We receive over eight million answer scripts a year from all over the world. Every script needs the correct mark so that everybody gets the correct grade.
Some exams are marked on paper and some (such as multiple-choice exams) are marked automatically by a computer. But for any exam, every student’s work is marked in the same way.
Cambridge examiners are teachers or experts in their subject, and they are carefully selected and trained. It is vital that they all mark to the same standard so that we can award the right mark to every candidate every time.
After all the marking has been done, we set the grades. We use a mixture of statistical evidence and expert judgement to agree grade boundaries. Exam papers can vary slightly in difficulty, so we take care to set the grade boundaries in the right place so you don’t get a lower grade just because the paper you sat was more difficult than last year’s.
Once the grade boundaries have been agreed, we apply them to your marks to give you a grade.
To find out more about how we mark and grade your work, read our guide below or watch the video.
A guide to Marking and Grading (PDF)