Marking hitch affects Sats tests

By Angela Harrison
Education reporter, BBC News

Marking pupils' English test papers often proves problematic

There has been a problem with the marking of this year's Sats tests in England, with "good markers" being stopped from checking papers.

Extra examiners have been drafted in to mark the English test papers after flaws in the way markers were checked led to good markers being turned away.

Exams agency the QCA has accepted responsibility, saying everything is being done to mark papers on time.

The tests were taken by 600,000 10 and 11-year-olds in England last month.

One marker told the BBC News website on condition of anonymity that after 15 years' marking with grade A efficiency, Edexcel had phoned him out of the blue and told him to stop marking, without giving a reason.

"After waiting in limbo for four days I was again contacted by Edexcel. Again, no information as to why I had been told to stop marking. Instead, the caller wanted to make sure I had arranged to return the scripts."

The marker has since been contacted and asked to continue.

Another marker said:

"I'm another examiner who has had a clean bill of health at every stage over the last two years and passed my standardisation this year with a B grade.

"I have had my benchmarking referred and have been asked to stop marking.

"I am really angry about this," he said.

'Discrepancy'

Last year's Sats marking turned into chaos. Many results were severely delayed, the company contracted to do the marking - ETS Europe - was sacked, and the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) was criticised by the government inquiry.

We are working hard to deliver results on time QCA spokesman

This year's marking is being run by Edexcel but it was the QCA which had responsibility for approving tests used to check that markers are good enough.

The QCA says there was a "discrepancy" on the test which could have made it confusing to mark.

In a statement, a spokesman said: "Marking is well underway and we are working hard to deliver results on time.

"We have had some quality assurance issues with English papers, but these are now being addressed and marking of these continue.

"We are recruiting additional markers throughout the test cycle and also have a number of contingency plans in place to increase the marking workforce if necessary."

The authority said extra markers had been recruited in preparation for this year's tests to cover for any who did not pass the quality checks and that recruitment "would continue throughout the test cycle".

Recently, markers writing in online forums have complained that quality checks were delaying their marking and that experienced markers had been turned away.

It has raised questions over marking standards and the possibility of results being delayed again.

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