-
  |
PRS - What is a uniform mark? |
The calculation of grades for modular/unit based specifications is quite complicated and involves the use of what is called a uniform mark scheme (UMS). When the uniform marks are added up they give a total which is then converted to a grade. Although we give an explanation below of how a grade is calculated do not worry too much about this; it is the final grade that is important for entry to college or university, or your chosen career.
When modular courses were first introduced, a problem occurred with the total number of marks that each subject had and so the examination boards decided to use what is called the Uniform Mark Scale. The following maximums were agreed for the qualifications listed:
| Qualification |
Max. UMS |
| Advanced Subsidiary GCE |
300 |
| Advanced GCE |
600 |
For modular GCSE subjects, in other words, Mathematics, Science and Religious Studies, there is no agreed total of uniform marks and these subjects have different totals. Each unit of a specification is valued at a certain percentage of the whole scheme of assessment. The most common percentages are 15%, 17.5% and 20%. All units will, of course, add up to 100% and to the maximum shown above. An example follows:
| Unit |
Percentage |
Maximum Uniform
Marks |
| Unit 1 |
15% |
90 |
| Unit 2 |
15% |
90 |
| Unit 3 |
15% |
90 |
| Unit 4 |
15% |
90 |
| Unit 5 |
20% |
120 |
| Unit 6 |
20% |
120 |
| Totals |
100% |
600 |
The uniform mark gained for each unit of a specification is shown on the results slip, and when added up, you get a total number of uniform marks for that specification which determines the grade for that subject, as follows:
For AS specifications:
| Grade |
|
UMS |
|
| A |
|
240 - 300 |
|
| B |
|
210 - 239 |
|
| C |
|
180 - 209 |
|
| D |
|
150 - 179 |
|
| E |
|
120 - 149 |
|
For A level specifications:
|
-
|
GCEs - An Overview |
What are GCEs?
General Certificates of Education (also commonly known as A levels which stands for Advanced level) are normally studied post-GCSE but can be studied at any time/age. They are designed to increase a student’s knowledge and skills in their chosen subject areas. Most students study GCE's to gain entrance to further and higher education.
Who are GCEs aimed at?
They are aimed at students aged 16-18 but can be taken at any age.
What qualifications do you need to study GCEs?
Normally 5 GCSE's at grade C or above although mature students may be accepted without the normal entry requirements. It is up to the centre to decide what they will accept.
How long do they take?
Students start with the AS level which normally takes a year and can go on to the A2 level which normally takes a year. So a full 'A level' normally takes 2 years.
How are they assessed?
Each unit within a particular subject is assessed either by coursework or timed examination. There are also practical examinations and oral tests for some subjects.
When are the exams?
The exam sessions are in January and June. There are detailed timetable notes at the top of every timetable.
Who marks the exam papers and coursework?
Teachers mark students’ coursework and moderators sample the work. The exam scripts are sent to examiners to mark. (See ‘To the Examiner’ booklet for detailed information).
How are the results sent?
Results are sent by EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) at 0001 hours on the day before the scheduled results day so that the centre can download them from the EDI servers. Statements of results are sent to arrive on results day for distribution to individual candidates.
What does the student receive at the end?
AS/A2 are graded A – E. For every unit that a student sits, they get a mark, which is banked. Once a student has sat the units needed for a qualification they ‘cash-in’ those units and receive a final grade. When the centre make their student entries they include a ‘cash-in’ code, which tells Edexcel to issue the student with a final grade and certificate.
What services are available after the results have been issued?
EAR – Enquiries About Results – Clerical Check/Re-Mark/Re-Moderation.
Access to Scripts – Centres can request photocopies and originals of the exam script that the students sat. If they have applied for an EAR they can request the scripts after the EAR.
Late Cash-in – If a centre didn’t enter a cash-in code for a student when they made their entries, they can still cash-in after the results have been received by a certain date.
Re-sits
Up until December 2003 any unit could be re-sat only once.
Since 1st Jan 2004 students have been able to re-take units more than once. When an entry is made for certification, the best attempt will count towards the final award. Students may continue to take the full qualification an unlimited amount of times.
September 2007 was the last chance candidates had to decline their grades - from January 2008 GCEs no longer need to be declined if a candidate wanted to resit the qualification or parts of the qualification. In September 2008 we will launch our new suite of GCE subjects - most GCEs have had their specifications revised and updated and been reduced to 4 units from 6 in most cases. Centres/Candidates will still need to cash-in when they finish the qualification.
Please see the Joint Council website for more information on the rules and procedures for aggregation.
Exam Timetables
Click here for exam Timetable information |
|
-
|
Publications - When can I get free copies of past papers? |
Past papers for free download - centres only
For up to nine months following an examination series past papers and mark schemes are available to Edexcel centres through the secure ResultsPlus service on Edexcel Online. You will need a username and password to access these.
