Why does it take so long for AAT to mark exams?

JennaLou

I am getting to the end of my Level 4 studies at the local college. I am waiting on my personal tax result (5 weeks 3 days!) and my final exam is business tax on 24th July.

Our college has a graduation in October. Last week we was discussing the posibility of bring forward our last exam so that if anyone fails we have time to resit before graduation.

On considering my options I got to thinking why does the AAT not a more to give a better turn around on results. As far as I am aware the majority of the exam is computer marked anyway, with only a couple of the questions being manually marked. We are given 2 - 2.5 hours to sit the whole exam, how long can it possibly take to mark?

Anyway rant over...

James Patterson

Hi Jenna,

I understand your frustration when you just want to get your results back.

The only reason being the written questions have to be marked by someone.

I would assume its down to the quantity of papers that have to be marked. I'm sure there are a lot of papers that need to be seen to, and I'd like to think they try and have a quick turnaround while marking reasonably.

Just an unfortunate circumstance unfortunately, good things come to those that wait (hopefully lots of passes :P)

GreenMousey

Slightly different question, but how do they actually mark the exams? I mean logistically, do they mark them on a computer or print them off as they must have to make notes etc when marking to add up the marks etc, just popped into my head the other day...

Jo Clark

ACCA/CIMA/ATT etc have a longer turn around than 6 weeks...

SandyHood

Jo Clark wrote: »

ACCA/CIMA/ATT etc have a longer turn around than 6 weeks...

Absolutely.

Exams have to be collected, sent to markers, cross-checked for consistency and accuracy, recorded and reported back to candidates. Sometimes things are highlighted by markers requiring revisions to marking schemes adding more time.
If this time to turn around your script is something you can't cope with, then think carefully before going onto the chartered bodies.

Simmyluvsu

I would love a 6 week turn around for results!

I sat a CTA exam on 9th May and won't get my results until around 23rd July! Count your blessings!!

GreenMousey

I think the frustration here isn't the fact that it actually takes six weeks to get your results, it's more that the AAT say it'll take up to six weeks to receive your results. If they changed that to say "Your result will be available six weeks after the date of your exam" I think it would be a lot more straight forward, especially as all the exams are taking that long to mark.

With professional exams and (when I took my paper based exam with the AAT) we had a specific date to get our results, although it was a lot longer than six weeks you knew where you stood and when it would be released.

SandyHood

Perhaps the cure to frustration is in the head of the candidate taking the exam.
Just mis-read

up to six weeks

as "Your result will be available six weeks after the date of your exam" and then leave it alone.
Get on with your life for 6 weeks and then look and see how you got on.

One day when you are recruiting staff, and you are faced with two and need to split them as they would both be fine in all respects, and you find that one is impatient unable to wait for the results to be ready, desperate to know the result the minute it is published, and the other quite able to put the result to the back of her mind for 6 weeks and then find out.
Which one would suit your organisation?

When I've considered accountancy vacancies I've rated a level head and patience, you might prefer the opposite.

Jo Clark

GreenMousey wrote: »

If they changed that to say "Your result will be available six weeks after the date of your exam" I think it would be a lot more straight forward, especially as all the exams are taking that long to mark.

I said something similar on another post. I agree with what Sandy has said, leave it for 6 weeks and then hopefully there will be less frustration...