Appeals for GCSE, AS and A level: summer 2021
Published 27 January 2022
Applies to England
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1. Introduction
This report presents figures for the number of appeals made during summer 2021 in England for GCSE, AS and A level qualifications. It also gives information on the provisional number of qualification grades challenged and changed due to those appeals. These figures are provisional as at 16 November 2021 when the data was submitted by awarding organisations to Ofqual. The final number of appeals, grades challenged and changed are expected to change and will be published at a later date.
On 4 January 2021, the Prime Minister announced that exams in summer 2021 could not go ahead as planned, as part of new national restrictions in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. On 13 January 2021, the Secretary of State asked Ofqual to jointly consult on alternative arrangements to award grades. The consultation with the Department for Education ran between 15 and 29 January 2021 and received over 100,000 responses. Having considered the responses to the consultation and having had regard to the Secretary of State’s direction, it was decided that students taking GCSE, AS and A levels in England, should be awarded grades based on teacher assessment.
As part of Ofqual’s General Qualifications Alternative Awarding Framework, every student had the right to appeal their grade if they so wished in summer 2021. Before a grade was submitted, teachers should have made students aware of the evidence they were using to assess them on which their grade was based. Students would have had the opportunity to confirm the evidence was their own work and make their teachers aware of any mitigating circumstances they believe should have been taken into account.
If a student believed there had been an error, centres should have undertaken an initial process review to check all its processes were followed correctly and no errors were made. This was referred to as a centre review. If the centre found an error that they judged would have affected the grade, they could submit a revised grade to the awarding organisation.
If the student still believed there to be an error, they would ask their centre to submit an appeal to the awarding organisation for them. The awarding organisation would check that the centre followed its own processes and awarding organisation requirements as well as reviewing the evidence used to form their judgement and providing a view as to whether the grade awarded was a reasonable exercise of academic judgement on the grounds requested by the student. The awarding organisation also checked if they made an administrative error where any concerns about this were raised.
If the awarding organisation found the grade was not reasonable, it would determine the alternative grade and inform the centre.
In cases of disagreement between the centre and the awarding organisation, or if the student disagreed with the centre or the awarding organisation, the case could be referred to Ofqual’s Examinations Procedure Review Service (EPRS). The awarding organisation’s decision on the grade following appeal would stand unless the EPRS found that the awarding organisation had made a procedural error.
Appeals on the ground of academic judgement did not lead to adjustments in grades where the original grade was a reasonable exercise of academic judgement supported by the evidence. Grades could remain the same or go up or down as the result of an appeal.
A centre would only have reported a centre review to the awarding organisation if the centre had identified an administrative or procedural error in determining a student’s grade, which resulted in a request to the awarding organisation to change the student’s grade. Instances where the centre did not identify an administrative or procedural error were not reported to the awarding organisation. As a result, in this bulletin only centre reviews where the centre identified a procedural or administrative error can be reported on, which means that the total number of centre reviews undertaken and grades challenged are undercounted.
An appeal on a student’s grade can be made on multiple grounds. Appeals that are made on multiple grounds are counted as one appeal received because the overall appeal has the same identifier.
Due to the exceptional nature of the assessment and appeals process in summer 2021, direct comparisons of appeals in summer 2021 and previous years will not be valid and should not be made.
2. Details
The main findings in the provisional number of appeals for GCSE, AS and A level in summer 2021 in England were:
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Overall, 17,490 of the 6.0 million grades certified for GCSEs, AS and A levels were challenged (0.3% of all grades certified)
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Overall, 6,000 of the 6.0 million grades certified for GCSEs, AS and level were changed as part of an upheld appeal in summer 2021 (0.1% of all grades certified)
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There were 16,000 appeals received in summer 2021.
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There were 5,760 appeals upheld in summer 2021.
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The most common ground for an appeal was unreasonable exercise of academic judgement.
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Most upheld appeals resulted in a grade change.
