The marking of this year's examination papers has now reached an appropriate stage for the five largest GCE and GCSE awarding bodies to provide a further update on actions on the errors in this year's questions. In addition to information outlined below about how we have dealt with exam errors, an update message from the Chief Executives is now available on the Joint Council for Qualifications' website.

The regulators have confirmed that they are satisfied with the actions taken. The regulators' statement can be found here.

In addition, university admissions tutors have been provided with detailed information about the measures taken in cases involving AS and A2 papers to make sure they are fully informed.

The solutions we have adopted in dealing with specific OCR papers that contained errors are outlined below, as is the additional support on offer. To ensure that students will not be disadvantaged and that they get the right result, the approaches were used to inform the awarding of grades for each unit:

Actions on specific papers

A2 Level Physics (Unit G485)

Error: Correct value of plate separation in the diagram was inconsistent with the value given in text

When the examining team met to standardise the marking of this paper, due allowance was made in the mark scheme to give full credit to candidates who had either used the plate separation values as quoted in centimetres or metres.

A detailed research of statistical data comparing the performance of candidates taking this paper with the same unit in June 2010 was carried out before the award took place.  In particular, comparisons were made of performance in a similar question from June 2010 to that containing the error in June 2011.

The outcome of this research clearly demonstrated that the error in the 2011 paper had not adversely affected candidates as a whole.  Nevertheless, separate statistical analysis was carried out on candidates understood to be at risk of receiving an inappropriate grade.

In the award, where the grade boundaries were chosen, attention was given to ensure that the performance in G485 was as well aligned as possible with the performance in the other examined unit from this series, G484.  This ensures that the grades awarded in unit G485 will be fair for the candidates as a whole taking this unit.

 

AS Level Mathematics (Unit 4736 Decision 1)

Error: Incorrect information in one question

The mark scheme for this paper was adjusted at the Standardisation meeting to minimise the effect of the question with the error. All markers were instructed to pay special attention to this question. Crossed out work was marked even if it was replaced and credit was given for the most accurate attempt.

A detailed research of statistical data comparing the performance of candidates taking this paper with the same unit in June 2010 and January 2011 was carried out before the award took place.  At the pre award the ranges of scripts to be considered by the awarding committee were established. These were significantly lower and wider than had been scrutinised in previous sessions because the question paper was more difficult than usual.

The agreed boundary mark for each judgemental grade was identified using various forms of statistical analysis and professional judgement as determined by the Code of Practice. These boundaries included compensation for the error on the paper and still kept this unit aligned with the other AS applied units and with previous sessions.

Separate statistical analysis was carried out to identify candidates at risk of receiving an inappropriate grade.

 

GCSE Latin Prose Literature (Unit A403/02)

Errors: Questions 25 and 26 should have referred to Canius, not to Pythius. Question 28 should have referred to Cicero, not to Tacitus.

Senior examiners read a large number of candidate responses in preparation for standardisation.  At the meeting the Principal Examiner adapted the mark scheme to allow candidates credit who had answered the questions in relation to the names as incorrectly printed in the question paper, rather than in relation to the correct names.

We asked examiners to report back to us on the marking.  Many candidates seem not to have noticed the errors and have answered Questions 25, 26 and 28 as intended.  Some candidates have circled or underlined the errors but have still answered them as intended.  A few candidates have answered the questions in relation to the incorrect names, and have been given credit according to the adapted mark scheme. 

Since this paper was marked online for the first time this June, we have been able to consider large amounts of data to determine the effect, if any, on candidate performance.  A Research Report was also commissioned on the errors.  The conclusion has been that the errors in Questions 25 and 26 have not had any effect on candidates in general.  The marks for Question 28 were slightly lower than expected but the Report found evidence that this could have been due to normal pressure of time at the end of the examination. 

At the Award a range of information was considered in setting the grade boundaries, including candidates’ performance on the other units they had taken.  We are confident that candidates seem not to have been disadvantaged by these errors. 

 

Additional support

Any individual candidate identified as being at risk of receiving an inappropriate grade for the three units will be considered through our normal channels of Special Considerations or Enquiries about Results. There is a variety of support from OCR for candidates, accessible with the help of teachers and Exams Officers:

• For the three specific papers, there will be free online access to scripts. OCR will make these scripts available on the relevant results day (Thursday 18 August for AS/A Level and Thursday 25 August for GCSE) via our secure website, Interchange.
• OCR is committed to providing a fast response to all Enquiry About Results (EAR) requests relating to these specific papers. For more details about OCR's EAR services, see our online admin guide.
• OCR will also take into account special consideration applications made by teachers on behalf of individual students if an error affected their answers to other questions.

Related link:OCR action on exam paper errors