You might recall our previous post in which we spoke about the problems with our marking. If not, click here! Teachers aside, even examiners can’t agree on grades which makes marking inconsistency a huge issue! This makes students the primary victims of a growing marking crisis. A recent report published by Ofqual ‘Marking consistency studies’ based on two rounds of studies showed that there were “substantial differences in the spread of whole script mark differences across the units.” As a result, students can’t be sure that their results are even accurate which is where the dilemma arises…
What are the key problems we face with marking inconsistency?
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Exam boards ‘guesstimate’ grades?!
You read that one right! Exam boards have admitted to ‘guesstimating’ A-Level grades, particularly in cases where papers have gotten lost. This may seem a little unsophisticated for what we’d expect of exam boards (whatever happened to the classic ‘dog ate my homework’ trick from the book, eh?) This means some grades may not be an accurate reflection of a student’s performance. What this means is, bizarrely, marking inconsistency might not have anything to do with actual papers in some cases.
“Top exam board OCR has said papers go missing every year and when they do exam boards estimate the grades if the student has taken most of the exams and it is done “for the benefit of the student”.
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Not all examiners are standardised
Shockingly, the image we often have in mind of examiners (that is, passionate academics who have at least a decade in their pocket of experience) is often not the case. Some examiners aren’t even standardised. They may instead have to grade a selection of pre-marked papers in order to determine whether their marks match. Those who fail, of course, don’t fit the mould of marking for that exam board. What’s most concerning about this situation is no real qualifications are sought after. Consequently, the fate of students could be in the hands of examiners who don’t always have experience or expertise, leading to marking inconsistency.
Is it any surprise then that the number of requests for remarks are skyrocketing? In fact, students aren’t convinced by their marks, and neither are examiners.
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Students aren’t always awarded correct grades
In 2018, Ofqual published a study titled Marking Consistency Metrics which found that candidates in up to 40% of A-level and GCSE exams may be awarded incorrect grades. It was estimated that one in four grades were likely to be incorrect due to marking inconsistencies and the design of the tests. As a result, students must suffer through no fault of their own. What could be a greater tragedy than finding out your dream of becoming a doctor isn’t possible anymore because your results don’t add up?
Commenting on the study, Mike Buchanan, executive director of the Headmasters’ and Headmistresses’ Conference said:
“Hundreds of thousands of children are being forced to retake English and Maths GCSE or may be missing out on university places or jobs because they did not get the grade.”
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Grades changed by exam boards
Last year, Ofqual were “especially disappointed” at the number of grades changed by exam boards. A shocking 73,840 GCSE grades were changed, not that the 48,430 the year before was any better. This can only mean one thing: examiner marking is not without fault and inevitably leads to remarking.
Exam boards marking inconsistently proves that there is an urgent need for intervention. How can we ensure that marking is both accurate and consistent?
Lets introduce A.I.
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What could automated marking do for exam boards?
Automated marking is one transformative solution to the recurring problem we’ve described above. Using Artificial Intelligence (which thankfully isn’t fuelled by Starbucks coffee) we have a consistent essay marking tool that does not differ from essay to essay. Unlike exam boards who have admitted to ‘guesstimating’ grades, automated marking is based on accurate results centred around metrics extracted from scripts.
With just one click, marking begins – no bias, and certainly no preferential treatment awarded to some students over others. It’s a level playing field, and all scripts are treated entirely the same. Marking consistency isn’t such an abstract concept after all!
Where do we sign up?