Ofqual and JCQ publish information on 2021 series appeals

Published:Friday 11 Jun 2021

Ofqual has published the consultation decisions for summer 2021 series appeals.

Summary of key points

• Students will be able to appeal their grade, following a unique process for this summer series.
• Ofqual has published a Student guide to awarding summer 2021 to help explain this process.
• The deadline to submit an appeal is 23 August (for students applying to higher education who did not get their first choice) or 17 September for other appeals.
• During an appeal, a grade may go up, down or stay the same.
• For Tech-levels and our Award and Certificate in Personal and Social Education, students will be able to appeal at unit level.
• Exam boards will not penalise schools and colleges who cannot submit information related to a student’s appeal if it’s held by staff who cannot be reached because of the summer holidays.
• Students will be able to sit exams in Autumn if they are unhappy with their grade. You can find out more on our Autumn exam series webpage.

JCQ guidance

The Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ) has also released a guide to appeals for the summer 2021 series to help you understand what these decisions mean for you.

It includes helpful information on what to share with students ahead of results days – both to reduce the need for appeals, and to ensure students have everything they need to start an appeal if necessary.

Help and support

We’ll be updating our website, creating supporting materials, and getting in touch soon with everything you need to be ready for the appeals process.

In the meantime, if you have any questions please do get in touch – our Customer Services team is ready and waiting to help.

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