Teachers and pupils across Northern Ireland have been enjoying a well-earned rest after schools broke up for their summer holidays in June.
However for a number of year groups, it means an important event is still looming – results day.
For students who sat their GCSEs and A-Level exams, most exams ended a month ago.
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But that doesn’t mean the hard part is over as for many young adults and their parents. Waiting for the results can be just as agonising.
Thousands of anxious and excited young people will gather at schools and colleges next month to collect their exam results.
This year's tests returned to normality after the school calendar was severely disrupted over the last two years across Northern Ireland due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Large parts of that time saw children home-schooled with teachers conducting lessons over Zoom.
So, when are those all-important result days. Here's everything you need to know.
How have the grades been determined?
This summer saw the first GCSE and A-level summer examinations since 2019. In 2020 and 2021, exams were cancelled due to the ongoing disruption caused by the pandemic and replaced by grades calculated by individual schools.
Last year, it was announced there would be a return to in-person exams in 2022 and that pupils taking those qualifications through Northern Ireland's exam board - the Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment (CCEA) - would sit "significantly fewer" exams in each subject.
A reserve set of A-level and a small number of GCSE exams were made available for students who missed an initial paper due to illness or self-isolation.
The CCEA exams board said papers would be graded more generously than in pre-pandemic years to make up for the disruption the pandemic had on teaching.
When can students expect to find out their grades?
Northern Ireland students will be able to find out their AS and A-Level results on Thursday, August 18.
GCSE students will have a wait of another week to receive their official results on Thursday, August 25.
Grades are usually available from 8am.
Pupils will be able to pick up their results in person from their school once again this year, after the tradition was scrapped in 2020 due to the pandemic.
However, some schools may also choose to send results digitally or by post.
What happens next?
Students will be able to appeal their grades if they don’t agree with the verdict of their schools and teachers.
Universities get an advance sight of whether applicants have achieved their required grades, and will be going through their admission decisions ahead of the official release of results.
What if you want to appeal results?
The first thing you should do is to talk to your school or college as they will help you decide the best course of action and if you then decide to seek a review of your results, they will make an application to CCEA’s Post-Results Service on your behalf.
As is the case every year, there are agreed steps that CCEA's Post-Results Service takes in line with guidance from the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ).
Post-Results Services options
Service 1:
Clerical re-check A clerical re-check is undertaken of a script and a statement of marks for the component/unit.
Service 2: Review of Marking by Component/Unit (i.e., by script/paper)
A review of marking of an externally assessed component (i.e., a script or other assessed item) is undertaken for an individual student including a clerical re-check and a breakdown of marks for that component/unit. A copy of the reviewed script will be available on request.
Access to Scripts
When requesting Access to Scripts, students should note that CCEA’s quality assurance checks on scripts before dispatch may result in a change of mark. Marks may go up as well as down and students should be aware of this before signing the request form.
The corresponding Mark Scheme will accompany all Access to Scripts request types.
Is there a fee for making an appeal?
Following a return to the normal process of examinations, the usual script review fees will be in place for Summer 2022 and following. More information on CCEA’s Post-Results Services, including fees, can be viewed here.
A fee will not be charged for these services in the following circumstances:
- If the script review results in a change to an overall subject grade (up or down) when a student has cashed in. No charge will apply to any units requested for the subject.
- If the script review results in a change to the notional unit grade (up or down). No charge will apply to the individual unit only.
If you are not happy with the outcome of a Post-Results Service, you can then apply for an appeal through your school or college. Your Head of Centre will be able to support and guide you through the process if the circumstances arise.
Can a grade go down at a review?
One thing students should bear in mind, that when using the post-results/appeals services, the outcome could lead to your grade going up, but it also means your grade could go down.
If a school or college intends to apply for a script review / appeal, they should request a photocopy of the script at the initial Post-Results-Review stage. If an original hard copy script has been returned to the school or college under the Access to Scripts Service, it cannot then form part of a review of marking or a subsequent appeal.
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