Additional information about enquiries about results: what does this mean for you? - Andy Barrott

You may have already seen our blog about what will be changing this year in terms of post-results services and appeals. 

Following the publication of Ofqual’s final decisions on the reviews and appeals system (which states schools and colleges can request additional information about the reasons behind the outcome of an enquiry), we thought it would be useful to focus on how you can access this extra information! 

This can be done in two main ways:

1. Get a copy of the reviewed script

If you submit a Service 1 or Service 2 enquiry about results you can request a copy of the reviewed script at the same time. This is the best way to find out more information about your enquiry. It shows you the candidate’s original work together with annotations made by the reviewing examiner. 

To request a copy of the reviewed script, you just need to tick the ‘Copy of scripts required?’ box when you submit your enquiry about results via Interchange, our secure extranet for centre staff. 

You’ll receive your copy of the reviewed script within 10 working days of your enquiry outcome (all reviewed copies, including traditional scripts, which are marked by hand, rather than electronically, are made available via Interchange for you to download). 

For an explanation of the annotations made on the script by either the original or the reviewing examiner, please see the glossary included in the original mark scheme. 

Mark schemes are available via Interchange from 8am on restricted results days, and can be found within the past papers area. You need the Tutor/Teacher ‘role’ to be able to access the mark schemes. (More details about getting started with Interchange and managing user roles within your centre can be found on our website.) 

Annotations are used on scripts for a number of reasons. When made by a reviewing examiner, they are primarily used to demonstrate that each page of the script has been seen and checked. Therefore, where a reviewing examiner agrees with the original marks, a script may not contain many annotations because the mark scheme has been correctly applied. 

Depending on the qualification, scripts are marked in different ways and, therefore, the use of annotations can vary depending on the qualification, e.g. the use of a green tick doesn’t always equate to a mark being given. 

If you didn’t request a copy of the reviewed script as part of your enquiry, but you are unhappy with the outcome, you can email our results team to request a copy: postEARscripts@ocr.org.uk. You’ll need to provide your centre number, candidate number(s), and also the unit number(s) for which you are requesting a script. 

The script will then be made available via Interchange within 10 calendar days.

2. Request additional information about your enquiry 

If you still have questions after you have received your copy of the reviewed script, you can ask us to confirm why the reviewer decided on the outcome that was issued to you. These decisions will fall into specific categories:

• No change
• Clerical error
  
• Marking difference.

We will email you a letter confirming the category and providing further information about this and our processes.

To make a request, email us at postEARscripts@ocr.org.uk. 

About the author

Andy Barrott - Senior Manager, Assessment Standards

Andy is a Senior Manager in Assessment Standards (Chair of Examiners) and has worked for Cambridge Assessment in various assessment roles for the last nine years. He is responsible for maintaining standards for a number of OCR’s general and vocational qualifications, in line with regulatory requirements.