The A/B gap at preliminary marking
At the end of the two-year course the philosophy department calculates preliminary marks. Student M has an A-mark average of 8.7/10 from six formative tasks: two essays, two seminar presentations, a debate, and a written commentary. The A marks reflect strong discussion and original essays, but two tasks were submitted late and one presentation was 30 seconds over time. M's B-mark average is 5.0/10 from two pre-Baccalaureate examinations; in both, M ran out of time and left the third question blank. The department's assessment plan states that the preliminary mark is 50% A marks and 50% B marks, and that a discrepancy of more than 2 points must be reported. A colleague proposes lowering the A mark to 7.5 to reduce the gap. M's parents have asked for an explanation. You are the teacher responsible for the final mark.
1. Should the A mark be lowered to reduce the A/B gap? Justify your decision using the distinction between formative and summative evidence.
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No. Lowering the A mark would use summative exam performance to rewrite formative evidence, which is not what A marks measure. A marks reward sustained work: seminar contributions, essays, presentations, and the ability to revise after feedback. M's late submission and overrunning are already reflected in the A marks for those tasks; lowering the average further would double-count them. The 2-point discrepancy rule is a reporting trigger, not a mandate to equalise. The right response is to keep the A average, report the gap, and investigate why M's exam performance is weaker-time allocation, question choice, or anxiety. If the department believes A marks are inflated, that should be shown by moderation of the tasks, not by adjusting one candidate's mark to fit the B average.
2. Calculate the preliminary mark under the stated 50/50 rule and explain what the discrepancy report should contain.
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Under the 50/50 rule: (8.7 + 5.0) / 2 = 6.85, rounded to 6.9/10. The discrepancy report should state the A and B averages, the size of the gap (3.7 points), the tasks and exams contributing, and the evidence for each. It should distinguish late submission (an A-mark issue) from blank exam questions (a B-mark issue). It should record that the A mark was not adjusted and why. If the school requires a support plan, it should note M's timing in exams: in both B exams M left the third question blank, which suggests a strategy problem rather than a knowledge gap. The report should avoid language that implies M's A mark is suspect without evidence.
3. What support would you put in place before the final examination, and why is that not the same as changing the mark?
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Before the final examination: timed practice with a strict 20-minute plan per question; a question-selection drill (choose the question you can answer fully, not the one you find most interesting); and a review of M's essay plans to check that the third question is not left to the end. Also a short oral rehearsal so M can practise defending a claim without overrunning. These are assessment-support measures, not mark changes. Changing the A mark would hide the pattern; support addresses the cause. If M's anxiety is documented, the school's accommodations procedure should be followed, not an informal adjustment. The final mark should remain the 50/50 result unless the assessment plan allows a different treatment.