GCSE papers marked overseas

Students' paper scripts are scanned onto computer

GCSE and GNVQ exam papers in a range of subjects are being marked in the US and Australia this year.

One of England's biggest exam boards, Edexcel, is trying out the use of overseas centres as part of its electronic marking experiment.

Students' exam scripts are scanned onto computer and can then be split up - with specialists in England tackling the trickier questions.

Simpler yes/no questions are being contracted out to the markers overseas.

Higher pay

The development, uncovered by the Times Educational Supplement, is one of the fruits of Edexcel's takeover last year by the for-profit Pearson group.

It was confirmed by the board's head of media affairs, Frank Wingate.

He said there was a small trial, involving about 200 markers in dedicated centres - half of them in London, the others in Ohio and in Sydney.

To put that in perspective, Edexcel employs some 16,000 markers altogether at this time of year.

Using them made the process more efficient - although saving money was not the object. In fact the markers overseas commanded higher fees, he said, though he declined to go into detail.

"We needed the extra capacity to do the trial," he said.

'Pleased'

"They are monitored in the same way by our senior examiners.

"And it allows for example for double marking - to check the accuracy of the work.

"Exams are still going on and we are in the middle of marking, but so far we are very pleased with the results."

He stressed that specialist knowledge of national curriculums in the UK was not needed.

"The questions are given to them on the basis that there's no judgement needed or knowledge. They are very, very simple questions."

The subjects involved are GCSE science, ICT, maths, languages and music, and GNVQs in health and social care, ICT and business.