Guidance

Review of marking for GCSE, AS and A Level results: guide for schools and colleges (accessible)

Published 29 June 2026

Applies to England

If a school or college believes an error has occurred in the marking or moderation of a student’s exam paper or coursework it can request a review from the exam board. All types of review of exam marking relate to an individual paper completed by an individual student. 

This page explains who can request a review, what types of review are available, and what to do if you remain dissatisfied with the outcome. 

Who can request a review? 

Only schools and colleges can request reviews on behalf of students. Exam boards do not accept requests directly from students. You will need written consent from the student before submitting a request. 

Private students – those who registered for their qualification individually – are an exception and can request reviews directly from exam boards. 

What types of review are available? 

There are 3 post-results services offered by all exam boards: 

1. 1. Administrative error review (Service 1) checks that every question has been marked and that marks have been correctly totalled and recorded. Results are typically provided within 10 calendar days of receipt.  

2. 2. Review of marking (Service 2) involves an independent reviewer examining the original marking to identify errors across each task in the paper. An administrative error review is automatically included if one has not previously been requested. Two priority levels are available: 

• priority service – for students whose further or higher education place depends on the outcome, or where a quick response is needed, results are provided within 15 calendar days

• non-priority service – results are provided within 20 calendar days

All exam boards offer priority reviews for AS and A Levels. Only Pearson currently offers this service for GCSEs. 

3. Review of moderation (Service 3) assesses whether the original moderation of non-examination assessment (coursework) was carried out correctly. It is requested by a school or college and undertaken on a sample of students’ work that was originally marked by teachers at that school or college. This service is not available for individual students. Results are provided within 35 calendar days of the moderator receiving the original sample. 

When do I need to request a review? 

Each exam board sets its own deadlines each year, within a framework prescribed by Ofqual. Deadlines are published annually by the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ). You should check the JCQ website and your exam board’s guidance for the specific deadlines that apply each year. 

As a general guide, priority reviews of marking must be requested shortly after results day in August. Deadlines for non-priority reviews, administrative error reviews, and reviews of moderation typically fall in late September. 

What are the possible outcomes? 

If a review finds errors, the exam board must correct the student’s mark. This can result in the mark going up or down for that individual exam paper – a review does not guarantee an improvement. In some cases, a mark change will affect the overall qualification grade, which will also be updated. 

For reviews of moderation, grades can only be confirmed or raised – they cannot be lowered as a result of the review.  

Exam boards charge a fee if the qualification grade does not change following a review. For a review of moderation, a fee is charged if the original moderator marks are upheld. 

What if you are still not satisfied? 

If you remain dissatisfied after a review, you can make a formal appeal to the exam board. If you are still unhappy after completing the full appeals process, you can apply to Ofqual’s Examination Procedures Review Service (EPRS). The EPRS considers whether the exam board followed its own procedures correctly – it does not re-mark work and cannot directly change a grade. Your school or college submits the application on the student’s behalf.