Following that, Edexcel past exam papers and mark schemes are free to download for teachers and staff at registered centres through our past papers service on the Edexcel website. You will need to enter your centre number.
For customers other than Edexcel registered centres, past papers and mark schemes are available through the Publications Catalogue or by paid download from Edexcel Shop.
Note that not all papers are available on ResultsPlus. If a centre cannot find the paper required they should email publications@edexcel.com with full details, and if possible the pdf will be emailed.
Third-party copyright restrictions
Although we have attempted to include all past papers, those containing audio files, diagrams, articles and maps may not be available because of copyright restrictions. If you cannot find the particular paper you require, it is likely to be available through the publications catalogue as a printed copy.
Mark schemes should be available to download for all subjects. Mark Schemes with Examiner Reports are available as printed booklets through the publications catalogue; telephone the publications department on 01623 467 467 to order.
|
|
-
|
Private Candidate - What GCE's can I sit? |
| In order to get information for sitting one of our examinations privately, please contact your Local Education Authority (LEA).
They will be able to provide you with a list of centres in your area who provide our qualifications.
|
|
-
|
Malpractice - Does this cover possessing a phone, MP3 player or extra notes in an exam? |
| This constitutes examination malpractice and must be reported to Edexcel using the JCQ form JCQ/M01. This form can be downloaded from the JCQ website or found in the JCQ malpractice document, both documents are attached to this FAQ.
The invigilator should take appropriate action to prevent the malpractice continuing, if possible. This may include, for example, moving the candidate or removing unauthorised material from the candidate’s possession.
The candidate’s script should be treated as normal and dispatched with those of all other candidates. The script must not be retained by the centre or destroyed. Any decision concerning what action should be taken in relation to the candidate’s examination rests with the awarding body. |
|
-
|
GCE - How can I tell if my candidate is eligible or ineligible? |
In order to be eligible for an award, a candidate must have taken all the required units. However, a candidate can be flagged as ineligible for a number of reasons.
Unique Candidate Identifier (UCI) problems
The candidate may have been entered without a UCI. Details on how to generate a UCI can be found in the Information Manual. Details of the candidate’s UCI should be sent to our Operations department by EDI (Electronic Data Interchange ) or by using the relevant amendment form.
Each candidate should only be allocated one UCI. This allows us to bank a candidate’s unit results. Please check to make sure that all units taken by a candidate are banked under the same UCI. If results are banked under more than one UCI, please notify our Operations department of each UCI and confirm which identifier you would like to keep.
One common cause of a candidate having more than one UCI is he/she being entered with different personal details in different examination sessions. We attempt to match a candidate’s records but our ability to do this is affected if candidates are entered with different spellings of their names or with different dates of birth. Please make sure that a candidate is entered with exactly the same surname, forename, sex and date of birth each time they are entered for an exam.
Failure to decline a previous grade
A candidate who wishes to re-use scores in an effort to improve a grade is no longer required, or is able, to decline the original award. This means that, after certification candidates will not have to retake the whole qualification to improve performance but may do so through re-sitting individual units.
As of 20 September 2007 the facility to decline grades is no longer available.
Specification (cash-in) codes
It is possible that a candidate has been entered for the incorrect specification (cash-in) code or has been entered for a specification code in error. If this is the case, please withdraw the entry by sending an EDI amendment file or by using the relevant amendment form. The last date for withdrawals is fourteen days before the publication of results.
Credit transfer
A credit transfer request has not been made for a candidate who wishes to claim credit for an AS award taken with another awarding body. In this circumstance, please contact us.
Candidate has not sat the required units
It is possible that a candidate has not sat the required units needed to be eligible for an award. In such cases, please contact our Entries & Certifications department. |
|
-
|
Malpractice - What do I do if a candidate is disruptive during an examination? |
| This constitutes examination malpractice and must be reported to Edexcel using the JCQ form JCQ/M01. This form can be downloaded from the JCQ website or found in the JCQ malpractice document (see attached).
The head of centre has the authority to remove a candidate from the examination room, but should only do so if the candidate would disrupt others by remaining in the room.
If the candidate has completed part of the examination, the script should be treated as normal and dispatched with those of all other candidates. The script must not be retained by the centre or destroyed. Any decision concerning what action should be taken in relation to the candidate’s examination rests with the awarding body. |
|
-
|
Malpractice - What do I do if I suspect a candidate of cheating? |
| This constitutes examination malpractice and must be reported to Edexcel using the JCQ form JCQ/M01. This form can be downloaded from the JCQ website or found in the JCQ malpractice document (see attached).
The invigilator should take appropriate action to prevent the malpractice continuing, if possible. This may include, for example, moving the candidate or removing unauthorised material from the candidate’s possession.
