Appeal on Latin AS level mark

[Neil]

Does anyone know whether I have any chance of a higher mark on my Latin AS
if I appeal on the grounds of unfair examination circumstances.

I expected an overall A or B mark but have been awarded a C due to a poor
(E) mark on my unseen translation paper. I sat this paper at the end of a
day with 6 hours of exams so was very tired. I was not even allowed out of
the examination centre for fresh air during a lunch break.

I received an A and a C for the other two papers and feel that I should have
received at least a mark in the same range for unseen translation if I had
been taking it fresh.

Surely the examination board would accept that students can not perform
properly after 6 hours of exams. The question is, will they make any
allowance if I appeal?

I'd appreciate any advice you can give.

Many thanks

Neil

[Dr A. N. Walker]

Post by Neil
Does anyone know whether I have any chance of a higher mark on my Latin AS
if I appeal on the grounds of unfair examination circumstances.

I have no informed idea, but I would guess that they would
have expected you to complain at the time rather than when you get
the result.

Post by Neil
I expected an overall A or B mark but have been awarded a C due to a poor
(E) mark on my unseen translation paper. I sat this paper at the end of a
day with 6 hours of exams so was very tired.

Umm. In *my* day, my final degree examinations consisted of
six three-hour papers sat two per day on the Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday
immediately following the end of the course on the preceding Saturday.
But at least we only had lectures on Saturday mornings, so we had the
Saturday afternoon and all of Sunday to revise two years of work. So
the extent of my sympathy is somewhat limited.

But at least it was good practice for weekend chess tournaments,
where you have six four-hour games starting Friday evening and finishing
Sunday afternoon.

Post by Neil
I was not even allowed out of
the examination centre for fresh air during a lunch break. [...]

That *is* cruel ....

Post by Neil
I'd appreciate any advice you can give.

(a) Read the regulations very carefully, and see what rights and
loopholes you have.

(b) If you have *any* right of appeal [as opposed, eg, merely to
a re-mark, which perhaps you would not expect to show any difference],
write a reasoned letter explaining your grounds. People in general
are very bad at writing letters of "complaint", but it's not actually
that hard. Normally, it is three paragraphs: (i) Blah-de-blah
happened [strictly factual], (ii) "I think this is wrong because ...",
(iii) "I would like you to do XXX about it". Make sure it goes to
someone who *can* do something about it.

(c) If (b) fails, or if the regulations seem to you to be unfair
or to contravene human rights, get legal advice.

(d) If it comes to a legal battle, make sure that your guns are
bigger than theirs.

(e) In general, forget it. If you are doing AS Latin, as opposed
to AS Mickey Mouse Studies, I assume it is part of your programme of
study leading up to a course at some respectable univ involving three
A-levels. You will, presumably, either now drop Latin or else go on
to A2. You will be judged for univ entrance on your A2's, on your
overall record at GCSE/AS, on your PS and your reference; no normal
AT will take the odd C too seriously if everything else suggests you
are an ABB sort of person. OTOH, if your PS is a long whinge about
how badly you were treated in this one exam which has ruined your
life [and I've seen PS's like that], the AT *will* start to worry.

[Neil]

Andy

Thanks for your helpful reply.

My Latin and Economics exams clashed on the one morning and my school
decided that the Latin should be postponed until the afternoon. This is why
I could not leave the exam centre for some fresh air during the lunch break.

I don't want to get into a legal battle, I feel this would be against the
spirit of the whole thing, but do feel that I didn't perform as well as I
might have done in the exams during the 5th and 6th hours. It was
unfortunate for me that the subjects clashed but don't feel that it's right
that I'm disadvantaged as a result.

I was hoping to go on and study Latin to A2, but will now probably drop it
in favour of continuing my French A2 - where I got an A in the AS.

And yes you are right, I am hoping to go on and study Law at one of the top
universities where I will need 3 As at A2 level.

Again, thanks for your advice.

Neil

Post by Dr A. N. Walker

Post by Neil
Does anyone know whether I have any chance of a higher mark on my Latin AS
if I appeal on the grounds of unfair examination circumstances.

I have no informed idea, but I would guess that they would
have expected you to complain at the time rather than when you get
the result.

