What goes through an examiner's mind? Using verbal protocols to gain insights into the GCSE marking process

Abstract

The process of examination marking is complex, requiring examiners to engage in a variety of cognitive operations. While consideration has been given to marking practices in a few specific contexts, those of General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) examiners have yet to receive serious attention. This study's aims, therefore, were: first, to investigate the cognitive strategies used when marking GCSEs; and second, to interpret them within the context of psychological theories of human judgement. Two contrasting GCSE examination papers were considered: Mathematics used a ‘points‐based’ marking scheme, while Business Studies relied on a ‘levels‐based’ scheme. Small groups of experienced examiners marked script samples, and using a concurrent ‘think aloud’ method, verbal protocols were obtained. Using a semi‐structured interview schedule, the examiners were then questioned retrospectively. Qualitative data analysis supported a model of five distinct cognitive marking strategies, which can be interpreted within dual‐processing theories of judgement. The implications for GCSE marking are discussed.

Acknowledgements

This research is based on examinations administered by Oxford, Cambridge and RSA examinations (OCR) and was funded by Cambridge Assessment (the brand name of the University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate [UCLES]). The opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and are not to be taken as the opinions of Cambridge Assessment or OCR.