The candidate’s script should be treated as normal and dispatched with those of all other candidates. The script must not be retained by the centre or destroyed. Any decision concerning what action should be taken in relation to the candidate’s examination rests with the awarding body.
|
|
-
|
Malpractice - What should we do with a candidate's script? |
| The candidate’s script should be treated as normal and dispatched with those of all other candidates. The script must not be retained by the centre or destroyed. Any decision concerning what action should be taken in relation to the candidate’s examination rests with the awarding body. |
|
-
|
Malpractice - What if a candidate arrives late to an examination? |
| For general qualifications, a candidate who arrives before 10am for a morning examination or before 2.30pm for an afternoon examination may be allowed to enter the examination room and to sit the examination, depending on the centre’s organisational arrangements and provided adequate supervision arrangements are in place. However, the candidate should be warned that Edexcel has the right not to accept the script. This must be reported to Edexcel using the JCQ form JCQ/LA (see attached).
For further details on late arrivals, please see Section 12 of the JCQ 'Instructions for Conducting Examinations', also attached. |
|
-
|
PRS - When are the Summer 2009 results days? |
| GCE paper results 20 August 2009 (With online results on the 19 August 2009)
GCSE paper results 27 August 2009 ( With online results on the 26 August 2009) |
|
-
|
Entries – How can I make entries for GCE’s? |
| You can make your entries for GCE’s via EDI (Electronic Data Interchange), EOL (Edexcel Online) or by completing a C3 form.
See our Information Manual for deadline dates and fees.
|
|
-
|
AEA - An Overview |
What are Advanced Extension Awards?
They are tests targeted at the top 10% of students attaining the highest GCE grades, and will provide opportunities for all those students to demonstrate their knowledge, understanding and skills to the full.
AEAs were brought in Summer 2002 to replace Special Papers and to enable the most able students to demonstrate greater depth of understanding than that required by A levels.
What are the aims of the Advanced Extension Awards?
These awards should stretch the most able students by providing opportunities for them to demonstrate greater depth of understanding than is required in Advanced GCE.
They should also ensure that the most able students in this country are tested against standards comparable with the most demanding in other countries and be accessible to all students.
They should help differentiate between the most able candidates particularly in subjects with a high proportion of A grades at Advanced GCE, in order to remove the need for universities to develop their own entry tests.
What will be the content of the Advanced Extension Awards?
They must be based on the Advanced GCE subject criteria where these exist but be independent of individual Advanced GCE specifications.
They should, as a general principle, require greater depth of understanding rather than greater breadth of knowledge while requiring application of knowledge in critical analysis, evaluation and synthesis within the subject. They should not require additional teaching and must have requirements that do not go beyond the context specified within GCE subject criteria.
What are Edexcel offering?
We are offering History, Mathematics, Religious Studies and Spanish.
Where is there more information?
On the Edexcel website and on the QCA website.
Is the process of taking the examinations the same?
You will receive question papers and attendance registers that have to be held securely.
The examinations may only be taken in the summer exam session, please refer to the appropriate awarding body website for exact exam dates. Marking will take place after the normal cycle with preliminary paper results issued in August and certificates issued in October.
How are they assessed?
Specifications should have an external assessment weighting of 100%. Different forms of external assessment are being considered.
Specifications
Specifications are available on the QCA website.
History
Mathematics
Religious Studies
Spanish
|
|
-
|
Coursework - Transfer of marks from previous exam sessions |
| Yes, you can transfer coursework marks from previous GCE/GCSE examination sessions as long as the syllabus doesn’t change and the option to do so is available for the session as well as the subject in question (it is important to check availability in the Information Manual).
You will need to complete a form from our website transfer coursework marks CF0004 form.
Once completed the form must be posted or faxed through to us:
Onscreen Testing and Coursework
Edexcel
190 High Holborn
London
WC1V 7BH
Fax: 020 7190 5700
|
|
-
|
Spec Con - What is the transfer candidate fee? |
| Where a candidate is unable to sit any or all of his/her examinations at his/her centre of entry, it may be possible for arrangements to be made for the examinations to take place at an alternative registered centre. A fee is payable to us for this service:
If the entry is more than 6 weeks in advance of the exam the fee is £15.
If the entry is within 6 weeks of the exam the fee is £30.
You should contact our Special Requirements team with the details of the transfer. |
|
-
|
Exams - Is there an error on the GCE January 2009 exam timetable? |
| The attached document was sent out with the June 2009 timetable containing information relating to the January 2009 timetable. The omission of the 16th January date on the week by week timetable is clarified. |
|
-
|
Entries - What does the warning "Cash in - No units entered" mean? |
| This warning appears on the Queries Outstanding List (QOL) and was introduced for the June 2005 exams. It is automatically produced when a candidate is entered for a cash-in only and no units. It is meant as a reminder that if candidates are doing units in an exam series, they must be entered for the units as well as the cash-in code.