3. Total number of appeals received, upheld and leading to a grade change
For summer 2021 the standard post-results service was not available as students had not taken awarding organisation marked exams and there was a new appeals process, which consisted of two stages. The appeal could have been upheld at either a centre review or an appeal to the awarding organisation, and this may have led to a change in the qualification grade involved. If an appeal which progressed to the awarding organisation was not upheld but was upheld at a centre review, the appeal as a whole is reported as upheld.
In summer 2021, a student who believed an error had been made when determining their grade would submit an appeal to their centre, so that they could check whether an administrative or procedural error had been made. If a centre did find an error in the grade submitted, it could submit a revised grade for the awarding organisation to consider. If a centre did not believe an error had been made and the student still felt that there was an error in their result, the centre would appeal to the awarding organisation on the student’s behalf.
A centre would only have reported a centre review to the awarding organisation if the centre had identified an administrative or procedural error in determining a student’s grade, which resulted in a request to the awarding organisation to change the student’s grade. Instances where the centre did not identify an administrative or procedural error were not reported to the awarding organisation. As a result, in this bulletin only centre reviews where the centre identified a procedural or administrative error can be reported on, which means that the total number of centre reviews undertaken and grades challenged are undercounted.
Due to the exceptional nature of the assessment and appeals process in summer 2021 and summer 2020, direct comparisons of appeals in summer 2021 and previous years are not valid and should not be made.
3.1 GCSE
The number of appeals received, appeals upheld and appeals leading to grades changed has increased sharply for GCSE in summer 2021. This reflects the different nature of the assessment and appeal arrangements in summer 2021. When students take awarding organisation set and marked exams, most concerns about grades awarded are considered through reviews of marking, not appeals. Reviews of marking were not available in summer 2020 and summer 2021 because students did not take awarding organisation set and marked exams.
The percentage of appeals upheld has decreased for GCSE in summer 2021 reflecting the different nature of the assessment and appeal arrangements in summer 2021 compared to previous years.
Table 1: The number of appeals received, appeals upheld and appeals leading to a grade change at GCSE from summer 2017 to summer 2021
| Exam Series | Appeals received | Appeals upheld | % of appeals upheld | Appeals leading to a grade change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summer 2017 | 270 | 100 | 36% | 65 |
| Summer 2018 | 480 | 255 | 54% | 145 |
| Summer 2019 | 745 | 425 | 57% | 270 |
| Summer 2020 | 2,220 | 1,875 | 85% | 1,855 |
| Summer 2021 | 9,180 | 3,655 | 40% | 3,320 |
The number of GCSE appeals increased from 2,220 in summer 2020 to 9,180 in summer 2021. The number of appeals upheld increased from 1,875 in summer 2020 to 3,655 in summer 2021 and the number of appeals upheld which led to a grade change has increased from 1,855 in summer 2020 to 3,320 in summer 2021.
The percentage of appeals upheld in summer 2021 (where 40% appeals were upheld) has decreased compared with summer 2020 (where 85% appeals were upheld).
The changes between summer 2020 and summer 2021 reflect the difference in the assessment and appeal arrangements in summer 2021. Direct comparisons between years are not valid and should not be made.
3.2 AS and A level
The number of appeals received, appeals upheld and appeals leading to grades changed has increased sharply for AS and A level in summer 2021 reflecting the different nature of the assessment and appeal arrangements in summer 2021. When students take awarding organisation set and marked exams, most concerns about grades awarded are considered through reviews of marking, not appeals. Reviews of marking were not available in summer 2020 and summer 2021 because students did not take awarding organisation set and marked exams.
The percentage of appeals upheld has decreased for AS and A level in summer 2021 reflecting the different nature of the assessment and appeal arrangements in summer 2021.
