Getting ready for the summer 2016 English exam series

For each English qualification, several examples of marked work are available to help exemplify the mark scheme band descriptors, the most recent from summer 2015 under ‘teaching and learning materials’ and then ‘exemplar materials’ on each qualification page.

Enhanced Principal Moderators' Reports also contain lots of useful guidance, together with several examples of controlled assessment and coursework with moderator comments. These are also on the relevant qualification pages under 'examiner reports'.

Every year, some centres have their marks changed as a result of the moderation process, so please make sure you read the moderators' reports carefully.

In large centres with multiple teachers, it's essential that you carry out internal moderation before you finalise the coursework or controlled assessment marks. You should sample double-mark, selecting mark points within the same band from different teaching sets. The double marking should continue until you are satisfied that you have achieved comparability.

Small schools with only one teacher need not carry out internal standardisation. It is helpful to include a covering note with your sample explaining that you are in this situation.

It's important that you annotate the coursework or controlled assessment to show the moderator how you have interpreted the mark scheme and applied it to the students' work.

Indications in the margins as to where specific assessment objective bands are perceived, together with summative comments at the end of each part of the coursework or controlled assessment, are ideal. Please ensure that the audience for your comments is clearly the moderator rather than the student.

You should mark and annotate the work in ink (rather than pencil). If you have already annotated in pencil, please make a note to use ink next year.

You should not attempt to grade the work; you should be marking the work by applying the marking criteria in a consistent manner.

The controlled assessment and coursework grades will be awarded at the end of each examination series using the standard code of practice awarding process.

Grade boundaries, which are subject to change each exam series, are published on the grade boundaries page of our website. For summer 2016, they'll be available to download from results day: 17 August 2016 for GCE and 24 August 2016 for GCSE, Edexcel Certificates and International GCSE.

Please also remember that the mark you submit to us should be the total raw mark, not the UMS mark. The UMS marks are allocated by us as a result of the awarding process.

A score of zero should only be used if a candidate has submitted work that is found to meet none of the assessment criteria. An X should be used for any candidate who is absent.

Your marks should be submitted online via Edexcel Online/ EDI. You must print out a copy of the marks for the moderator and for your own records. Find out how.

In order to enter marks you must have 'basic access' and 'coursework and portfolio' ticked on your Edexcel online profile. If you don’t have this, your exams officer can amend your profile.

Please note that all GCSE marks are submitted online only

OPTEMS forms are not sent out for GCSE. Marks for other English qualifications may be submitted using OPTEMS if desired.

Completed OPTEMS forms should be sent with the sample to the moderator.

If you've already submitted a mark but it needs to be amended (for example, because of an administrative error), please email the details to: courseworkmarks@pearson.com.

On Edexcel Online, from mid-April 2016, you'll see a tick next to the names of those students whose work needs to be sent for moderation. You also need to send the work of the highest- and lowest-scoring candidates in addition to the requested sample. If any of the called-for candidates have been withdrawn or have incomplete submissions, please provide additional candidates' work of a comparable level, along with a covering note.

The name and address of your moderator will be available on Edexcel Online or EDI when the sample is up from mid-April 2016.

Most GCSE controlled assessment tasks have a recommended length of 'up to 1000 words'. This total is for guidance only and there are no penalties for exceeding the word count guidance.

Please see the specification guidance at the beginning of each coursework unit which gives clear information on word counts. Titles and bibliographies are not included in word counts. Quotations are included. It is the centre's responsibility to inform students that there is no tolerance on the prescribed word limit.

While moderating your centre's coursework or controlled assessment, the moderator will write an E9 report which will give you detailed feedback on your marking and administration. You will be able to download this report on results day. Find out how to access your E9 report. If you can't access your report, please ask your examinations officer for assistance.