SAR Request

A subject access request request?

 

This is from the IFoA SAR guidance note - it can be frustrating, in April, there was 10.25 marks between my marker 1 and 2.



Why is there a large difference between the 1st marker and the 2nd marker?
There may be differences in the marks awarded by the 1st and 2nd markers as scripts are marked
independently by two markers who do not know what each other has awarded.
Due to the nature of many assessments, it is accepted that markers may disagree about the mark
awarded for a question. It is accepted industry norm that a final mark may differ up to a total of 10
marks. As questions become more complex they also become more subjective to judgement. Lower
levels of agreement may be a result of legitimate differences in opinion between equally qualified
markers. These complex questions are an important aspect of the IFoA examinations and essential in
assessing the specific knowledge and skills required.
The IFoA marking guidelines have been developed with the understanding that there can be
differences in the marks awarded, and for this reason there is strict review parameters that dictate
which candidate scripts require further review by a senior examiner.
We have seen in some of our subjects the variance between the 1st and 2nd marker is beyond the
accepted industry normal level of 10 marks, and have a program of marker quality improvement
initiatives in progress. We have already implemented a number of these improvements, including full
on-screen marking for the majority of examinations, a two-stage standardisation process at the start
of the marking process and marker tolerance and approval limits. We continue with this program of
work to reduce the number of instances where the marker variance is greater than 10 marks

 

I received my CM1 marking breakdown and for the first paper the difference in marks awarded amounted to 23 marks. For a more subjective exam I could almost understand however for a mathematical exam this seems too large a deviation to be acceptable.

 

Wow, I thought my discrepancy was bad at 12 marks difference for CM1.
If you don't mind me asking, what were your two scores + reviewers final mark?

 

Small claim at the County Court. Look into Consumer Rights Act Standards of Service or even breach of contract maybe.

 

The two original markers gave me 39 and 62 then the final reviewer gave me 59.

 

That sounds like you had one inexperienced marker which was picked up by the third senior marker.

 

Had marker 1 given him 59 instead of 62, the script would never go to a final review. would this be fair?

Therefore the question i would ask - what controls/tests does a marker have to go through - saying that it sounds like he had one "inexperienced marker" shouldn't really be the case.

 

I assume 59 is a fail. In which case it would go to a third senior marker as your marks would be either side of the pass mark, so that sounds fair to me.

 

No because both marks would be a fail. The fact that one marker gives a 39 and so drags down the overall average would mean that it wouldn't meet the criteria for a pass. If marker two was "experienced" then instead of giving 39, he may have gotten 57, which would see the script reviewed. What's the point in having 2 blind markers if you allow their scores despite being clearly incorrect.

 

Sorry I misread there, you replaced the 62 with 59 not the other score.

Not officially as it would not have been chosen due to the criteria. However, a marker who is over 20 marks out on a primarily maths paper may have their marking reviewed so it is likely to be caught that way. In A level marking such an examiner is likely to have their marking released into the pool to be marked again.

 

Likely to be caught is not the same as being caught, and it's not fair for a student to potential get a fail because a marker could be what you call an " inexperienced marker". The exam fees are high enough without the added stress of hoping it will be caught. Would it not make sense to have a policy were any exam with differences of 10 marks (as this is the accepted industry norm), must be reviewed by a third blind marker - I would consider this to be a fair approach.

 

Has anyone who's requested a SAR before the April 2021 results were released got theirs yet? I requested mine at mid May and haven't got anything yet

 

Your in the same Q as anyone that got their results - it's within 30 days of your results, (if you request them before results come out)

 

Ah understood, thanks!

 

For the previous (Sept 20) session's results I didn't get an email, but there was a link to the breakdown (a PDF) posted under the list of exam letters. It popped up within a few days of the results appearing.
Presumably it will be the same this time around.
It disappears after a few months, so be sure to download it while it's there.

 

Are you sure it did not pop up there because you had requested it? I just checked my "Exam Result Letters" page again, there's nothing so far. Can someone send a message here please if/when it shows up for you?

Thanks.

 

Oh, sorry if I wasn't clear - I am sure it was there because I requested it (I'd be pretty confident to think they won't put everyone's up there without having been asked to), but in the past I got a response by email with the breakdowns attached as PDFs. The last session, I got no communication at all (bar the automatic reply to my request), the breakdown just appeared in my letters list a few days after requesting it.

I will post here when I get the April 2021 breakdown.

 

Got an email saying it was there but I don't see it. :/

 

Perhaps, try clearing your cookies and check again?

 

Tried that but still no dice. Thanks tho.