Exam bosses admit there is no plan for appeal process yet as A-level results are released
13 August 2020, 08:52
Students unhappy with their A-level results in England will be able to appeal, but the process is still unclear.
After exams were cancelled due to the coronavirus lockdown, a computer algorithm was used for the first time to adjust student's marks given by teachers.
Earlier this week – at the last minute – Education Secretary Gavin Williamson announced a 'triple lock' process to give students more 'security' on their grades.
This means students in England unhappy with their grades now have the opportunity to appeal their grade, resit their exams in autumn or use their mock grades instead.
The mock grade will only be allowed to be used if it was taken under test conditions.
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However, exam bosses have now admitted there is no plan in place at the moment for how the appeal process will happen.
Ofqual are urgently putting together a plan, which is believed to be released next week.
They said: "We are working urgently to operationalise this as fairly as possible and to determine what standards of evidence will be required for the appeal.”
Gavin Williamson previously said on the 'triple lock' process: "This will provide an additional safety net to the system of calculated grades, which is the fairest possible approach in the absence of exams.
"The grades students receive on Thursday will be based on the judgement of their school or college, and have been moderated by exam boards to make sure the same standard is applied for all students, whichever school, college or part of the country they come from."
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has since warned the situation could become a "complete fiasco".
He said: "Talking to teachers today, it’s obvious they expect young people will do better in the real exam than they’d done in the mock. It’s not going to work, it’s not going to wash.”
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