Table 2: The number of appeals received, appeals upheld and appeals leading to a grade change at AS and A level from summer 2017 to summer 2021
| Exam Series | Appeals received | Appeals upheld | % of appeals upheld | Appeals leading to a grade change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summer 2017 | 325 | 160 | 50% | 95 |
| Summer 2018 | 370 | 145 | 39% | 70 |
| Summer 2019 | 480 | 250 | 52% | 150 |
| Summer 2020 | 1,355 | 1,085 | 80% | 1,065 |
| Summer 2021 | 6,820 | 2,105 | 31% | 1,930 |
The number of AS and A level appeals increased from 1,355 in summer 2020 to 6,820 in summer 2021. The number of appeals upheld increased from 1,085 in summer 2020 to 2,105 in summer 2021 and the number of appeals upheld which led to a grade change has increased from 1,065 in summer 2020 to 1,930 in summer 2021.
The percentage of appeals upheld in summer 2021 (where 31% appeals were upheld) has decreased compared with summer 2020 (where 80% appeals were upheld).
The changes between summer 2020 and summer 2021 reflect the difference in the assessment and appeal arrangements in summer 2021. Direct comparisons between years are not valid and should not be made.
4. Nature of appeals
In summer 2021 an appeal could be made on grounds of procedural errors, administrative errors, or on grounds that the grade reflected an unreasonable academic judgement.
A procedural error might have been identified by a centre following a student’s request for a centre review. A centre might have identified as part of a centre review that it made an administrative or procedural error in connection with a teacher assessed grade.
If the student still believed there to be an error, they would ask their centre to submit an appeal to the awarding organisation for them. The appeal could be made on the basis that there was a procedural error, an administrative error or a grade reflects an unreasonable exercise of academic judgement by the centre. An appeal on unreasonable exercise of academic judgement could be made on the following grounds:
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that the centre’s judgement as to the evidence which should be used to determine a teacher assessed grade was unreasonable, or
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that the centre’s judgement as to the teacher assessed grade indicated by the evidence it selected was unreasonable.
Appeals on the grounds of academic judgement could only be considered by awarding organisations and not by centres.
An appeal on a student’s grade can be made on multiple grounds. In this section each ground for appeal is counted separately. This means the total number of appeals in this section will not match the total number of appeals reported elsewhere.
These grounds for appeals did not exist in previous years and therefore comparisons on the nature of appeals of summer 2021 with previous years are not possible.
4.1 GCSE
Unreasonable exercise of academic judgement - determination of grade was the most common ground for GCSE appeal in summer 2021 with 4,975 appeals.
Table 3. Nature of GCSE appeals in summer 2021
| Nature of appeal | Number of appeals received |
|---|---|
| Unreasonable exercise of academic judgement - determination of grade | 4,975 |
| Unreasonable exercise of academic judgement - selection/range of evidence | 3,465 |
| Administrative error - centre | 2,575 |
| Centre procedural error: other procedural review | 2,510 |
| Centre procedural error: mitigating circumstances | 1,475 |
| Administrative error - Awarding Organisation | 255 |
| Centre procedural error: special consideration/mitigating circumstances | 95 |
| Centre procedural error: access arrangements | 60 |
4.2 AS and A level
Unreasonable exercise of academic judgement - determination of grade was the most common ground for AS and A level appeal in summer 2021 with 4,245 appeals
Table 4. Nature of AS and A level appeals in summer 2021
| Nature of appeal | Number of appeals received |
|---|---|
| Unreasonable exercise of academic judgement - determination of grade | 4,245 |
| Unreasonable exercise of academic judgement - selection/range of evidence | 3,065 |
| Centre procedural error: other procedural review | 2,135 |
| Centre procedural error: mitigating circumstances | 1,235 |
| Administrative error - centre | 1,095 |
| Administrative error - Awarding Organisation | 120 |
| Centre procedural error: special consideration/mitigating circumstances | 75 |
| Centre procedural error: access arrangements | 20 |
5. Centre reviews and appeals to the awarding organisation
For summer 2021 the standard post-results service was not available as students had not taken awarding organisation marked exams and there was a new appeals process, which consisted of two stages.
-
If a student believed there had been an error, centres should have undertaken an initial process review to check all its processes were followed correctly and no errors were made. This was referred to as a centre review. If the centre found an error that they judged would have affected the grade, they could submit a revised grade to the awarding organisation.
