Examiners lack training ahead of marking changes, survey shows

Over a third of examiners say they did not receive training on changes to the re-marking process prior to the implementation of new reforms, research from Ofqual shows.

Last summer, new rules were introduced by the exam watchdog to make sure that reviewers only changed marks when the original mark showed a clear error in marking.

Fifty-four per cent of moderators stated that they did not have any training on the new rules implemented last year before carrying out the reviews.

However, Ofqual research suggests that not all examiners followed the rules. In a small number of cases, a mark change was made even when there was no error in the original marking.

A survey, carried out by Ofqual, revealed that only 46 per cent of moderation reviewers and 64 per cent of marking reviewers said they had received any training prior to undertaking reviews.

Around half of the marking reviewers indicated they would change the mark to give a candidate ‘benefit of doubt’ when the original examiner had not– despite the new rules, the survey found.

Ofqual chief regulator, Sally Collier, commented: “There will always be a period of adjustment following any change, and we are working with exam boards to identify what can be done this year to be even more confident that students are getting the results their performance deserves.”