Policy Owner: University of East Anglia
CE Sponsor: N/A
Date created this year: August 2024. Version: 1.2. Approved by: University of East Anglia. Date approved: April 2023. To be reviewed: August 2025
1.1 This policy applies to marks released to students prior to Examination Boards. Students with concerns about marks that have been confirmed by the Board of Examiners need to follow the Academic Appeals Regulations.
1.2 Where a summative assignment, presentation, oral examination or a written examination has been blind/unseen (Blind/unseen double marking is where two examiners/assessors mark the assignment independently of one another and subsequently agree a mark) double marked, a student cannot request a remark or appeal the mark. However, a student with concerns about the conduct of the marking process may submit an Academic Complaint setting out those concerns.
1.3 Where (except in the case of examinations held in the formal exam period see 1.4 below) a summative assignment, presentation or oral examination has been single marked, whether or not the work was part of a moderated sample, a student may request a remark within 10 working days of receipt of the mark. For instances where there is not a 10-working day window between publication of results and the Board of Examiners, remarking requests must be submitted at least two working days prior to the Board of Examiner meeting.
1.4 Where an examination held in the formal exam period, has been double marked, or has been moderated, students may not apply for a remark but may submit an Academic Appeal.
1.5 A student requesting a remark will need to provide justification that either:
1.6 Students are required to discuss their mark with the original marker before asking for a re-mark. If this is not possible for reasons beyond the student’s control, they should meet with their Programme/Course Leader. In exceptional circumstances a student may meet with an alternative member of staff as appropriate.
1.7 Students are required to submit a re-mark request form clearly indicating how their request meets one or more of the criteria outlined in 1.5 above.
2.1Requests for work to be re-marked should be submitted to the HE Office, or equivalent. The piece of marked work should also be submitted at the same time. A clean (unmarked) copy of the work is only required if it was not originally submitted electronically.
2.2 A student submitting a request must clearly state on the re-marking request form (henceforth referred to as “the Form”), why, having received an explanation of the mark from the original marker, or Programme/Course Leader, in cases where it has not been possible to meet with the original marker, they feel they have grounds for making the request based on the criteria outlined in 1.5 above.
2.3 The HE Office, or equivalent will consider the re-mark request including whether the Form has been properly and fully completed. If the student has indicated clearly which of the three allowable grounds they are applying against, and have provided evidence to substantiate their application accordingly, the application will be processed accordingly.
3.1 Students are expected to indicate on the Form that they have met in person, or via other means such as Skype or Facetime, with the original marker prior to submitting a re-mark request. In cases where this is not possible, for example because the marker is ill, absent from the institution, or no longer employed by the institution, the student should meet with their Programme/Course Leader before submitting a re-mark request.
3.2 Where a re-mark request is deemed to be incomplete or where there is insufficient explanation or evidence provided in the Form, the application will be referred back to the student for revision.
3.3 A revised Form should be submitted by 6pm on the third working day following initial submission.
3.4 If, on re-submission, the HE Office, or equivalent is satisfied that the Form has been properly completed, the re-mark process will be initiated. The HE Office will identify an appropriate second marker.
3.5 If the HE Office or equivalent is still not satisfied that the Form is complete, it will be referred to the Head of HE or equivalent for a final decision as to whether the request should be processed and the re-mark process initiated accordingly.
3.6 If rejected by the Head of HE or equivalent the original mark will stand. However, the student may still submit an Academic Complaint if they feel there were procedural irregularities associated with the conduct of the assessment, including the marking or moderation process.
4.1 The original marker should confirm, by signing the Form or by responding to an email from the HE Office, or equivalent, that they have discussed the mark with the student face-to-face and that they have made efforts to clarify why the mark in question was awarded and to address the student’s concerns.
In cases where the student has not – due to circumstances beyond their control – been able to meet with the original marker, they should meet with their Programme/Course Leader. The student’s Programme/Course Leader, in such cases, should sign the Form or confirm via email that they have discussed the mark with the student. In exceptional circumstances a student may meet with an alternative member of staff.
4.2 The re-mark request will not be processed until the original marker (or the student’s Programme/Course Leader in accordance with 4.1 above) has signed and returned the Form, or confirmed in writing by email, that the meeting has taken place.
5.1 Once the second marker has been confirmed, the HE Office, or equivalent will send a copy of the Form and a clean copy of the student’s work, or a recording of the presentation/oral examination to the second marker electronically. The copy of any written assignment sent will be a copy of the original submission.
5.2 The second marker will be asked to re-mark the work in three working days after receiving it. Once re-marked, the second marker will return the completed re-mark request Form, duly signed, with the second mark clearly indicated. The second marker’s feedback on the script should be included in the relevant section of the Form. The Form should then be processed by the HE Office, or equivalent, and the final mark recorded on the Form. This mark may be unchanged, or adjusted.
A copy of the completed Form, with the first mark, second mark and final agreed mark together with feedback from the second marker should then be forwarded to both the Module Leader and the student. A copy will be retained in the student’s file.
The outcome of the re-marking request will be recorded by the HE Office, or equivalent.
The re-marking process should normally be completed within 10 working days of a student completing a re-marking request form after they have met with the original marker.
In cases where there are differences between the mark awarded by the first and second markers the procedure will be as follows:
a) If the mark of the second marker is within 4% points of the original mark (either higher or lower) and does not straddle a classification or pass/fail boundary, then no adjustment of the mark will be made; e.g. 1st mark is 63%, 2nd mark is 67% = no adjustment;
b) If the mark of the second marker is within 4% points of the original mark (either higher or lower) but straddles a classification or pass/ fail boundary , then the mark will be adjusted to the bottom mark of the higher classification or the pass mark; e.g. 1st mark is 37%, 2nd mark is 41%, then adjusted mark = 40%;
c) If the mark of the 2nd marker is more than 4% points but less than 11% points (either higher or lower) from the original mark, then the mark will be adjusted to reflect the mid-point between these two marks; e.g. if 1st mark is 60%, and 2nd mark is 68%, adjusted mark = 64%. Marks can go up or down; e.g. if the 1st mark is 56% and the 2nd mark is 50%, the adjusted mark = 53%. In some cases where marks straddle a classification or pass/fail boundary, an adjusted mark may result in a formerly higher classification or passing mark becoming a lower classification or fail mark; e.g. 1st mark is 43% and 2nd mark is 35%, adjusted mark = 39%;
d) In cases where the difference between 1st and 2nd markers is more than 10% points (e.g. 1st mark 60%, 2nd mark 72%), this discrepancy will be flagged for the Head of HE, or equivalent, who will be required to adjudicate and consider any implications with regard to consistency of marking in the institution.
A mark cannot be changed as the result of the discussion between the student querying a mark and the original marker (as outlined in section 3) unless it becomes apparent that either there has been a transcription error (see section 8 below) or if the marker has accidentally missed a section of the work so that not all pages of the work were marked. In all other cases the student must submit a re-marking request if they feel they have grounds based on the criteria outlined in 1.3 above.
Where a student is concerned that there has been an error in the transcription of a mark from a piece of coursework to the final mark being received, they should contact their Programme/Course Leader so that this can be investigated.
This policy applies to UEA validated Awards at the following institutions:
SMB Group (Brooksby Melton College)
City College Norwich
Colchester Institute
East Sussex College Group
Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts
The Royal Marsden School
South Essex College
West Suffolk College