[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"detail-sidebar-cat-0-en-105":3,"doc-seo-620832-105":59,"doc-detail-620832-en":130},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"success",[7,13,18,23,28,33,38,43,48,51,55],{"id":8,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":10,"show_sort_weight":11,"slug":12},1,"Document","Story & Novel",90,"story-novel",{"id":14,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":15,"show_sort_weight":16,"slug":17},2,"Literature",80,"literature",{"id":19,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":20,"show_sort_weight":21,"slug":22},4,"Exam",70,"exam",{"id":24,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":25,"show_sort_weight":26,"slug":27},5,"Comic",60,"comic",{"id":29,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":30,"show_sort_weight":31,"slug":32},6,"Technology",50,"technology",{"id":34,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":35,"show_sort_weight":36,"slug":37},7,"Healthcare",40,"healthcare",{"id":39,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":40,"show_sort_weight":41,"slug":42},8,"Research & Report",30,"research-report",{"id":44,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":45,"show_sort_weight":46,"slug":47},9,"Religion & Spirituality",20,"religion-spirituality",{"id":46,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":49,"show_sort_weight":46,"slug":50},"World Cup","world-cup",{"id":52,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":53,"show_sort_weight":52,"slug":54},10,"Lifestyle","lifestyle",{"id":56,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":57,"show_sort_weight":24,"slug":58},19,"General","general",{"code":4,"msg":60,"data":61},"ok",{"site_id":62,"language":63,"slug":64,"title":65,"keywords":66,"description":67,"schema_data":68,"social_meta":123,"head_meta":125,"extra_data":127,"updated_unix":129},105,"en","a-rasch-analysis-of-the-quality-of-marking-of-gcse-science","A Rasch analysis of the quality of marking of GCSE Science","","A Rasch analysis evaluates whether GCSE Science marking reliability is reduced when examiners mark outside their subject specialism. The paper examines differences between specialisms and considers how marking can be kept reliable, focusing on the clarity and usability of the mark scheme and the training of markers. It analyzes operational seed data treated as the reference (‘true’) mark to compare examiner marks with quality control outcomes.",{"@graph":69,"@context":122},[70,84,105],{"@type":71,"itemListElement":72},"BreadcrumbList",[73,77,79,82],{"item":74,"name":75,"@type":76,"position":8},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",{"item":78,"name":9,"@type":76,"position":14},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/",{"item":80,"name":40,"@type":76,"position":81},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/research-report/",3,{"item":83,"name":65,"@type":76,"position":19},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/a-rasch-analysis-of-the-quality-of-marking-of-gcse-science/620832/",{"url":83,"name":65,"@type":85,"image":86,"author":91,"headline":65,"publisher":94,"fileFormat":97,"inLanguage":63,"description":67,"dateModified":98,"datePublished":99,"encodingFormat":97,"isAccessibleForFree":100,"interactionStatistic":101},"DigitalDocument",{"url":87,"@type":88,"width":89,"height":90},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/a-rasch-analysis-of-the-quality-of-marking-of-gcse-science/620832.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":92,"@type":93},"Alex Sinclair","Person",{"url":74,"name":95,"@type":96},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-11-01","2026-10-20",true,{"@type":102,"interactionType":103,"userInteractionCount":19},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":104},"ViewAction",{"@type":106,"mainEntity":107},"FAQPage",[108,114,118],{"name":109,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":111},"What question does the paper investigate about GCSE Science marking reliability?","Question",{"text":112,"@type":113},"It investigates whether marking reliability is compromised when examiners mark questions outside their subject specialism, and whether interactions exist between examiner specialism and item subject matter.","Answer",{"name":115,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":116},"What does the paper conclude about differences between subject specialisms?",{"text":117,"@type":113},"It concludes that differences between specialisms are minor at worst, so there is no pressing need to split expert marking by subject specialism.",{"name":119,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":120},"How is marking reliability measured in the paper?",{"text":121,"@type":113},"Reliability is derived from operational seed data: seeds are items pre-marked by a senior examiner, and individual examiner marks are compared to the seed mark as the reference.