Edexcel Examiner Tip #2: think outside the box, but don’t you dare write outside the box.

Each page of a GCSE maths exam paper has a rectangular margin around it. In effect the question exists inside a large text box. Along the outer left-hand side is an instruction not to write in that area. This instruction is ignored by many students who write above, below or to the sides of the text box. Why is this a problem? All examiner marking is completed online. When an exam is finished, the exam papers are collected and returned to the exam board. The exam papers are then scanned and uploaded to the marking platform. Only the contents of the large textbox is scanned. Therefore, any writing outside of this is never seen by the examiner. I have marked papers where I can see the tops of letters at the bottom of the screen. This means that there are more workings below the textbox/margin. It can’t be marked because it can’t be seen. Many students will try to fit a last line or two onto the page beneath the textbox rather than ask for an extra sheet of paper and put the final lines on a new sheet. It is then the responsibility of the examiner to send that question for review by the team leader. The team leader can then look at the script and decipher the unseen workings. I always make my students aware of this textbox and the importance of not writing beyond it. This is something I only became aware of through working as an examiner. Before my examiner experience, I was not aware of this, and consequently not making my students aware. I remember many years ago, an A-level maths expert coming to talk to my students. She also worked for OFQUAL (they regulate the exam boards). I remember her telling the students about papers being scanned and only the textbox being visible on-screen to the examiner. Her advice back then was to avoid writing beyond the textbox. It is always best to avoid things which complicate the marking of your script. The exam boards will do their best to mark everything you submit but avoiding complications is always a good thing. So, remember, you can think outside the box, but try to stick to the rule of not writing outside the box. 😊