I Had a Headache; Raise My Grade
My policy is that once you write the exam, you get that mark. Students are not allowed to write a makeup exam to try to raise their marks. In most instances students approach me before the exam. In these instances, I ask for documentation, and then usually allow students to write a makeup exam if they did not write the original exam. I do not
- allow students to rewrite an exam if they have already written it.
- raise the students' marks, depending on the degree of trauma that might have adversely affected their performance.
In you think the second possibility sounds strange, consider this [h/t to BrianF]:
Death of family pet worth an extra mark or two at exam time
.... Waking up with a headache on the morning of the exam is as detrimental as the death of a pet; there is a 1 per cent allowance for a sore head. A bout of hay fever can get a pupil an extra 2 per cent, as can the "effects of pregnancy" - though not pregnancy itself.
Among the more serious problems are, for 3 per cent, the death of a close friend or witnessing a "distressing event" on the day of the exam.
An incapacitating illness for the candidate or close family member will earn an extra 4 per cent, as will a severe injury at the time of the exam.
For the maximum award of 5 per cent, pupils need to suffer terminal illness, the recent bereavement of an immediate family member, or a serious and disruptive family crisis.
The guidelines, set out by the Joint Council for General Qualifications, which represents examination boards in England and Wales, says it has attempted to set a code for the consideration of any negative factors for pupils at exam time.
So we don't know whether a student's mark reflects ability and knowledge in a given subject or ability and knowledge in how to work the system. To paraphrase what those teachers can expect to hear:
After all, people respond to incentives, and educators would be fools to think students do not quickly learn how to work the system to get higher exam marks."I deserve a higher mark because I had a headache. Also, my grandfather is deathly ill, and he is very special to me. And my boy/girl friend and I had a really horrible fight last night when I was hoping to be studying. ...." etc.
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