OCR A-level physics exam errors: what happened and what students should do

The exam board may issue an official erratum or correction notice. Without one, candidates should not receive subject advice in the exam room.

The correction may be read out or provided by the centre if the awarding organisation has issued it.

Raise your hand and follow invigilator instructions. JCQ says that where no erratum has been issued, candidates should “answer the question as printed” — JCQ.

The awarding organisation may adjust marking, issue a remedy for a specific question, or correct the mark scheme.

Some students may gain marks or a grade, but not every affected student will necessarily move a grade boundary.

After the exam, record the paper and question number and speak to your teacher or exams officer quickly.

This is about whether your script was marked or recorded correctly, not whether the question itself was wrong.

A clerical check or review of marking may leave the mark unchanged or move it up or down.

Ask your centre about Access to Scripts and whether a clerical check or review of marking is appropriate.

This is a later challenge about whether the awarding organisation made the right decision or followed the right process.

The awarding organisation may be asked to correct a decision or procedure. Ofqual can review procedure through EPRS in England, but does not mark the work.

Use the centre-led post-results process first, unless you are a private candidate using an allowed direct option.

JCQ special-consideration guidance treats accidental events such as receiving a wrong or defective paper as circumstances that may need awarding-organisation input.

There is no automatic fixed extra-mark award for every student; the response depends on the incident and the awarding organisation’s decision.

Tell the invigilator during the exam if the paper itself is wrong or defective, then follow up with your centre after the exam.

Administrative checks, such as whether all parts were marked and marks were recorded or totalled correctly.

Usually the school, college or exam centre for centre candidates.

Yes, if an administrative error is found.

Deadlines and fees can apply. Use current series dates rather than old examples.

Whether the agreed mark scheme was applied correctly and whether marking errors can be identified.

Usually the centre, with candidate consent. OCR also explains private-candidate options.

Yes. The mark or grade can go up, go down or stay the same.

It is not a completely fresh re-mark from scratch.

Whether the awarding organisation’s decision or process was wrong after the required earlier step.

Usually the centre. Eligible private candidates may have a direct option.

It can lead to a correction if the awarding organisation accepts that something was wrong.

JCQ’s 2026 guidance describes Stage One as a preliminary appeal and Stage Two as an appeal hearing. A hearing request must be made within 14 calendar days of the preliminary appeal outcome.

Ofqual’s final procedural review in England, after the awarding organisation’s appeal process has been completed.

Schools or colleges normally apply; private candidates may apply themselves in the stated circumstances.

Ofqual says: “We won’t review your work.” It also says it “cannot change your grade” — Ofqual EPRS.

Ofqual can ask the awarding organisation to look again if procedure was wrong, but the awarding organisation is the body that can correct a grade.

The qualifications and exams regulator for England. In this story, Ofqual investigated Cambridge OCR and issued the penalty.

The awarding organisation that set the AS and A Level physics papers involved in the Ofqual enforcement case.

A mistake in assessment materials such as an exam question paper or mark scheme.

The document examiners use to decide how marks should be awarded. The OCR incident included mark-scheme errors as well as question-paper errors.

An official correction to an exam-paper mistake. If no erratum has been issued, JCQ says candidates should answer the question as printed.

A post-exam process for circumstances beyond a candidate’s control, including accidental events such as being given a wrong or defective paper. It does not mean an automatic fixed mark increase.

A post-results service that checks whether the agreed mark scheme was applied correctly and corrects identified marking errors; it is not a complete re-mark from scratch.

A check of administrative marking procedures, such as whether all parts were marked and marks were totalled and recorded correctly.

A formal stage after a review of results where the centre or eligible private candidate challenges whether the awarding organisation’s decision or process was wrong.

Ofqual’s final procedural review in England after the awarding organisation’s appeal process has been completed. It checks procedure, not the student’s work.

The school, college or exam centre that enters a candidate for the qualification and normally submits post-results requests for centre candidates.

A candidate who enters exams independently rather than as an internal school or college candidate.

The independent regulator for non-degree level qualifications in Wales. This matters because Ofqual’s pages apply to England.