How to get an A-Level remark

If an A-Level grade looks wrong, you can ask the exam board to review the marking through what's officially called Post-Results Services, and specifically a Review of Marking (Service 2). The stakes at A-Level are usually higher than at GCSE, because a university offer might be sitting on the result, so timing matters. This guide walks through the five steps: deciding between priority and standard, picking the right service, getting your school to submit, hitting the deadline, and handling whatever comes back. Your school's the gatekeeper for the whole process, so they're the first call to make.

Per the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ), which coordinates AQA, Edexcel, OCR and WJEC, exam boards run two versions of the same review process for A-Levels. In plain terms: priority is the faster route, used when a university place is on the line. Standard is for everyone else and takes longer.

The examiner does the same work either way, but priority is fast-tracked so the result comes back in time for clearing, or for a university to decide about holding your place. If you've got a firm or insurance offer that hinged on a grade you've just missed, you want priority. If your results are fine for your offer but you still want a paper reviewed (for example, because you're reapplying next year), standard is the right choice. The fee's the same. The main differences are turnaround and deadline.

JCQ defines three review services that AQA, Edexcel, OCR and WJEC all use. Service 1 is a clerical recheck (JCQ target: 10 calendar days). The board confirms that every mark was added up correctly and that no questions were missed. It doesn't re-examine your answers, so it rarely changes the grade.

Service 2 is a review of marking. An examiner looks at your script again and checks whether the original marker applied the mark scheme correctly. This is the one most A-Level students want, because it's the only review that can move the grade based on the quality of your answers.

Service 3 is a review of moderation, which applies to coursework or non-exam assessment rather than written papers. In plain terms: for a normal written A-Level paper, you want service 2. If you're reviewing coursework, ask your school about service 3.

You can't request a review yourself. Per JCQ's rules, the exam board only accepts requests from the registered exams centre, which is your school or college. Contact the exams officer (not your subject teacher) and tell them which paper, which service, and whether you need the priority deadline.

The school will usually ask you to sign a consent form, because the grade can move down as well as up. They'll also confirm who pays the fee. Some schools front the cost and bill you afterwards; others ask for payment up front. Keep a written record of the submission date.

Deadlines are tight and set by JCQ, so check the AQA, Edexcel, OCR, or WJEC page that covers your subject for the exact date. As a rough guide:

The priority deadline usually falls within a few working days of A-Level results day in mid-August. JCQ's published service description gives boards just over a week after results to accept priority submissions, and individual boards often close earlier.

The standard deadline is set by JCQ for late September. Once it passes, the only route left is a formal appeal, which works very differently and is rarely worth pursuing without strong grounds.

Build in a buffer. Your school needs time to process the request internally before sending it to the board, so don't leave it to the last hour.

Once the board confirms receipt, you wait. JCQ's targets say priority reviews come back in 15 calendar days, and standard reviews in 20. Your school's told first and passes the outcome on to you.

Three things can happen. The grade can go up, in which case the fee is refunded and an updated certificate is issued. It can stay the same, in which case you've lost the fee but you know the original mark was right. It can also go down, which is rare but possible, and you keep the lower grade.

If the grade goes up to meet a university offer, contact UCAS Hub and the university straight away. Per UCAS, they can't act on the new grade until it's on the official feed, so chase it. If you've already accepted somewhere else, your options are narrower than they used to be. UCAS Adjustment was withdrawn after 2021, so you can't swap into a higher-ranked place automatically. You can self-release into Clearing, but that cancels your existing place and is irreversible, so only do it once you've spoken to the new university and have a verbal offer. Otherwise, ask about deferring to next year.