Most chosen general qualifications exam board in England.

  • About AQA

  • Centre Services

  • Join Us

  • Contact Us

AQA
  • Subjects
  • Qualifications
  • Professional Development
  • Exams Admin
  • Services
  • Search
  • Subjects

  • Qualifications

  • Professional Development

  • Exams Admin

  • Services

  • About AQA

  • Centre Services

  • Join Us

  • Contact Us

  • Log in

Subjects

  • Accounting

  • Art and Design

  • Biology

  • Business

  • Chemistry

  • Computer Science

  • Dance

  • Design and Technology

  • Drama

  • Economics

  • English

  • Food preparation and Nutrition

  • French

  • Geography

  • German

  • History

  • Law

  • Mathematics

  • Media Studies

  • Music

  • Physical Education

  • Physics

  • Politics

  • Psychology

  • Religious Studies

  • Science

  • Sociology

  • Spanish

  • All subjects

GCSEs

  • Biology (8461)

  • Chemistry (8462)

  • Combined Science: Trilogy (8464)

  • English Language (8700)

  • English Literature (8702)

  • Geography (8035)

  • History (8145)

  • Mathematics (8300)

  • See all GCSEs

AS and A-levels

  • Biology (7401)

  • Business (7131)

  • Chemistry (7404)

  • Geography (7037)

  • History (7041)

  • Physics (7407)

  • Psychology (7181)

  • Sociology (7191)

  • See all AS and A-Levels

Other qualifications

  • Applied Generals

  • AQA Certificate Mathematics

  • Entry Level Certificates

  • Project Qualifications

  • Unit Award Scheme

  • All qualifications

Our training

  • Course finder

  • About our training

  • Online training

  • Face-to-face training

  • In-school training

  • Inside assessment

Courses by theme

  • Effective exam prep

  • Exams officers

  • Getting started

  • Unit Award Scheme

Courses by subject

  • English

  • Mathematics

  • Science

  • Languages

  • Design and Technology

  • Physical Education

  • Geography

  • History

  • All professional development

Dates

  • Dates and timetables

  • Key dates

Non-exam assessment (NEA)

  • NEA, coursework and controlled assessment

  • Deadlines for non-exam assessment

  • Record forms

  • Submit marks

Exams

  • Entries

  • Entry fees

  • Exams guidance

  • Question papers and stationery

  • Access arrangements

  • Special consideration

Results

  • Results days

  • Results slips

  • Grade boundaries

  • Results statistics

  • Post-results services

  • Exam certificates

  • All Exams Admin

Assessment Services

  • Centre Services

  • Associate Extranet

  • Become an associate

Products

  • All About Maths

  • Alpha Plus

  • Data Insights

  • Exampro

  • Project Q

  • Stride Maths

  • Testbase

  • Unit Award Scheme

News and Insights

  • AQI research and insight

  • News

  • Inside exams podcast

AQA
  • Become an examiner
  • Switch to AQA
  • Contact Us
  • Join us
  • Terms and conditions
  • Accessibility
  • Modern slavery statement
  • Privacy notice
  • Cookie notice
  • X
  • LinkedIn
  • Youtube

©AQA 2025 | Company number: 03644723 | Registered office: Devas Street, Manchester, M15 6EX | AQA is not responsible for the content of external sites

AQA Education has obtained an injunction preventing interference with public examinations. This notice is to alert you to the injunction, so that you are aware of it and can make submissions about it if you wish to do so.

  1. Home
  2. About Us
  3. Our Research
  4. Research Library
  5. Examiner Background and the Effect on Marking Reliability

Examiner Background and the Effect on Marking Reliability

Share this page

  • WhatsApp
  • LinkedIn
  • X
  • Facebook
Examiner Background and the Effect on Marking Reliability

Examiner Background and the Effect on Marking Reliability

01 May 2003

PDF | 788.66 KB

Examiner Background and the Effect on Marking Reliability

By Anne Pinot de Moira

Abstract

Arising from recommendations of the independent panel report on maintaining GCE A-Level standards (Baker, McGraw, & Lord Sutherland of Houndwood, January 2002), this report discusses a study of the background of examiners and the marks they give.

Even though there is little published literature which relates reliability to examiner characteristics, the presented work is set in the context of existing marking reliability research. Data from a sample of 21 AQA A2 units, marked by 356 examiners in summer 2002 has been analysed by fitting four multilevel models. Each model considers a different aspect of marking reliability as represented by four statistical measures: the difference between senior examiner and assistant examiner mark; the absolute difference between senior examiner and assistant examiner mark; the probability of a numerical adjustment having been made to the assistant examiner's marks and the examiner performance rating. Unit, examiner, centre and candidate level independent variables are included where they explain a significant amount of variation in the dependent variable.

How to cite

Pinot de Moira, A. (2003). Examiner Background and the Effect on Marking Reliability. Manchester: AQA Centre for Education Research and Practice.

Keywords

  • Reliability
  • Examiners