Results, appeals & resits
Should I appeal my grade - and can it go down?
You can ask for a review of marking - the modern name for a remark - but only through your school or college, and yes, your grade can go down as well as up. Reviews check whether the mark scheme was applied correctly; they are not a kinder second opinion. They are worth it when you are close to a grade boundary with real reason to think something was missed. Deadlines are tight, so ask your school immediately.
Last updated 29 July 2026 · Written and fact-checked by the GCSEwiz team
How a review of marking actually works
You cannot apply to an exam board yourself - your school or college submits the request on your behalf, which is why the first move is always a conversation with your teachers or the exams officer. The board then has an examiner check that the original marking followed the mark scheme correctly and that all your marks were counted. It is an error check, not a re-mark by someone hoping to be more generous: marks change when a genuine marking error is found, and the outcome can be up, down, or no change.
Around results time there are priority routes for students whose immediate next step depends on the outcome - most importantly A-level students holding a university place. If that is you, say so when you ask, because the priority deadlines are the tightest of all.
When a review is worth it - and when it is not
Because the grade can move in either direction, "I hoped for more" is not a good enough reason on its own. The strong cases share two features:
- You are close to a grade boundary - a small mark change only changes the grade when there is a boundary within reach.
- There is a reason to suspect an error: your result is far out of line with your other papers, your mocks and your teacher's expectations - and your teacher agrees it looks odd.
- Weigh the direction risk honestly: sitting just above a boundary means a review could cost the grade you have. Sitting just below one, with your teacher's backing, is the classic case for reviewing.
- Your subject teacher's judgement is the best free advice available - they have seen many results and know what out-of-line looks like.
Seeing your script first
You can usually request a copy of your marked paper through your school before deciding - and it is often the smartest first step. Seeing where the marks actually went either builds a concrete case for a review or quietly settles the question, and both outcomes beat guessing. If the deadline pressure allows it, ask your exams officer about getting the script alongside the review conversation.
The clock is the real enemy
Every post-results service runs on deadlines set for each exam series, and the priority routes close soonest - often within a couple of weeks of results day. The precise dates and any fees vary by board and by year, and your school absorbs or passes on costs according to its own policy, so do not research your way past the window: go to your exams officer in the first days after results, ask what applies this year, and decide with the facts in front of you. A strong case submitted late is worth nothing; an early conversation costs nothing.