Post by Neil
I expected an overall A or B mark but have been awarded a C due to a poor
(E) mark on my unseen translation paper. I sat this paper at the end of a
day with 6 hours of exams so was very tired.

Umm. In *my* day, my final degree examinations consisted of
six three-hour papers sat two per day on the Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday
immediately following the end of the course on the preceding Saturday.
But at least we only had lectures on Saturday mornings, so we had the
Saturday afternoon and all of Sunday to revise two years of work. So
the extent of my sympathy is somewhat limited.
But at least it was good practice for weekend chess tournaments,
where you have six four-hour games starting Friday evening and finishing
Sunday afternoon.

Post by Neil
I was not even allowed out of
the examination centre for fresh air during a lunch break. [...]

That *is* cruel ....

Post by Neil
I'd appreciate any advice you can give.

(a) Read the regulations very carefully, and see what rights and
loopholes you have.
(b) If you have *any* right of appeal [as opposed, eg, merely to
a re-mark, which perhaps you would not expect to show any difference],
write a reasoned letter explaining your grounds. People in general
are very bad at writing letters of "complaint", but it's not actually
that hard. Normally, it is three paragraphs: (i) Blah-de-blah
happened [strictly factual], (ii) "I think this is wrong because ...",
(iii) "I would like you to do XXX about it". Make sure it goes to
someone who *can* do something about it.
(c) If (b) fails, or if the regulations seem to you to be unfair
or to contravene human rights, get legal advice.
(d) If it comes to a legal battle, make sure that your guns are
bigger than theirs.
(e) In general, forget it. If you are doing AS Latin, as opposed
to AS Mickey Mouse Studies, I assume it is part of your programme of
study leading up to a course at some respectable univ involving three
A-levels. You will, presumably, either now drop Latin or else go on
to A2. You will be judged for univ entrance on your A2's, on your
overall record at GCSE/AS, on your PS and your reference; no normal
AT will take the odd C too seriously if everything else suggests you
are an ABB sort of person. OTOH, if your PS is a long whinge about
how badly you were treated in this one exam which has ruined your
life [and I've seen PS's like that], the AT *will* start to worry.
--
Andy Walker, School of MathSci., Univ. of Nott'm, UK.

[John Porcella]

Post by Neil
Andy
Thanks for your helpful reply.
My Latin and Economics exams clashed on the one morning and my school
decided that the Latin should be postponed until the afternoon. This is why
I could not leave the exam centre for some fresh air during the lunch break.
I don't want to get into a legal battle, I feel this would be against the
spirit of the whole thing, but do feel that I didn't perform as well as I
might have done in the exams during the 5th and 6th hours.

Probably true, but that is what happens with certain subject combinations.
If you are as good as you think, have another bash and do it for real,
rather than by some technicality.

It was

Post by Neil
unfortunate for me that the subjects clashed but don't feel that it's right
that I'm disadvantaged as a result.

That is just tough, in my opinion.

Post by Neil
I was hoping to go on and study Latin to A2, but will now probably drop it
in favour of continuing my French A2 - where I got an A in the AS.

You do realise that you can re-take any number of times (in theory)?

[Stuart Williams]

Post by Neil
Surely the examination board would accept that students can not perform
properly after 6 hours of exams. The question is, will they make any
allowance if I appeal?

It isn't quite clear if you did this paper in the third hour of the
afternoon session(e.g., 4pm to 5pm) or after you'd already sat through
six hours of exams. If the former, you've got no grounds for complaint -
the Boards fully expect people to manage six hours a day. BUT, if it's
the latter, then you may have a case, since no-one is supposed to sit
through more than six hours per day (unless they receive an extra time
allowance (for example, because they are dyslexic). Which was it?

Stuart Williams

[Neil]

Stuart

Sorry I didn't make this clear. I took this paper in the third hour of the
afternoon session. There was a timetable clash between my Economics and
Latin papers so the Latin was postponed until the afternoon - that's the
reason for being kept in the centre over the lunch break.

Neil

Post by Stuart Williams

Post by Neil
Surely the examination board would accept that students can not perform
properly after 6 hours of exams. The question is, will they make any
allowance if I appeal?