If the candidate is only cashing-in and not doing any units, then you do not need to take any action. If the candidate should be entered for units, then you should make their entries as soon as possible. |
|
-
|
Coursework - If a centre resubmits coursework can it have the same title? |
| Yes, but this depends on the subject.
Across all GCE and GCSE qualifications, students have the opportunity to re-work coursework from previous sessions and re-submit it for the following moderation window. For most of the subjects, where no approval is needed from the Assessment leader, students can be working on the same assignment and same title, while for other subjects, the topic chosen needs to be approved by the Assessment Leader responsible for that module (i.e. History). |
|
-
|
BTEC - Is my National Award grade equivalent to an A level grade? |
| No.
There is no direct grade transfer as the qualifications are assessed differently, however the UCAS tariff lists the overall BTEC grades for all BTEC Nationals and the value of UCAS points for each grade, and this is listed alongside the points allocation to each GCE A level Grade. This should give you a better idea of what the National grade is worth.
Please note however that BTEC National grades are not worth any grade A*-C as GCE's do not have A* grades.
The BTEC Parents Guide document lists the UCAS tariff and also the Guided Learning Hours and what the GCE equivalent is - it is important to note however, that any references to a National grade being worth A*-C or even A-C is incorrect - this is a misprint in the document and should be ignored.
The document can be viewed here on the Edexcel BTEC Noticeboard. |
|
-
|
Malpractice - After being disqualified, can a candidate be re-entered? |
| In some cases, for particularly serious offences, a candidate can be disqualified from an examination/unit and the penalty can also extend to debarring the candidate from entry to future Edexcel exams for a set period of time (normally 2 years). Where such a penalty is applied the debarment is clearly detailed in the decision letter sent to the centre.
In the majority of cases involving disqualification, the candidate is disqualified from the unit/examination at the relevant exam session only (i.e. summer 2008). The disqualification does not extend to subsequent examination sessions and the candidate is free to sit the unit/exam at a future examination series.
We get a lot of calls following a candidate’s disqualification, simply asking whether the candidate can sit the affected unit/exam the following year. In most cases, other than those involving debarment, the answer is yes, the penalty only applies to the examination series in which the offence took place.
|
|
-
|
PRS - I have a candidate who has transferred credit but is coming up as ineligible, why is this? |
| All transfers of credit between awarding bodies and/or specifications will automatically be flagged as ineligible. This is because the transfer of AS credit from one awarding body to another, is a manual process completed in June.
If you have had a confirmation letter from us approving the transfer of credit, and have also submitted a Results notification showing AS certification, then no further action is required.
|
|
-
|
Art & Design - Some coursework has been lost or stolen, what do I do? |
| The candidate should be encouraged to redo as much of the coursework as possible.
An application for special considerations can be made through the examinations officer at the centre.
However, we must seek to ensure that the grade accurately reflects the standard which the candidate has been able to attain and therefore it may only be possible to give a very limited allowance. The teacher-examiner must base their judgements on the evidence of the Assessment Objectives having been met in the submissions of work as presented for moderation. The moderator will do the same.
Under no circumstances should the teacher-examiner award marks based on work previously seen which is no longer available for assessment. Any decision on special considerations is taken by us rather than the moderator. |
|
-
|
PRS - My candidate's UCI number is incorrect in the EDI results, why is this? |
| Open the results file in notepad. The candidate should appear on the file.
If the UCI number on the file is different from the one on your software please amend accordingly. Save the updated file (ensuring the file extension is the same as the original) and re-open the file in your MIS.
You should now be able to view the file on your software.
|
|
-
|
Examzone - What is Exam Success!? |
| The Exam Success! MP3 series - written and produced by best-selling author Michael Heppell - presents innovative ideas, advice and guidance on how you can maximise your revision and exam performance.
Exam Success downloads can be found on our examzone web site.
|
|
-
|
Spec Con – Can you transfer from an International exam board to Edexcel for GCE? |
| No.
Candidate's cannot transfer from an International exam board to Edexcel for GCE qualifications. |
|
-
|
MFL - Do you provide tapes to record the speaking test? |
| No, you provide your own tapes (we would recommend you use C30 tapes).
This applies to GCE and GCSE language qualifications. |
|
|
|
Subject Advisors
Get expert advice from the people who know with our Subject Advisors Service, initially available in four subject areas: History, Modern Foreign Languages, Science, and PE and BTEC Sport. Find out more
Ask Edexcel
Submit a question to our Customer Services team who will reply to you by email.
Use My Account to check the status of your questions or to change your account details. You can also create a new account if you have not used this service before.
Ask the Expert
Ask the Expert has been developed following an extensive consultation to find out what services and support you need. It will put you in direct contact via email with over 200 senior examiners, moderators and external verifiers who will respond to your subject specific queries. Find out more. |
|
|