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Marking of Papers

Posted: Tue Nov 03, 2009 9:17 pm
by rosie
Does anyone have knowledge of who marks the exam papers?

A friend of mine whose son is at Westcliff Yr 8, received a letter a while ago requesting help with marking this years exam papers.

She thought it was a little strange, but was not able to offer assistance as her other son is in fact sitting the exam this year.

Posted: Tue Nov 03, 2009 10:37 pm
by moved
Is your friend a teacher?

In the past marking was done by the CSSE, who employ teachers for the purpose. The same as GCSE exam boards.

Posted: Tue Nov 03, 2009 11:07 pm
by rosie
No, she is not a teacher.

Am I correct in assuming that the VR is marked via computer now that it is multiple choice?

Posted: Tue Nov 03, 2009 11:46 pm
by moved
Yes, sorry I was referring to maths and English. A friend used to mark papers.

Posted: Wed Nov 04, 2009 8:20 pm
by moved
I'm really interested in this. I have now asked four yr 8 Westcliff Mums and none of them has been asked. What does your friend do? Did she apply to mark papers or invigilate or anything?

Posted: Wed Nov 04, 2009 10:59 pm
by rosie
My friend is just...well a mum! She did not apply to, or have a discussion with anyone at the school.

She must have been randomly selected.

I have done a little investigating and apparently each school which hosts as an exam centre for the 11+ (In Essex) is responsible for its own marking. The CSSE do not have anything to do with the marking of papers anymore. Each school employs its own markers.

Not sure what to make of this.

Posted: Wed Nov 04, 2009 11:21 pm
by moved
Nor me. I think I would prefer to have someone who can recognise a sentence that is correct to mark papers that give 2 marks, 1 for the fact and 1 for the sentence. (Not referring to your friend here at all. But I know that some of my parents pay me because they couldn't do either the English or the maths themselves.) The implication is that the papers are going to become even more tick box style than they currently are - if that is possible. How do you give marks for working in the two mark questions if you do not understand what the question is asking?

Posted: Thu Nov 05, 2009 12:11 am
by rosie
I think you are absolutely right.

I have looked back at 2009's English paper and there were 32 True/False questions, 16 marks for punctuation and synonym questions and it was only question.1 which was worth 2 marks.

Posted: Thu Nov 05, 2009 1:59 am
by First-timer
Does anyone know how the marks are allocated for the maths questions worth two marks? DS often does these in his head. Does a correct answer inevitably lead to the full two marks being given or does working have to be shown? Also, does it have to be a particular method of working? DS can be a little unorthodox at times. :)

Posted: Thu Nov 05, 2009 7:36 am
by moved
Any method of working is acceptable. Many children are unorthodox. What worries me most about the marking is the questions where part b of a question relies on part a. If part a is wrong part b should be based on the answer given in part a.

I may have to start giving zero for any answers not on the sheet from now on.