DiDA results explained

Understanding your DiDA Results

How is DiDA marked and graded?


	In DiDA, each unit (regardless of level) is marked out of 42 raw marks and these raw marks are converted to Uniform Mark Score (UMS). The maximum UMS for Level 1 units (D101-D105) is 42 and the maximum for Level 2 is 84. The raw mark grade boundaries can vary depending on what project you have completed and when you completed the unit. For example, a distinction in January 2010 could be based on a raw mark of 38 and in June 2010 it could be 39.

What is cashing-in?


	Cashing-in is the last stage of generating a grade for a qualification that is made up of a series of units. Cash-in codes should have been entered at the same time as the entries were made for you, for particular units this summer. If your school or college did not enter the cash-in code for a particular subject, you will not have a final grade for that subject. In this instance, speak to your exams officer who will be able to check whether or not a cash-in code was submitted. If it wasn’t, please ask your exams officer to contact us so that your grade can be calculated as soon as possible. To enable us to calculate an overall grade, it is necessary for you to be entered for all the required units and the cash-in code.

What if I’m missing a grade?


	The most likely reason is that you have an incomplete result. This could be caused by a forbidden combination (when you have been entered for the wrong unit) or you have not been entered for a cash-in code. If you don’t have a grade that you expected, the best thing to do is speak to the exams officer at your school or college and ask them to get in touch with us.

What is the Uniform Mark Scale (UMS)?

The course may vary slightly in difficulty from year to year depending on the tasks set. For example, a mark of 53 in one paper in a January exam session might represent the same level of achievement as a mark of 49 in the following summer exam session. The Uniform Mark Scale (UMS) ensures that these two marks receive the same value when contributing to the final grade.

DiDA qualifications are awarded using uniform marks. The grade boundaries are subject to an Awarding process and may change from one examination series to the next. Raw marks are converted to UMS using a conversion scale.

Level 1 Qualification

Uniform mark total
Grade	AiDA	CiDA	CiDA+	DiDA
Pass	18	36	54	72
Credit	24	48	72	96
Merit	30	60	90	120
Distinction	36	72	108	144
Maximum	42	84	126	168

Level 2 Qualification

Uniform mark total
Grade	AiDA	CiDA	CiDA+	DiDA
Pass	36	72	108	144
Credit	48	96	144	192
Merit	60	120	180	240
Distinction	72	144	216	288
Maximum	84	168	252	336

When will I receive my certificates?


	Your school or college will receive certificates from late September onwards. The latest date a school or college will receive certificates is 31 October 2010.

How does my result compare to a GCSE?

At Level 1 and 2, you can get an Award, Certificate, Extended Certificate or Diploma.

Award	Certificate	Extended Certificate	Diploma
1 GCSE	2 GCSEs	3 GCSEs	4 GCSEs

They are graded as follows:

DiDA Level 2 result	GCSE grade
Distinction	A*
Merit	A
Credit	B
Pass	C

DiDA Level 1 result	GCSE grade
Distinction	C
Merit	D
Credit	E
Pass	F/G

Where can I find the grade boundaries?


	You can find grade boundaries for all UK and international exams taken from January 2009 onwards in our "I want to..." area.

When will I receive my certificates?


	Certificates are sent to your centre (school/ college/ training provider). If you finished your exams in January the latest your centre will receive your certificates is 31 May. If you finished your exams in June the latest your centre will receive your certificates is 31 October.

Some of my personal details are incorrect on my results slip. What can I do?


	We can make changes such as misspelled names very quickly. We suggest you ask your exams officer to contact us to request any changes. These requests must come from someone at your centre as we have no way of identifying students who call or email us. If we can’t identify you, we can’t make changes to confidential information.

Didn't get the DiDA grades you wanted?

If your DiDA result is lower than you were expecting, you should speak to your teacher. They have access to your submitted project work (e-portfolio) and are in the best position to advise you.

Can I get my coursework back?


	Yes. You can ask your centre to return any project, coursework or controlled assessment. How do I get my coursework back? Edexcel (or your school) will keep your coursework until after results day, in case your school wants to ask questions about your result. If you want your coursework back after results day, please speak to your teacher or exams officer. If we have your work, your teacher or exams officer will be able to request that we return it.

Can I get my coursework re-marked?


	Your teacher marks all project work, coursework and controlled assessment. It is then moderated, meaning that Edexcel requests a sample of your teacher’s marked work and we check that we agree with their assessment. Moderation is necessary to make sure that all students have their coursework assessed according to the same standards. Most of the time, your teacher’s marks will be approved and accepted unchanged. However, sometimes marks are reduced or raised, if the original teacher’s marking was judged to have been too lenient or too harsh. If you think that the mark on your results slip is not the mark your teacher gave you, please check with your teacher to see what happened to marks after moderation. If Edexcel did not adjust your mark, talk to your teacher or exams officer and they’ll get in touch with us. If we did adjust your mark, it may be possible to have the work re-moderated. Can I get my coursework re-marked? Every school or college that enters students for external exams must have an appeals procedure in place. If you think Edexcel has the wrong mark, you must first follow this appeals process. Your school or college will involve Edexcel if it can’t settle the matter internally. Can I get my coursework re-moderated? Coursework can be re-moderated if we changed the marks given by your teacher, but it is up to your school to decide on whether they request this. When Edexcel receives a request for coursework re-moderation, the coursework of all students originally entered at your school or college goes through the moderation process again. Your teacher or exams officer will be able to give you more information on this process.

Can I downgrade my unit from Level 2 to Level 1?


	If you do not wish to resubmit your project at Level 2, your teacher can re-mark your project at Level 1 and re-enter the mark in the next academic session.