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The marking and grading process of exam papers by Cambridge International Examinations (CIE) is a meticulous and standardized procedure designed to ensure fairness, accuracy, and consistency in evaluating student performance.
This guide provides an overview of how exam papers are assessed, from initial marking by examiners to the final grading decisions that determine students’ results. By understanding the key principles and methods employed by CIE, educators, students, and stakeholders can gain insight into how marks are awarded and grades are determined, ensuring confidence in the reliability of the examination system.
*If the video isn’t playing for you, please read below.
Most of the exam scripts are scanned and marked by the examiners on their computers. Other exam scripts are marked manually on paper. For the multiple-choice component, the computer automatically marks the papers.
Cambridge examiners are composed of teachers and subject experts. Their task is to mark the exam scripts at the same standard. This means all the examiners mark according to the mark scheme and they all apply the mark scheme in the same way.
A team of experienced senior examiners mark a sample set of exam scripts based on the mark scheme. They then agree to the marks. These same exam scripts set the standard and will be used by the other examiners to practice marking. This is to make sure that all examiners understand how to mark the same way. For the final part of calibration, they mark another set of scripts as a test. They then begin to start marking all other papers.
The senior examiners review all the markings of every examiner. This is to ensure that they are all marked correctly. If an examiner fails to mark consistently, another examiner remarks the scripts.
CIE uses grade boundaries to convert marks into grades. The grade boundaries are the minimum mark needed to achieve a grade. It considers statistical evidence and expert judgment to agree to grade boundary. It also accounts the slight difference in the level of difficulty every year.
When the grade boundaries are set, it is applied to marks for grading. The senior examiners carry out final checks on the markings and the results are then sent to the schools.
The raw mark is the sum of all the total marks achieved in that component.
The mark found on the candidate’s completed examination script is the raw mark. For example in Syllabus 0620, the candidate’s raw mark in Component 41 is 20 out of the 80 total marks available.
Raw marks are adjusted to ensure fairness and equality. It can be adjusted due to scaling, granting of special consideration or both. Scaling is applied to ensure consistency across the marking process and the different examiners. Special consideration is granted if CIE agrees to an earlier formal request from a Centre. Usually, there is no need to adjust marks and the mark stays as a raw mark.
For example, the candidate’s component 41 raw mark of 20 is adjusted to 21 to reflect the fairness and consistency of marking between examiners.
Compare the component’s raw mark with the component’s grade thresholds. The component grade can be found on the subject syllabus? Grade Threshold.
For example, the candidate’s component 41 adjusted mark is 21, its component grade falls under the grade D threshold.
Calculate the final mark by multiplying each component’s mark by its weighting
factor. Weighting factor is the value assigned by CIE to indicate the level of importance of each component. The component weighting factors can be found here.
Calculate the syllabus total by adding all final marks together. Round up syllabus totals that end in 0.5 to the nearest whole number.
For example, the candidate’s component 41 adjusted mark (21) is multiplied by the component’s weighing factor which in this case is 1.25. This will lead to the candidate’s component 41 final mark of 21 x 1.25 = 26.25.
Consequently, when all the component’s final mark is computed, the candidate’s syllabus total can be calculated by adding it. For example, the candidate?s final marks for each component are 28.5, 26.25 and 20 for Components 21, 41 and 61 respectively. The sum of all of these component marks totals to 74.75. It is then rounded off to the nearest whole number that is 75.
Compare the syllabus total to the overall grade threshold. Make sure that the option code is correct. As the grade thresholds for different options may not be the same.
For example, if the candidate took the combination of Components 21, 41, and 61, the syllabus grade should be compared to Option CX grade threshold. As such if the candidate’s syllabus total is 75, it falls under the Grade D threshold because Grade D threshold are for 71 marks and above. The Grade C threshold is for marks that are 84 and above.
* All info taken from CIE. The above video is made by CIE.
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Akshaya S T
Singapore
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130 responses
HI.