-
If the student still believed there to be an error after a centre review, they would ask their centre to submit an appeal to the awarding organisation for them. The awarding organisation would check that the centre followed its own processes and awarding organisation requirements. It would also review the evidence used to form their judgement and provide a view on whether the grade awarded was a reasonable exercise of academic judgement. The awarding organisation also checked if they made an administrative or procedural error where any concerns about this were raised.
Due to the differences of the summer 2021 assessment and appeals process comparisons with previous years are not possible.
In summer 2021, around 96% of all centre reviews received resulted in a grade change and around 8% of all appeals to the awarding organisation received resulted in a grade change. Overall, in summer 2021, around 33% of all appeals received resulted in a grade change. Because only centre reviews where centres identified a procedural or administrative error can be reported, the percentage of appeals resulting in a grade change will be affected. This means that the total number of centre reviews undertaken is undercounted. As a result, the percentage of centre reviews leading to a grade change will most likely be inflated.
Table 5. The nature of appeals received and appeals resulting in a grade change for summer 2021
| Qualification level | Number of centre reviews | Centre reviews leading to a grade change | Number of appeals to AOs | Appeals to AOs leading to a grade change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GCSE | 2,990 | 2,840 | 6,185 | 480 |
| GCE | 1,565 | 1,525 | 5,260 | 405 |
As at 16 November 2021, there were 10 GCSE appeals and 10 AS and A level appeals where the outcome of the appeal was pending the Examinations Procedure Review Service.
6. Grades challenged and changed
In summer 2021, a single appeal represented one qualification grade being challenged. An upheld appeal may or may not result in a change to the associated qualification grade. The number of appeals received may not be mirrored in the number of grades challenged or changed because students are awarded two grades for GCSE combined science.
Because only centre reviews where the centre identified a procedural or administrative error can be reported, the number of grades challenged will be affected. This means that the total number of grades challenged may be undercounted.
Additionally, a student may be involved in more than one appeal. In summer 2021, there were 12,740 GCSE and AS and A level candidates whose grades were involved in an appeal.
Overall, 17,490 of the 6.0 million grades certified for GCSEs, AS and A levels were challenged in summer 2021 (0.3% of all grades certified) and 6,000 of the 6.0 million grades certified for GCSEs, AS and level were changed as part of an upheld appeal in summer 2021 (0.1% of all grades certified).
There were 10,300 grades challenged and 3,955 grades changed for GCSE and 7,190 grades challenged and 2,045 grades changed for AS and A level in summer 2021.
Table 6. The number of grades challenged and changed in summer 2021 for GCSE, AS and A level
| Qualification level | Grades awarded | Grades challenged | Grades challenged for upheld appeals | Grades changed | Grades not changed | Grades TBD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GCSE | 5,199,190 | 10,300 | 4,495 | 3,955 | 290 | 250 |
| AS and A level | 802,525 | 7,190 | 2,455 | 2,045 | 335 | 80 |
At the time when data was reported to Ofqual, there were 330 grades from upheld appeals where either the post appeal grade had yet to be determined or the original grade was unknown.
7. Grades challenged at appeal in summer 2021
Grade 3 was the most contested grade for GCSE 9 to 1, grade 3-3 the most contested grades for GCSE: combined science and grade B the most contested grade for AS and A level.
Source: Table 7: Data tables for appeals for GCSE, AS and A level: summer 2021
8. Grade changes for upheld appeals
In this section the magnitude of grade changes made following an upheld appeal in summer 2021 are reported. A small number of upheld appeals were for students who were not originally given a grade or where a student’s grade had not been determined after an appeal was upheld. These instances are not reported in this section.
8.1 GCSE
Where an appeal was upheld and grades are known, 93% of GCSE grades challenged had a grade change of one or more grade in summer 2021.
