Enquiries about results and assessment decisions

An enquiry about results allows NCFE centres to raise a query over a result for an external assessment. There are two options available.

Option 1 – clerical check

• Includes a full check of all clerical procedures to ensure that the marks or grades awarded to the student(s) have been correctly recorded and processed
• Ensuring all parts of the assessment have been marked, all marks have been recorded and added up correctly, and grade boundaries have been applied accurately.

Option 2 – review of marking

• This service ensures that the agreed mark scheme/standard has been applied correctly and is not a re-marking of the student’s assessment
• Includes a clerical check
• This is carried out by the Chief Examiner, or a Senior Examiner who did not originally mark that student’s paper.

Enquiry outcomes

Student’s scores and grade may increase, decrease, or remain the same.

Timescales and costs

All qualifications (VTQ and T Level)

Enquiry acceptance 

The decision of accepting the enquiry application will be considered and communicated within 5 working days from receipt.

How do I submit an enquiry about result(s)?

Within the timescales set out above, please submit your request on the NCFE Portal.

An enquiry about an internally marked assessment allows the opportunity for checks to be made on whether the assessment criteria were fairly, reliably, and consistently applied during the external quality assurance process.

NCFE awarding – review of external quality assurance decisions.

• This is a full review of learner assessments sampled during the external quality assurance process which would be carried out to ensure the correct assessment criteria were fairly, reliably, and consistently applied during the external quality assurance process
• The process of review will not involve a reassessment of an internally marked assessment unless errors are identified
• This review is only available after internal enquiries and appeals procedures have been exhausted
• It is not available if the original assessment decisions of the Internal Quality Assurer were accepted by the External Quality Assurer without any adjustments, or for individual learners.

Timescales and costs

• Enquiries about assessment decisions must be made within 20 working days of receipt of the initial decision
• We aim to complete an enquiry about assessments within 25 working days from the enquiry acceptance
• For costs, please see the current fees and pricing guide.

Enquiry outcome

The outcome of an enquiry will be sent within 25 working days of the decision being made, in line with the timescales above. An email will be sent to the centre contact who made the original request.

How do I submit an enquiry about assessment decisions?

Requests for enquiries about assessment decisions on internal assessments need to be made in writing to [email protected].

A review of moderation is a check on the original moderation to make sure the assessment criteria has been applied fairly, reliably and consistently. Please note this is not a remark and no specific feedback will be provided.

This service is not available for individual learners. Requests must be made by unit/component, for all learners on a cohort.

If provider marks were taken forward as final marks, this process is not available.

Timescales and costs

• All requests must be received within 25 working days of results release day
• A full review of marks will be carried out and the decision will be emailed to the person who made the request within 25 working days of enquiry acceptance.

Enquiry acceptance

The decision of accepting the enquiry application will be considered and communicated within 5 working days from receipt.

Enquiry outcome

In line with the above timescales an email will be sent to the centre contact who made the original request.

There are three possible outcomes arising from a review of moderation:

• no change to the original moderation decision;
• a correction to the original moderation decision;
• reinstatement of centre marks.