How to appeal a GCSE or A-level exam grade

The exam results period is a tense time for students and school staff. A lot hinges on the outcomes of GCSEs and A levels and for some young people these results will decide whether they go on to study at university.  

For that reason, if a student, school or college has doubts about the marking of an exam, they have options through which to review that process.

Can I request a GCSE or A-level exam re-mark?

Not exactly. Your paper will not be re-marked but you can request to see the paper or for the existing marking to be reviewed. 

Once students receive the results of their GCSE or A-level exams, there is a time window in which they (or the school or college) can request a review of marking. Following this review process, if a student or centre is still unhappy, it is then possible to appeal against the mark given. 

How do I request to see an exam paper? 

The first step in questioning an exam grade is to request the exam paper. This will enable the student and/or teacher to read the paper to check if an error or mistake has occurred in the calculation of the grade. 

To request the exam paper, the school or college’s exams officer will need to contact the exam board. Some papers are immediately available online, whereas others require a request to be submitted. 

However, if the student is waiting to confirm a place on a further education or university course that is dependent on the exam result, it is recommended that instead of requesting the paper, a submission is made for a priority review of marking. 

How do I request a marking review? 

A review of marking is when the exam paper is checked by another examiner. This request should come via the school’s exams officer. However, the student must give their consent for the review to take place. 

Under a review of marking, the mark can go up, down or stay the same. Exam boards may charge a fee for this service. 

If a student or centre believe a mistake has been in the marking of an exam there are three options available: 

• Clerical recheck (service 1) - this is a request to have the marking administration verified to ensure that the mark has been correctly calculated.  
• Review of marking (service 2) - this is a request to have the marking itself checked for errors and ensure that the mark scheme has been applied correctly. For A levels or similar qualifications where a place of further study is at stake, it is possible to request a priority service 2.  
• Review of moderation (service 3) - this is a request to check whether the assessment criteria has been applied correctly. 

What are the results dates and the deadlines for requesting a marking review?

After exam results are released, students have a short window within which they can request a marking review. The key dates for marking reviews are as follows: 

A level

• Thursday 15 August 2024: A-level results released to students 
• Thursday 22 August 2024: Deadline for requests for priority review of marking   
• Thursday 26 September 2024: Deadline for review of marking 

GCSE

• Thursday 22 August 2024: GCSE results released to students
• Thursday 26 September 2024: Deadline for review of marking

A priority review of marking can take around 15 days, whereas a normal review can take around 20 days. 

Each exam board uses a different pricing structure for their re-marking services:

• Pearson post-results services
• AQA post-results services
• OCR post-results services
• WJEC post-results services

Specific exam grades are often prerequisites for further study, and students who have not obtained those grades may be prevented from continuing their studies at their chosen education provider. 

In this situation, the student should submit a priority service 2 request, and always keep in contact with the centre where they wish to study to keep them informed of the progress of their appeal. It may be the case that their place can be taken up while they await the results of their appeal or review of marking. 

After the above review process, if the student or centre is still unhappy, it is possible to appeal against the mark given.  

• GCSEs: Everything you need to know for GCSE results day 2024
• A levels: Key dates for those going through university clearing in 2024
• Sats: Results show slight rise in KS2 Sats scores

How do I appeal an exam grade after a review? 

Following the review process, there is an option to appeal the GCSE or A-level grade. 

There are three different grounds for appeals:  

• Appeals against the outcomes of post-results services (including clerical rechecks, reviews of marking and reviews of moderation). This covers students who have requested a review of marking and believe a mistake has been made. 
• Appeals against decisions made in cases of malpractice. This refers to students who have been sanctioned for exam malpractice and wish to appeal. 
• Appeals relating to access arrangements, reasonable adjustments and special consideration. This refers to students who have access arrangements in place and believe the exam board has not followed them correctly. 

All exam boards will follow the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ) guidance on appeals.

For appeals that occur following a review of marking, there is a 30-day window to appeal from the point the school receives the reviewed grade. Once an appeal has been submitted, the school or college will receive a preliminary outcome letter within 42 days. 

After the preliminary stage, the school or college will be told if the case will either be: not upheld, upheld in whole or upheld in part. 

At this point, the school or college has 14 days to request an appeal hearing. To do this, a letter must be sent to the relevant exam board using the JCQ form JCQ/APP1 (see page 18). 

More support

If a student, school or college requires more details on how to appeal an exam grade, they should speak to their exams officer and consult the appeals page on the relevant exam board website.

• AQA
• Pearson Edexcel
• OCR
• WJEC

What if I want to resit an exam? 

If the grade has not improved after the review of marking has been conducted, students may decide they wish to resit the examination.

For students taking GCSEs, only maths and English language can be taken in the autumn. For A levels and all other GCSE subjects, resits will have to be taken in the next summer exam series. 

Find out more about GCSE resits in 2024

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