Table 7. Grade changes for grades challenged from upheld appeals at GCSE in summer 2021
| Grade change for upheld appeals | Number of grades | % of grades |
|---|---|---|
| Grade change of 0 | 290 | 7 % |
| Grade change of 1 | 3,250 | 77 % |
| Grade change of 2 | 475 | 11 % |
| Grade change of 3 | 145 | 3 % |
| Grade change of 4 | 40 | 1 % |
| Grade change of 5 | 10 | 0 % |
| Grade change of 6 | Fewer than 5 | 0 % |
| Grade change of 7 | Fewer than 5 | 0 % |
| Grade change of 8 | Fewer than 5 | 0 % |
| Grade change of 9 | Fewer than 5 | 0 % |
Overall, in upheld appeals (and where grades were known), 7% of GCSE grades challenged in upheld appeals did not result in a qualification grade change in summer 2021. Among those GCSE grades that were challenged in upheld appeals, 77% of grades changed by one grade and 15% changed by two or more grades in summer 2021.
As at 16 November 2021, there were 250 grades challenged for upheld appeals where grades where unknown or to be determined. These grades are not reported in this section.
8.2 AS and A level
Where an appeal was upheld and grades known, 86% of GCE grades challenged had a grade change of one or more grade in summer 2021.
Table 8. Grade changes for grades challenged from upheld appeals at AS and A level in summer 2021
| Grade change for upheld appeals | Number of grades | % of grades |
|---|---|---|
| Grade change of 0 | 335 | 14 % |
| Grade change of 1 | 1,890 | 80 % |
| Grade change of 2 | 115 | 5 % |
| Grade change of 3 | 20 | 1 % |
| Grade change of 4 | 10 | 1 % |
| Grade change of 5 | Fewer than 5 | 0 % |
Overall, in upheld appeals (and where grades were known), 14% of AS and A level grades challenged in upheld appeals did not result in a qualification grade change in summer 2021. Among those AS and A level grades that were challenged in upheld appeals, 80% of grades changed by one grade and 7% changed by two or more grades in summer 2021.
As at 16 November 2021, there were 80 grades challenged for upheld appeals where grades where unknown or to be determined. These grades are not reported in this section.
9. Appeals received by centre type
Centre type is obtained from the NCN register that OCR manage on behalf of the Joint Council for Qualifications. Centre types reported in this bulletin are correct as at 12 August 2021.
9.1 GCSE
For GCSEs the majority of appeals received, appeals upheld, grades challenged and changed were for secondary non-selective, maintained schools or centres.
Table 9. Appeals received, appeals upheld, grades challenged and grades changed for different centre types at GCSE in summer 2021
| Centre type | Appeals received | Appeals upheld | Grades challenged | Grades changed | Grades TBD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Secondary non-selective, maintained | 7,040 | 2,735 | 7,860 | 2,900 | 185 |
| Sixth form and Further Education | 850 | 360 | 1,025 | 470 | 20 |
| Independent | 590 | 265 | 645 | 275 | 15 |
| Selective | 305 | 95 | 345 | 120 | 10 |
| Other | 395 | 195 | 430 | 185 | 20 |
9.2 AS and A level
Similar to GCSE, for AS and A level the majority of appeals received, appeals upheld, grades challenged and changed were for secondary non-selective, maintained schools or centres.
Table 10. Appeals received, appeals upheld, grades challenged and grades changed for different centre types at AS and A level in summer 2021
| Centre type | Appeals received | Appeals upheld | Grades challenged | Grades changed | Grades TBD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Secondary non-selective, maintained | 3,270 | 900 | 3,350 | 870 | 45 |
| Sixth form and Further Education | 2,045 | 735 | 2,260 | 685 | 20 |
| Independent | 705 | 225 | 780 | 265 | Fewer than 5 |
| Selective | 540 | 140 | 540 | 130 | 5 |
| Other | 260 | 110 | 260 | 95 | 5 |
10. Appeals received by region
10.1 GCSE
For GCSE the largest share of appeals received, appeals upheld, grades challenged and grades changed are from London and the South East.
