Can markers screw up your mark (1 Viewer)

jassono

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Hi all, im not sure if this has been posted before in some other way, my search function isnt work so great
But i was wondering, in my late hours of studying, can a marker possibly record your mark incorrectly?

Theyre humans and ive heard countless stories of markers late friday night, you dont want to test them (for eg an english marker) with some sort of potlically incorrect statement that works well with the story but doesnt work well with the feminist teacher

etc etc, lol
Thats off the point, im just saying, with a pile of dozens of essays couldnt the marker put the wrong mark into the wrong student number, or type the wrong number on the computer
Far it scares me, does anyone know anything about any of this at all?
 

roar84eighty

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yeah it's your job to avoid biased statements that may annoy markers
but you can get your paper remarked, or is this a myth?
 

hollaholla

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Yes i have often spent countless minutes worrying about this....they are indeed only human and all humans make mistakes. All you can do is hope.
 

-Danyan-

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they can get mistakes and you can get screwed over for them
 

Timothy.Siu

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too bad, that would just be bad luck.
but i guess theres a chance of getting a better mark too. unless you're like the best.
 

tku336

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Markers probably have some level of care. Not just for professionalism, but surely they have to realise they're marking somebody's future ...
 

daryl-d

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exams are moderated between markers. and they 'check' them every now and again to make sure all the markers are marking evenly.

if you have a massive issue with your marks, yes you can get them remarked at a cost.

my teacher said they dont remark them but just re add the marks up
 

cem

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Certainly markers can accidentally put in the wrong mark (I know that I have done it). However as there is a second mark it is usually picked up. If, by some chance, both markers put down the mark incorrectly it would be extremely bad luck and the odds would be astronomical. We are counselled to be very careful and yes the late Friday night is a concern but markers are professionals. If we have any concerns we simply wouldn't send it back to the clerical staff until checking it Saturday morning.

They don't 'remark' they recheck that the marks have been entered correctly.
 

Top Secret

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Markers probably have some level of care. Not just for professionalism, but surely they have to realise they're marking somebody's future ...
+1

Markers know that they hold a huge responsibility when marking exams, and that alone should keep them active and alert. Besides, as someone has already stated, every now and then, markers are checked to make sure marks are awarded evenly. Furthermore, two markers mark each essay. So if one marker accidentally puts down 8/20 instead of 18/20, and the other gives you 15+, the essay will be given to a senior marker to mark, unless of course you're extremely unlucky and the second marker also forgets the "1".
 

Aerath

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I just try to er..not think of the possibilities. :p
 

Baggygreen408

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No- there are so many fail safe methods in place that it doesn't happen.

First of all, the Markers work in Groups, each group being 'run' for want of a better word by a senior marker. the senior marker not only makes sure standards are applied in terms of marking, and making sure markers fulfill quota, but is responsible for checking that each students mark has been entered corrently. the mars are recorded onto a sheet with your student number, for the specific section of the exam. that sheet is then scanned onto the computer. if the computer is unable to read a cerain mark due to inelegible handwriting, a human will enter the mark. But markers are told to write marks neatly so this doesnt happen.
 

cem

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No- there are so many fail safe methods in place that it doesn't happen.

First of all, the Markers work in Groups, each group being 'run' for want of a better word by a senior marker. the senior marker not only makes sure standards are applied in terms of marking, and making sure markers fulfill quota, but is responsible for checking that each students mark has been entered corrently. the mars are recorded onto a sheet with your student number, for the specific section of the exam. that sheet is then scanned onto the computer. if the computer is unable to read a cerain mark due to inelegible handwriting, a human will enter the mark. But markers are told to write marks neatly so this doesnt happen.
That doesn't work though if by chance both markers make the same mistake as no one will pick that up.

The SM doesn't check that the marks are entered correctly - that is the clerical staff. The SM is too busy fixing discrepancies and checking standards, and in a push actually marking, to be checking that bits of paper are filled in correctly. However, if a marker continually makes a mistake it is the SM who will have a quiet word about the right way to fill in the form and suggest a bit more care.
 

youngminii

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That doesn't work though if by chance both markers make the same mistake as no one will pick that up.

The SM doesn't check that the marks are entered correctly - that is the clerical staff. The SM is too busy fixing discrepancies and checking standards, and in a push actually marking, to be checking that bits of paper are filled in correctly. However, if a marker continually makes a mistake it is the SM who will have a quiet word about the right way to fill in the form and suggest a bit more care.
I thought papers are only marked by two markers if the mark given is 10/15 or more?
Or is that just a myth :(
 

cem

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Yes, that is just a myth!

No it isn't.

Anything worth less than 10 is not automatically double marked e.g. in both histories the early stuff on Pompeii and World War One is only single marked (used to be double marked until about 7/8 years ago now single marked).

For many subjects short responses are only single marked as it save money.
 

BOSBOY

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No it isn't.

Anything worth less than 10 is not automatically double marked e.g. in both histories the early stuff on Pompeii and World War One is only single marked (used to be double marked until about 7/8 years ago now single marked).

For many subjects short responses are only single marked as it save money.
This point needs some clarification. Questions are either single marked or double marked, depending on the complexity and maximum mark value of the question, or whether the answer is objective (like Maths and Science). If a question is double marked, then EVERY response is double marked, including those essays given a low mark by the first marker.

(This may have been obvious in cem's comments, but it could have been inferred that just because a student gets a low mark then the markers don't bother with a second marking. That is not the case.)
 

youngminii

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Oh okay I get it.
So short responses aren't double marked right right.

Hey maths isn't double marked, is it? And physics?
 

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