According to the threshold, 76 is suppose to be an A, but on my result paper, it was a B, so is it an A or a B? Which one should i look into or which one will the school look into or which one will be my final grading? The threshold or the percentage uniform mark?
Hello MM,
The number shown in a bracket in your statement of results is your Percentage Uniform Mark. It is not the same as the actual total mark that the candidate achieves on the syllabus. This is because the percentage uniform mark depends on both the actual total mark for the syllabus and the position of the grade thresholds (which may vary from one exam series to another and from one syllabus to another). The percentage uniform mark is also different from the actual mark because it is always calculated out of 100.
For example, a student who gets the minimum mark necessary for a Grade A* obtains a percentage uniform mark of 90. A student who gets a mark halfway between the Grade D threshold and Grade C threshold achieves a percentage uniform mark of 55.
It is a point on a common scale for all syllabuses to show whether the candidate’s performance is close to the top, middle or bottom of the grade.
Please kindly read this for more information: https://www.skolatis.com/guide-to-the-marking-and-grading-process-of-exam-papers/
What if the mark is more than 100?
Hello Maryam,
Your Percentage Uniform mark cannot be over 100 because it is always calculated out of 100. On the other hand, your final marks (after the weighting has been applied) can be more than 100. You may refer to the syllabus’s grade threshold for reference.
Kindly read the article above for more information on the marking and grading process. Thank you.
Hi,
I have done my ESL in June 2018,and the paper was so easy.
When the results released in AUGUST I got UNGRADED! How come?
I was practicing a lots of ESL past papers and my teacher was marking my paper I score good marks.
Then I reset my IGCSE in OCT/NOV 2018,the same as I mentioned in June 2018 the paper was so easy and great.
When the results released in JANUARY 2019,it was the same UNGRADED!
I was shocked!
Like how come I failed for the second time???????
I think there is something wrong I need someone to help and thank you.
Hi K,
If you believe that your exam results should be higher (based on your performance with your school), you should request a re-mark, you will need to contact your school’s IGCSE coordinator. You may need a letter from your teacher to support your request, and in most cases you will have to pay a re-marking fee.
You might be interested in our A* online revision courses. These had helped numerous students to score A* The revision course provides video tutorial, revision timetable, downloadable exam-style practices, common mistakes candidates make during the exams, and also examiners’ advice. Find out more here: https://www.skolatis.com/cambridge-igcse-revision-courses/
Hello,
Im currently in progress with my IGCSE and I would like to ask a question based on the grade threshold stated in previous years and in March 2019. Does it really apply to all papers? I mean for instance business studies it requires 65% to achieve an A* is it really assured and do examiners follow this method to achieve A*. I have read the grade threshold scripts but still not too sure. Please reply back.
Hi Taha,
Every year, the exam questions have slight differences on the level of difficulty. In order to provide equivalent A* achieving chance, the threshold is used to determine the grades for that year.
A grade threshold is the minimum number of marks that a candidate needs to obtain a particular grade in a paper or in a subject. These thresholds are decided after each examination has been taken and marked. The aim in each year (or examination series) is to set each threshold in just the right place to ensure that it is no more difficult and no less difficult to obtain that grade than it was in the previous year.
in my exam they asked me to sign if i am present or not .. the attendence register which is held by the invigilator i have just signed beside my name and didnot tick the box of being present or abscent .. will my results be pending or disqualified ? or the invigilator should have ticked the empty box stating that i am present as my answered igcse paper is already there ?
Hi Roro,
Do not worry the invigilator should have ticked if off for you. If you wish to have confirmation, please kindly ask your school to check with the invigilator on that day.
I have a chemistry multiple choice igcse coming up, and was wondering whether i should leave all calulations done in the question paper for paper 2. Do the examiners assess the MCQ question paper? Or is in acceptable to annotate the question paper (not the page containing boxes to be shaded) without any penalty?
Hi Faaria,
Any rough working should be done in the question paper booklet. Furthermore, most of the multiple choice papers are answered on a machine-readable answer sheet. These papers are marked automatically.