Table 11. Appeals received, appeals upheld, grades challenged and grades changed for different England regions at GCSE in summer 2021
| Region | Appeals received | Appeals upheld | Grades challenged | Grades changed | Grades TBD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North East | 290 | 120 | 310 | 110 | 10 |
| North West | 1,120 | 445 | 1,195 | 430 | 25 |
| Yorkshire and The Humber | 725 | 270 | 875 | 340 | 20 |
| East Midlands | 605 | 225 | 640 | 215 | 10 |
| West Midlands | 915 | 385 | 1,000 | 400 | 15 |
| East of England | 1,145 | 440 | 1,250 | 435 | 25 |
| London | 2,110 | 820 | 2,440 | 945 | 75 |
| South East | 1,595 | 655 | 1,850 | 760 | 45 |
| South West | 665 | 290 | 735 | 305 | 25 |
| Unknown | 10 | 5 | 10 | 5 | 0 |
10.2 AS and A level
For AS and A level the largest share of appeals received, appeals upheld, grades challenged and grades changed are from London and the South East.
Table 12. Appeals received, appeals upheld, grades challenged and grades changed for different England regions at AS and A level in summer 2021
| Region | Appeals received | Appeals upheld | Grades challenged | Grades changed | Grades TBD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North East | 160 | 45 | 160 | 40 | Fewer than 5 |
| North West | 825 | 185 | 830 | 165 | Fewer than 5 |
| Yorkshire and The Humber | 435 | 120 | 435 | 105 | Fewer than 5 |
| East Midlands | 410 | 150 | 440 | 170 | 5 |
| West Midlands | 575 | 160 | 590 | 165 | Fewer than 5 |
| East of England | 740 | 185 | 780 | 185 | Fewer than 5 |
| London | 2,125 | 815 | 2,350 | 755 | 35 |
| South East | 1,070 | 315 | 1,115 | 320 | 20 |
| South West | 475 | 135 | 485 | 135 | 5 |
| Unknown | Fewer than 5 | Fewer than 5 | Fewer than 5 | Fewer than 5 | 0 |
11. Contextual information
This report presents data on requests for centre reviews and appeals made to awarding organisations for summer 2021. The qualifications covered in this report are GCSE and AS and A level qualifications in England. The figures presented here are provisional as at 16 November 2021 when data was submitted to Ofqual by the awarding organisations.
Appeals were made at the subject level and, if related to the same issue, may cover more than one grade. In summer 2021 an appeal could be made on grounds of procedural and administrative errors, or on grounds of unreasonable academic judgement.
A procedural error might have been identified by a centre following a student’s request for a centre review or by the awarding organisation where the student’s grounds of an appeal raise procedural issues. A centre might have identified as part of a centre review that it made an administrative error in connection with a teacher assessed grade.
If the student still believed there to be an error, they would ask their centre to submit an appeal to the awarding organisation for them. The appeal could be made on the basis that there was a procedural error, an administrative error or a grade reflects an unreasonable exercise of academic judgement by the centre. An appeal on unreasonable exercise of academic judgement could be made on the following grounds:
-
that the centre’s judgement as to the evidence which should be used to determine a teacher assessed grade was unreasonable, or
-
that the centre’s judgement as to the teacher assessed grade indicated by the evidence it selected was unreasonable.
Appeals on the grounds of academic judgement could only be considered by awarding organisations and not by centres.
A centre would only have reported a centre review to the awarding organisation if the centre had identified an administrative or procedural error in determining a student’s grade, which resulted in a request to the awarding organisation to change the student’s grade. Instances where the centre did not identify an administrative or procedural error were not reported to the awarding organisation. As a result, in this bulletin only centre reviews where the centre identified a procedural or administrative error can be reported on. This means that the total number of centre reviews having been undertaken and grades challenged are undercounted.
Due to the exceptional nature of the assessment and appeals process in summer 2021, direct comparisons of appeals in summer 2021 and previous years are not valid and should not be made.
Further information on this release is available in the background information as well as data tables accompanying this report.
12. User feedback
We welcome your feedback on our publications. Should you have any comments on this statistical release and how to improve it to meet your needs please contact us at data.analytics@ofqual.gov.uk.
Head of profession: Nadir Zanini