What's happening while you're waiting for your results? Teresa Jacobs, quality assurance manager, CIMA, reveals all.
With a massive sigh of relief, you put down your pen, flex your aching hand, sit back in your chair, and hand your script to the invigilator' And then you have to wait for your exam results.
People sometimes ask us why they have to wait eight weeks for their results - CIMA releases results for strategic and TOPCIMA eight weeks after the exams, and managerial one week later.
Quality assurance is one of the reasons we spend that amount of time on marking ' we want to make sure you get the right marks. We also need to take time because of the sheer volume of scripts we handle across the globe.
How does the marking process work?
Once you have handed your script to the invigilator, it is matched to the attendance list and checked before being sealed in a bag for collection by a courier.
The bags of scripts are delivered to a clearing centre. Then, they are then logged and batched into boxes of about 50 for delivery to markers.
Scripts from larger centres are split between several markers, so that we can make sure that marking is consistent.
Achieving inter marker reliability is a crucial element of CIMA's quality assurance.
We go to great lengths to ensure that your script gets the same result - whether it is marked by marker A, B, C or D. To make sure this happens, all markers have to attend a standardisation meeting four to ten days after the exam where they work towards marking consistently on a selection of global scripts.
The logistics of getting together sample scripts from countries as far apart as South Africa, Sri Lanka, the UK and Malaysia are quite challenging. Markers also discuss and agree the validity of some of the answers that CIMA students give.
Markers mark to a scheme but they also reward for non standard answers. They follow 'own figure rules', so that if you made an error in your calculations ' say, left off a zero - they follow your answer through to your logical conclusion and award marks. This of course takes time.
After the meeting, each marker marks a further sample of scripts and sends these to the lead marker for checking and feedback. When all is in order, they begin marking for real.
The lead marker conducts further sampling throughout the marking period. A monitor marker carries out even more checks using actual and control scripts. Markers refer queries to these experts as necessary.
Identifying trends
As marks appear in the system, trends begin to emerge - which questions students tried or ignored, and which they passed or failed.
A key indicator is the ARM ' Average Raw Mark. We also compare ARMs for each marker to help us identify any over generous or mean tendencies. Very occasionally, where supported by quantitative evidence, we adjust a marker's marks. It all takes time.
Transcription checking
As an additional check, a percentage of scripts undergo transcription checking. The checker looks at all the marks in the marker column, adds them up, and checks them with final marks awarded.
Markers who make mistakes become ex markers and further checks are made on their work.
Once all results are in, the Appeals Working Party deals with requests for special consideration. We get all sorts of requests!
Occasional breaches of exam rules - such as two mobile phones in the exam hall, or 17 bullet points of text written on the left forearm - are also dealt with.
The last step is the ratification of all the results by CIMA's Exams and Assessment Oversight Board.
And, finally, you get your results, while we prepare for the next exam session.
Contact us
You can contact us with your feedback and suggestions for Velocity at velocity@cimaglobal.com.