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Reviews of marking and appeals for GCSEs and A levels

A student guide to the official post-results options after GCSE, AS and A level results, including reviews of marking, access to scripts, appeals, consent and deadlines.

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Current answer

Can you get a GCSE or A level result checked?

Yes. If a GCSE, AS level or A level result looks wrong, the formal options are usually access to scripts, a clerical re-check, a review of marking, a review of moderation, or, later, an appeal. These are official post-results services, not a casual second mark of the paper.

For most internal candidates, the first person to contact is your school, college or exam centre. They normally make the request to the exam board and should tell you the centre deadline, any fee, and what consent is needed.

Act quickly. Deadlines depend on the exam board, qualification, paper or component, and exam series. If a university or college place depends on the result, speak to your centre immediately about a priority review of marking where that service is available, and tell the university or college that a review has been requested.

“marks and subject grades could go down as well as up” — JCQ

That is why written candidate consent matters before a clerical re-check or review of marking.

Which post-results service do you actually need?

Students often say “remark”, but exam boards use more precise service names. This table translates the main options into plain English.

For a review of marking, JCQ gives a useful boundary: “Reviewers will not re-mark the script.” — JCQ

Comparison of access to scripts, clerical re-checks, reviews of marking, reviews of moderation and appeals.

ServiceWhat it checksWhen it may fitWatch out for

Access to scripts

Lets the centre access a marked script, where available, so the work can be reviewed before choosing another service.

Useful when there is no urgent university-place deadline and you want evidence before deciding on a review of marking.

Availability, permissions and deadlines vary. OCR says scripts are available from results days with written permission; Pearson and WJEC/Eduqas also describe free script-access services in their guidance.

Clerical re-check

Checks administrative points such as whether all parts were marked, marks were totalled correctly, and marks were recorded correctly.

Useful when the concern is a possible administrative mistake rather than how an answer was judged.

Written candidate consent is needed because the mark or grade may go down.

Review of marking

Reviews the original marking to check whether the mark scheme was applied correctly.

Useful when a marked script or teacher advice suggests the mark scheme may not have been applied properly.

It is not a full fresh re-mark. Marks and grades can go down, stay the same or go up.

Review of moderation

Reviews the original moderation of internally assessed work, such as coursework or NEA.

Relevant where the concern is about moderation of a centre’s internally assessed marks.

JCQ says it is not available for an individual candidate only, and it is not a fresh moderation of work outside the original sample.

Appeal

A later challenge after the outcome of a review of results or moderation, using the appeal process set by the awarding body.

Useful only after the earlier review stage has reported an outcome and the centre believes there is a ground for appeal.

For internal candidates, the appeal is usually submitted by the head of centre. Private candidates need to follow their board and entering-centre instructions.

What to do first after results day

Use this as a calm first-pass checklist before you sign a consent form or miss a deadline.

  • Contact the right person quickly

    Speak to your exams office, sixth-form team, school, college or exam centre as soon as you think a review may be needed. JCQ guidance says senior centre staff must be available immediately after results are published so results can be discussed and decisions made.

  • Name the qualification and paper

    Be specific: GCSE, AS level or A level; subject; exam board; paper or component; mark; grade; and whether the result affects a university or college place.

  • Ask whether you can see the script first

    If there is no urgent place deadline, access to scripts can help you and your teacher decide whether a review of marking is worth considering.

  • Check which service matches the concern

    A clerical re-check fits possible counting or recording errors. A review of marking fits possible mark-scheme application errors. A review of moderation is for moderated internally assessed work.

  • Read the consent wording before agreeing

    For a clerical re-check or review of marking, you should understand that the mark or grade may go down as well as up.

  • Use board and centre deadlines

    Your centre may set an earlier internal deadline than the exam board. Ask for both dates and any fee information in writing.

  • Use priority review only where it applies

    Priority review services are not universal. They are commonly relevant for Level 3 results where a university or college place is pending, but availability depends on the board, qualification and series.

  • Keep appeal separate from review

    An appeal is usually a later stage after a review outcome. If your centre will not request a review, ask for its published internal appeals procedure.

“Remark”, review of marking and appeal: what is the difference?

The everyday word “remark” can be confusing. Use the official terms when you speak to your centre so everyone is clear about what you are asking for.

Plain-English distinction between informal remark wording, review of marking and appeal.

TermPlain-English meaningBest use in your message

Remark

Informal student shorthand. It can mean several different things, so it is not precise enough on its own.