It isn't quite clear if you did this paper in the third hour of the
afternoon session(e.g., 4pm to 5pm) or after you'd already sat through
six hours of exams. If the former, you've got no grounds for complaint -
the Boards fully expect people to manage six hours a day. BUT, if it's
the latter, then you may have a case, since no-one is supposed to sit
through more than six hours per day (unless they receive an extra time
allowance (for example, because they are dyslexic). Which was it?
Stuart Williams

[John Porcella]

Post by Stuart Williams
Stuart
Sorry I didn't make this clear. I took this paper in the third hour of the
afternoon session. There was a timetable clash between my Economics and
Latin papers so the Latin was postponed until the afternoon - that's the
reason for being kept in the centre over the lunch break.
Neil

I do not think, in that case, that you have a chance of success in an
appeal.

[Jabba]

Ah. An clash of exams was it?
I had a clash of exams for A2 (Latin and Computer Science - both AQA IIRC)
I guess the timetable setters thought that noone would be doing both those
for A Level (bit of an unlikely combination after all! I wouldn't be
surprised if I was the only one doing them both.

I had 6 hours of exams in one day as well because of that.

Sorry I can't be of any help re: appealing (I would very much doubt you
would get marked up - other people have been in the same situation) - but my
advice to you is this:

Since it's AS you could always resit the unseen part next Jan/June - in fact
this is what I did because I didn't do great on the unseen either - it
actually makes a lot of sense to have another go at that part since you're
learning the word list anyway (assuming you were to continue to A2) so
really it doesn't require any EXTRA work, and it definitely helped me out.

[Matthew Huntbach]

Post by Jabba
Ah. An clash of exams was it?
I had a clash of exams for A2 (Latin and Computer Science - both AQA IIRC)
I guess the timetable setters thought that noone would be doing both those
for A Level (bit of an unlikely combination after all! I wouldn't be
surprised if I was the only one doing them both.

It's a very good combination - Latin is an excellent A-level for anyone
who's thinking of doing a Computer Science degree.

Matthew Huntbach

[Neil]

Jabba

Yeah, mine was a clash of exams between Latin and Economics and the Latin
got postponed until the afternoon session.

I may well now drop Latin and concentrate instead on my French - where I got
an A. It's disappointing as I would have wished it to be the other way
around. I'm not sure if I'll want to retake that paper in January if I'm no
longer studying Latin.

Good luck, hope you got the grades to match any offers you had.

Neil

Post by Jabba
Ah. An clash of exams was it?
I had a clash of exams for A2 (Latin and Computer Science - both AQA IIRC)
I guess the timetable setters thought that noone would be doing both those
for A Level (bit of an unlikely combination after all! I wouldn't be
surprised if I was the only one doing them both.
I had 6 hours of exams in one day as well because of that.
Sorry I can't be of any help re: appealing (I would very much doubt you
would get marked up - other people have been in the same situation) - but
Since it's AS you could always resit the unseen part next Jan/June - in
fact this is what I did because I didn't do great on the unseen either -
it actually makes a lot of sense to have another go at that part since
you're learning the word list anyway (assuming you were to continue to A2)
so really it doesn't require any EXTRA work, and it definitely helped me
out.

[John Porcella]

Post by Neil
Does anyone know whether I have any chance of a higher mark on my Latin AS
if I appeal on the grounds of unfair examination circumstances.
I expected an overall A or B mark but have been awarded a C due to a poor
(E) mark on my unseen translation paper. I sat this paper at the end of a
day with 6 hours of exams so was very tired. I was not even allowed out of
the examination centre for fresh air during a lunch break.

Personally, I would just retake it, if you think that you are so good in the
subject. I would not entertain an appeal on those grounds, as it is just
what happens when you take a lot of examinations, or a certain combination.

Post by Neil
I received an A and a C for the other two papers and feel that I should have
received at least a mark in the same range for unseen translation if I had
been taking it fresh.
Surely the examination board would accept that students can not perform
properly after 6 hours of exams. The question is, will they make any
allowance if I appeal?

You can try, but I cannot see them lifting your mark by more that a few UMS.