Kelly Hall, Assessment Standards Senior Manager

This blog relates to the moderation process for centre-assessed work for AS and A Levels, Cambridge Nationals, Entry Level, the Extended Project and GCSEs. 

We know marking coursework and non-exam assessments can be challenging, particularly where you have a small cohort, or where your students have approached the task in an innovative way. Here at OCR, we are continually looking at ways we can support schools and colleges to make sure every student gets a fair and accurate result. 

One of the ways we do this is during the moderation process itself. Once you’ve submitted your marks and then submitted your sample of candidate work, the OCR moderator will check the marking has produced valid marks and a reliable ‘order of merit’ of your students’ performances. 

The moderators have been tested in their ability to accurately select an order of merit for candidates and make sure candidates have been marked accurately. They are aware of the nationally agreed standard that is to be applied in all centres’ marking. 

If your marking has not produced valid marks, we may adjust the marks you have awarded, or return the work to you with feedback so you can remark it using this feedback. You can then submit new marks to OCR for your entire cohort and return the sample to the moderator so moderation can continue.

What is new?

New for 2022 is an additional stage of support. If the moderator has further concerns, they will arrange a support call with the subject teacher. This conversation is designed to help the subject teacher understand the issues the moderator has identified and allows them to deepen their understanding of the issue. 

The moderator won’t be able to tell the subject teacher what mark they think each student in the sample should get, but they can discuss the rank order and areas in the marking criteria where the marking is accurate and where there are issues. The subject teacher will then have another opportunity to mark the students’ work and resubmit marks and the sample to make sure students get the results they deserve.

How long do I get to remark the work?

You have ten working days to submit new marks to OCR after receiving written or verbal feedback from your moderator. It is important to stick to this timeframe to ensure delivery of results is not affected.

What happens if I don’t agree with the moderator?

Moderators have been standardised and tested in their ability to accurately select an order of merit for candidates and to make sure candidates have been marked accurately. They are aware of the nationally agreed standard that is to be applied in all centres’ marking of internal assessment. Any disagreement will need to be raised at the appeal stage where all available evidence will be considered. 

For more detail about the moderation process, take a look at the administration area of our website.

Stay connected 

We’re here to support you, so if you have any questions, please contact our Customer Service Centre on 01223 553998 or email us as support@ocr.org.uk.  You can also sign up to subject updates to receive information about resources and support.

About the author

Kelly Hall is an Assessment Standards Senior Manager, currently seconded into the OCR Change Team to provide expertise on assessment issues involved with moderation. She has worked for Cambridge University Press and Assessment for over 20 years.