Fears more than 1,000 pupils were given the wrong GCSE maths grade

A teacher at London’s Michaela Community School discovered that more than 1,000 students nationwide may have been penalized by one mark in their GCSE maths exam, potentially affecting their academic futures. The issue stems from a question—number six—asked students to provide an ‘error interval’ for an object’s width, using a different method than previous years. Maths teacher Brett Williams-Yale found that 1,609 pupils missed a grade due to this inconsistency, with some failing the subject entirely. Ofqual, the exams regulator, confirmed the question’s approach was ‘inconsistent’ with past assessments, raising concerns about fairness. The watchdog is now reviewing whether further action is needed, while Cambridge OCR defended the question, stating it was marked correctly and no prior complaints had been made about similar questions in 2017, 2019, or 2024. Shadow Education Secretary Laura Trott urged Ofqual and OCR to re-mark the papers, warning that incorrect grades risk damaging trust in the exam system. She emphasized that students could face unnecessary resits or miss opportunities in sixth forms, A-levels, or apprenticeships due to the error. Trott wrote to OCR demanding a meeting and remarking of the papers, calling inaction ‘unacceptable.’ The flawed question could also impact students’ eligibility for A-levels, as many sixth forms require minimum grades in maths and English. Williams-Yale highlighted that affected students may have been misled into believing their answers were wrong, as teachers typically align with examiners’ expectations. Ofqual’s ruling has put pressure on OCR to address the issue, with Trott insisting fairness must be restored to maintain confidence in qualifications.