Say what you mean instead: access to scripts, clerical re-check, review of marking, review of moderation or appeal.

Review of marking

A check of the original marking to see whether the mark scheme was applied correctly.

Use this term if the concern is about marking, not just mark addition or a missing mark.

Appeal

A later challenge after the review outcome, normally handled by the centre for internal candidates.

Use this term only after the review stage, or when asking your centre about its internal appeals procedure.

Deadline examples for the 2026 summer series

There is not one universal GCSE or A level review deadline. The examples below are named board examples from current sources used for this guide. Your centre may set an earlier internal deadline, and dates should be rechecked before anyone relies on them.

This guide covers England, Wales and Northern Ireland, but the board examples below do not include live CCEA dates. If your entry is with CCEA, use your centre’s current CCEA instructions before relying on a date.

Board-specific 2026 examples showing why students need the exact board, qualification and series deadline.

Board or sourcePublished examplesHow to use this

AQA post-results services

AQA lists 20 August 2026 for priority review of marking for AS/A level and other Level 3 qualifications; 27 August 2026 for priority copies of marked AS/A level papers; 3 September 2026 for priority copies of marked GCSE papers; 24 September 2026 for clerical re-checks, reviews of marking and reviews of moderation; and 30 October 2026 for standard copies of marked papers.

Use only for AQA entries in the relevant 2026 summer series. Ask your centre for its own earlier deadline.

Pearson Edexcel post-results key dates

Pearson lists Level 3 summer results on 13 August 2026 and Level 2 summer results, including GCSE, on 20 August 2026. Its key-dates page lists 24 September 2026 for standard Service 1 and Service 2 in the relevant summer windows, and 20 August 2026 for Service P2 for listed Level 3 summer entries where available.

Priority Service P2 is not universal across all qualifications. Match the service code to your qualification and ask your centre before applying.

WJEC/Eduqas June Series 2026 PDF

The WJEC/Eduqas June 2026 sheet lists Services 1, 2 and 3 closing on 24 September, priority Service 2P for GCE and other Level 3 qualifications closing on 20 August, and says: “Free access to scripts via the view script access page for 6 months”.

Use as a WJEC/Eduqas June 2026 example only. The same document also warns that written consent is needed for Services 1 and 2 because marks and grades may be lowered.

OCR reviews of marking and OCR access to scripts

OCR process pages explain services, consent and script access, but this guide does not list OCR 2026 key-date rows. Live CCEA post-results dates are also not listed here.

Use your centre and current OCR or CCEA key-date information before relying on a deadline.

A message you can adapt

Suggested wording for your exams officer or centre

When this applies

Use this when you have received your result and need to ask which post-results service, deadline and consent process applies.

Suggested wording

Hello, I have received my [GCSE / AS level / A level] result in [subject] and I think it may need checking. Could you tell me which post-results services are available for my [paper/component], the centre deadline, any fee, whether I can access my script first, and what candidate consent I need to give? My exam board is [board] and my mark/grade is [details]. If my [university/college] place is affected, could you also tell me whether a priority review of marking is available and what you need from me today?

Why this helps

It gives the centre the information it needs, separates access to scripts from a review of marking, and flags urgent university or college timing without asking for a vague “remark”.

Key things to remember

Keep these points in mind before you decide what to do next.

A review is not a full fresh re-mark

A review of marking checks whether the original marking applied the mark scheme correctly.

Your centre is normally the starting point

Most internal candidates act through their school, college or exam centre, not directly through the exam board.

Grades can go down

Written candidate consent is required for clerical re-checks and reviews of marking because the outcome may be lower.

Access to scripts can help

Where there is no urgent place deadline, seeing the script first can help you decide whether a review of marking is sensible.

Appeals usually come later

An appeal normally follows the outcome of a review of results or moderation.

Deadlines are specific

Use the date for your board, qualification, service and series, and remember your centre may close requests earlier.

Missing results are different

If a result is missing or incomplete, ask your centre about that issue separately rather than treating it as an ordinary review of marking.

Official sources used in this guide

Use these official sources for the rules, service names and board-specific examples referred to above.

  • JCQ post-results guidance

    Common post-results service definitions, consent, centre responsibilities and appeal sequence.

    Open source

  • AQA post-results services

    AQA service details, private-candidate note and June 2026 date examples.

    Open source

  • OCR reviews of marking

    OCR review service descriptions and consent information.

    Open source

  • OCR access to scripts

    OCR script access, written permission and availability information.