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":83,"og:type":124,"og:title":65,"og:site_name":95,"og:description":67},"article",{"robots":126,"canonical":83},"index,follow",{"doc_id":128,"site_id":62},620832,1792569123,{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":131},{"doc_id":128,"user_id":132,"nickname":92,"user_avatar":133,"doc_module":4,"category_id":39,"category_name":40,"doc_title":65,"doc_description":67,"doc_content":134,"file_id":135,"file_url":136,"file_type":137,"file_size":138,"view_count":19,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":8,"is_downloadable":8,"audit_status":8,"page_count":139,"language":140,"language_code":63,"site_id":62,"html_lang":63,"table_of_contents":141,"faqs":142,"seo_title":143,"seo_description":67,"update_tm":144,"read_time":36},1099523882182,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_6f874abed73319feea01a86fa6f0fab8","Centre for Education Research and Practice  \nA Rasch analysis of the quality of marking of GCSE Science  \nWilliam Pointer  \nSummary  \nThe reintroduction of an examination that combines biology, chemistry and physics has created the potential for a reduction in the reliability of marking. A Rasch analysis was conducted to explore whether the reliability of marking of science exams was being compromised by having markers mark outside their specialism .  \nThis paper concludes that the differences between specialisms are minor at worst. Therefore there is no pressing need to split the marking of expert marked items by subject specialism . The most important factor in ensuring high marking reliability is likely to be the clarity of the mark scheme and the training of markers. Clear thought and planning should be used to ensure mark schemes are fit for purpose to allow marking to be completed reliably.  \nBackground  \nThe reliability of marking in high stakes examinations, such as GCSE, is a very important and pertinent issue (see, for example, Jordan, 2014) . One of the factors often cited as affecting the reliability of marking is the characteristics of the person marking the response. There is a limited amount of research literature regarding the traits that are necessary in an examiner to ensure a high level of marking reliability. Pinot de Moira (2003) found no link between personal characteristics and marking reliability but did find some evidence to support the notion that the work of more able candidates is harder to mark.  \nRoyal-Dawson and Baird (2009) found that teaching experience was not necessary to reliably mark most of the examination questions on the UK’s national curriculum Key Stage 3 English test. They proposed that questions with a high level of curriculum specificity should be marked by teachers but that other items could be marked by non-teachers. In the same subject area, Meadows and Billington (2010) attempted to split out the effects of subject knowledge, teaching experience and marking experience. They found that , overall, GCSE English examiners, trainee English teachers, English undergraduates and undergraduates from other disciplines marked GCSE English equally accurately, although there were some differences at item level.  \nSuto, Nadas and Bell (2011) found that a marker’s highest level of education is a better predictor of marking accuracy than teaching or marking experience in IGCSE biology. This reinforced the findings of Suto and Nadas (2008) who reached the same conclusion for GCSE mathematics and physics. It led them to conclude that “education trumps experience”.  \nDespite the existing research evidence to the contrary, there remains a concern that having examiners mark questions outside their subject specialism has a detrimental effect on the reliability of marking. Take for example GCSE Science A and GCSE Additional Science which are currently offered by AQA with two possible routes of certification; structural differences in the assessment gives rise to questions about marking reliability. Route 1 is assessed via three examined units, one in each of biology, chemistry and physics plus a controlled assessment.  \nRoute 2 is assessed via two examined units that both contain a mix of biology, chemistry and physics questions plus a controlled assessment.  \nFor Route 1, examiners are appointed to mark a particular unit where only one specialism is examined; therefore they can opt to mark their specialist subject area. For Route 2, examiners are appointed to mark a particular unit where all three specialisms are examined and they mark a quota of all items. It could be argued that , for Route 2, having biologists mark chemistry and physics questions , for example, would reduce the reliability of the marking. Although, that said, it is worth noting many teachers actually teach across all three subject areas and so the impact of marking outside of their specialism is likely to be much less pronounced t","cbCaiiDhetYY9eed","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaiiDhetYY9eed","pdf",856627,16,"English","# Summary\n## Background\n## Methodology\n## Reliability via seed marks","[{\"question\":\"What question does the paper investigate about GCSE Science marking reliability?\",\"answer\":\"It investigates whether marking reliability is compromised when examiners mark questions outside their subject specialism, and whether interactions exist between examiner specialism and item subject matter.\"},{\"question\":\"What does the paper conclude about differences between subject specialisms?\",\"answer\":\"It concludes that differences between specialisms are minor at worst, so there is no pressing need to split expert marking by subject specialism.\"},{\"question\":\"How is marking reliability measured in the paper?\",\"answer\":\"Reliability is derived from operational seed data: seeds are items pre-marked by a senior examiner, and individual examiner marks are compared to the seed mark as the reference.\"}]","A Rasch analysis of the quality of marking of GCSE Science | PDF",1792464657]