The number of GCSE and A-level grades that were challenged has risen year-on-year by almost 30,000, the latest Ofqual data shows.
For the summer 2024 exam series, 331,330 grades were challenged - up from 303,270 in 2023.
Of those challenged grades, 22.5 per cent were increased as a result - a slight increase from 21.8 per cent last year. However, only 1.2 per cent of overall grades changed.
The 2024 exams also saw a 7 per cent jump in the number of reviews of marking requested.
For the summer 2023 exam series, 510,000 reviews of marking were requested for GCSE, AS and A levels.
The number of reviews requested had previously seen an increase between 2022 and 2023, though the number of requests remained below 2019 levels. 2023 was the first year of the return to normal grading after a transition period in 2022.
This comes after Tes reported that 31 per cent of teachers thought the marking of exam papers in their GCSE subject was unfair for the summer 2024 exam series.
A Teacher Tapp poll in October found English teachers, in particular, were most likely to say they thought marking was unfair, with 67 per cent saying this.
Nearly half of languages teachers (48 per cent), 38 per cent of arts teachers and 32 per cent of humanities teachers agreed marking was unfair in their subject.
GCSE English language saw 8.4 per cent of grades challenged this year - up from 7.4 per cent last year. However, those that actually changed remained similar at 1.3 per cent.
Economics saw the highest percentage of grades actually changed at GCSE (3.6 per cent) and A level (3.4 per cent).
Exam boards AQA and OCR said requests for reviews of marking were in line with expectations or had not significantly changed in October.
Meanwhile, new Ofqual data today also shows the number of student malpractice cases resulting in penalties issued increased 6 per cent year-on-year, from 4,895 to 5,190.
Of these, 41.4 per cent involved mobile phones or similar devices.
In 2023, there were 55 cases of school malpractice resulting in penalties. This saw a big increase of 164 per cent to 145 cases in 2024.
Ofqual said this was in line with pre-pandemic years.
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