What are script annotations?

Exams officers can download a copy of a candidate’s original script on-demand via Access to Scripts, or you can request a copy of a candidate’s reviewed script as part of a review of results.

If you request a copy of the script as part of a review of results, this is made available to centres via Interchange.

Both the original and reviewed scripts may contain a range of annotations.

Annotations have two main purposes:

• For OCR and our senior examiners annotation is primarily designed for use as part of our assessment process. It allows the original examiner to indicate to senior examiners how marks have been decided upon
• For centres annotations can be helpful in providing feedback on a candidate’s script.

In the majority of cases, scripts are scanned and supplied to examiners electronically and then marked online. 

A small number of scripts are still marked traditionally, by hand. 

For more information on how scripts are marked, and the checks we carry out, see all about marking.

We’ve also produced six factsheets which explain the key stages involved in examining and marking GCSEs and A Levels. You can view and download these from explaining examining.

For scripts marked electronically, we provide a copy of the scanned image of the script. 

Each script includes a candidate marks report. This shows the marks awarded for each question and the total mark given for the paper. 

You’ll see various annotations on the script, and ticks, crosses or other symbols may or may not be included. Use of annotation depends on the type of question and the instructions given by the Principal Examiner. For example, the use of a green tick doesn’t always equate to a mark being given.

As a minimum, all scripts will have at least one annotation per page.

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 mark scheme for the relevant qualification. (See below for information on accessing the mark scheme.)

Examiners are encouraged to use annotation to clarify complex assessment decisions. Therefore, general, straightforward and objective questions, with a small number of marks available, are unlikely to be annotated as the application of the mark scheme is self-evident.

For scripts marked traditionally, marks are shown on the script in the place where they have been awarded. 

Some scripts may show more than one mark and different colours are sometimes used. This shows the script has been part of our checking process and that it's been checked by one or more senior examiners. 

Scripts marked electronically will not usually show additional comments from the examiner. Where comments have been made, they are included on the last page of the script. 

Scripts marked traditionally have limited, focused annotation which usually relates to the published mark scheme.

Detailed mark schemes for each component/unit are made available via Teach Cambridge on candidate results days.

There may be a number of reasons why a candidate’s final mark is different from the mark shown on their script. In most cases, the reason for the discrepancy will not be included in the script annotation or comments:

• If an examiner is marking consistently but slightly generously or harshly, their marks are adjusted to bring them in line with all other marks. 
  
• Where a special consideration request has been made, extra marks may have been allowed. 
• Marks for scripts which are part of a unitised qualification have a uniform mark scale (UMS). The UMS will usually be different from the mark shown on the script. Use our raw mark to UMS converter to convert raw marks to UMS marks for any unit from the available series.