    Open source

  • OCR appeals

    OCR appeal stages, who may appeal and indicative completion aims.

    Open source

  • Pearson Edexcel post-results services

    Pearson service definitions, access to scripts, consent and appeal information.

    Open source

  • Pearson Edexcel post-results key dates

    Pearson 2026 date examples for listed post-results services.

    Open source

  • WJEC post-results services and appeals

    WJEC overview, centre-led applications and private-candidate information.

    Open source

  • Eduqas post-results services and appeals

    Eduqas version of WJEC post-results guidance for relevant England-facing qualifications.

    Open source

  • WJEC/Eduqas June Series 2026 PDF

    WJEC/Eduqas June 2026 service deadlines, fees document and script-access example.

    Open source

Related links

Keep going with closely related guidance from Latimer Tuition.

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Related guidance

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More guidance from this part of the Ed Centre that may help with the same decision, stage or next step.

Support and clarity

Frequently asked questions

Straight answers to the questions people ask most often.

Can my grade go down after a review of marking?

Yes. JCQ guidance says marks and grades can go down as well as up for clerical re-checks and reviews of marking. That is why written candidate consent is required before the request is submitted.

Is a review of marking the same as a remark?

Not exactly. “Remark” is informal shorthand. A review of marking checks whether the original marking applied the mark scheme correctly. JCQ says reviewers do not re-mark the script.

Should I ask for my script before requesting a review?

Often, yes, where there is no urgent university or college deadline. Access to scripts can help you and your teacher decide whether there is a clear reason to request a review of marking. Availability and deadlines vary by board and component.

Who requests a review of marking?

For internal candidates, the school, college or exam centre usually submits the request to the exam board. Private candidates should start with the centre that entered them and the current guidance from their awarding body.

What if my school or college refuses to request a review?

Ask for the centre’s published internal appeals procedure. JCQ guidance says centres must have one for cases where the candidate and centre disagree about whether to pursue a review.

Can I appeal directly to the exam board?

Usually not if you are an internal candidate. Appeals normally come after a review outcome and are usually centre-led. Private-candidate processes vary by board, so use your entering centre and awarding-body guidance.

What should I do if my university place depends on my A level result?

Contact your centre immediately and ask whether a priority review of marking is available for your qualification and board. Tell the university or college that a review has been requested, but do not assume they will hold a place automatically.

Are GCSE and A level review deadlines the same for every exam board?

No. Deadlines depend on the exam board, qualification, exam series, service type, paper or component, and sometimes candidate status. Your centre may also set an earlier internal deadline.

Sources and references

Sources and references

  • 1.
    JCQ post-results guidance

    Joint Council for Qualifications · Current public page; common guide referenced for June/November 2025 · Accessed

    Used for common post-results definitions, candidate consent, centre responsibilities, review and appeal sequence, and UCAS grade-change handling.

  • 2.
    AQA post-results services

    AQA · June 2026 deadlines page · Accessed

    Used for AQA service details, June 2026 deadline examples, university-place guidance and private-candidate note.

  • 3.
    OCR reviews of marking

    Cambridge OCR · Accessed

    Used for OCR review service descriptions, candidate consent and private-candidate information.

  • 4.
    OCR access to scripts

    Cambridge OCR · Accessed

    Used for OCR script access, written permission and free access information.

  • 5.
    OCR appeals

    Cambridge OCR · Accessed

    Used for OCR appeal stages, who may appeal and indicative completion aims.

  • 6.
    Pearson Edexcel post-results services

    Pearson · Accessed

    Used for Pearson service definitions, consent, free access-to-scripts, student-facing FAQs and appeal information.

  • 7.
    Pearson Edexcel post-results key dates

    Pearson · 2026 key dates page · Accessed

    Used for Pearson-specific 2026 results-release dates, Service 1, Service 2, Service P2 and access-to-scripts deadline examples.

  • 8.
    WJEC post-results services and appeals

    WJEC · Accessed

    Used for WJEC overview, centre-led applications, private-candidate information and appeals guidance.

  • 9.
    Eduqas post-results services and appeals

    Eduqas · Accessed

    Used for the Eduqas version of WJEC post-results guidance for relevant England-facing qualifications.

  • 10.
    WJEC/Eduqas Post Results Services – June Series 2026 PDF

    WJEC/Eduqas · June Series 2026 · Accessed

    Used for WJEC/Eduqas June 2026 service deadlines, written-consent requirement and script-access example.