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How is coursework and non-exam assessment (NEA) marked?

Not everything is marked by an external examiner. Here’s how coursework and NEA are marked and checked.

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In short

Coursework and non-exam assessment (NEA) is usually marked by your teachers using the exam board’s criteria. The board then moderates a sample from each centre to check that marking is in line with the national standard, and can move a centre’s marks up or down so every school is judged the same way. If moderation changes a centre’s marks, the centre can ask for a review of moderation.

How it works

  1. Teachers mark to the board’s criteria
    Using the mark scheme and standardisation materials the board provides.
  2. The school internally standardises its marking
    Where more than one teacher marks the work, the centre must make sure they’re all applying the criteria consistently before marks are submitted.
  3. Students are told their centre-assessed marks
    You must be told your mark before it’s submitted, so you have the chance to ask for an internal review of the centre’s marking.
  4. Marks are submitted to the board
    The centre sends its marks (and a sample of work) to the exam board.
  5. The board moderates a sample
    If the centre’s marking is out of line with the national standard, an adjustment is applied - usually to the whole centre’s marks.
Common misconception

An individual student’s NEA mark isn’t reviewed by the exam board on its own - moderation, and any review of moderation, applies to the centre’s cohort, because it’s about the centre’s marking standard. Your chance to query your mark is the centre’s internal review, before marks are submitted.

Frequently asked questions

Who marks my coursework?

Usually your teachers, using the exam board’s criteria, with the school standardising its own marking before submission. Source: Ofqual ↗

Can I challenge my coursework mark before results day?

Yes. For GCSE, AS and A-level NEA, your school must tell you your teacher-assessed mark before it’s submitted, so you can request an internal review of the centre’s marking. Source: Ofqual ↗

What is moderation?

The board’s check that a centre’s marking matches the national standard, sampling work and adjusting the centre’s marks if needed. Source: Ofqual ↗

Can I get my NEA re-marked individually after results?

No - a review of moderation looks at the centre’s marking as a whole, not one student’s piece, and can change every affected student’s marks. Source: Ofqual ↗

See it in the data

Understand the post-results options if you think something’s wrong.

How reviews work →

Official sources

Official sources: Ofqual: what happens after your exams · Ofqual: if you think there’s a mistake · JCQ: post-results services
About this guide. Produced independently by tutor2u using published guidance from Ofqual, JCQ and the awarding organisations, to explain the system clearly and put it in context. Reviewed by Jim Riley, tutor2u. How we check this guidance. Last reviewed 11 August 2026.
In Wales: this guide covers England, where exams are regulated by Ofqual. Qualifications in Wales are regulated by Qualifications Wales and awarded by WJEC - see WJEC’s grade boundaries and post-results services.

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Last checked August 2026. This is a plain-English summary of official guidance; always check the linked Ofqual, JCQ and exam-board pages for the definitive rules, which can change.

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