeal to the Examinations Appeals Board (EAB) can be made. Appeals to the EAB must be made within three weeks of receipt of the awarding body's appeal decision.

More information on appeals procedures is available on the Teachernet website.

External marking

Tests are marked externally at key stage 2, 3 and for the year 7 progress test. The timetable for this is set by the QCA.

The purpose of external marking is to ensure that each pupil receives the correct level for their work. Schools can request that test papers are marked again if it is felt that there are some inconsistencies or that the marking is incorrect.