How to appeal your GCSE results if you're not happy with your grades

Teenagers around the country will today be receiving their GCSE results.

Although all exams were cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic, students will still receive grades ranging from 1 to 9.

Students’ grades are calculated by teachers’ predictions and then moderated by an algorithm from exam regulator Ofqual, which uses a school's past academic performance to calculate grades.

However, following backlash over A-Level results – where the algorithm saw as many as 280,000 grades marked down – students will now be given their original teacher-predicted grades, unless their moderated ones are higher.

With the anxious wait for results over, here we take a look at what students can do if they are unhappy with the grades.

Can I appeal my grades if I am unhappy with them?

Students who do not get the grades they were expecting cannot appeal against their grades themselves. They can instead either retake the exams in autumn, or the school can appeal for them.

Pupils can ask their schools to request a review, or make an appeal to Ofqual. If they are disappointed with the decision after a review, they can also then appeal to Ofqual within 15 days of receiving the result of the review.

Schools can lodge appeals on behalf of students if they can show that grades are lower than expected because the school has changed in some way.

Education Secretary Gavin Williamson has said schools can also appeal if a student did better in their mock exam than in the result they are given today.

It is still unclear how long the appeals process might take – as exam boards do not know how many people will appeal their grades.

Ofqual said it is working “urgently” to “operationalise” the Government’s plan.

Can I take GCSE exams later instead?

Students can sit exams in October if they are still unhappy with their results.

If their exam result is higher than their teacher-assessed grade, they can use that as the final result.

The National Careers Service is running an exams helpline on 0800 100 900.

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