General Marking Guidance
• All candidates must receive the same treatment. Examiners
must mark the first candidate in exactly the same way as they
mark the last.
• Mark schemes should be applied positively. Candidates must
be rewarded for what they have shown they can do rather
than penalised for omissions.
• Examiners should mark according to the mark scheme not
according to their perception of where the grade boundaries
may lie.
• There is no ceiling on achievement. All marks on the mark
scheme should be used appropriately.
• All the marks on the mark scheme are designed to be
awarded. Examiners should always award full marks if
deserved, i.e. if the answer matches the mark
scheme. Examiners should also be prepared to award zero
marks if the candidate’s response is not worthy of credit
according to the mark scheme.
• Where some judgement is required, mark schemes will
provide the principles by which marks will be awarded and
exemplification may be limited.
• When examiners are in doubt regarding the application of the
mark scheme to a candidate’s response, the team leader must
be consulted.
• Crossed out work should be marked UNLESS the candidate
has replaced it with an alternative response.
, EDEXCEL GCE MATHEMATICS
General Instructions for Marking
1. The total number of marks for the paper is 100.
2. The Edexcel Mathematics mark schemes use the following types of marks:
• M marks: method marks are awarded for ‘knowing a method and attempting
to apply it’, unless otherwise indicated.
• A marks: Accuracy marks can only be awarded if the relevant method (M)
marks have been earned.
• B marks are unconditional accuracy marks (independent of M marks)
• Marks should not be subdivided.
3. Abbreviations
These are some of the traditional marking abbreviations that will appear in the mark
schemes.
• bod – benefit of doubt
• ft – follow through
• the symbol will be used for correct ft
• cao – correct answer only
• cso - correct solution only. There must be no errors in this part of the
question to obtain this mark
• isw – ignore subsequent working
• awrt – answers which round to
• SC: special case
• oe – or equivalent (and appropriate)
• dep – dependent
• indep – independent
• dp decimal places
• sf significant figures
• The answer is printed on the paper
• The second mark is dependent on gaining the first mark
4. For misreading which does not alter the character of a question or materially
simplify it, deduct two from any A or B marks gained, in that part of the question
affected.
5. Where a candidate has made multiple responses and indicates which response
they wish to submit, examiners should mark this response.
If there are several attempts at a question which have not been crossed out,
examiners should mark the final answer which is the answer that is the most
complete.
• All candidates must receive the same treatment. Examiners
must mark the first candidate in exactly the same way as they
mark the last.
• Mark schemes should be applied positively. Candidates must
be rewarded for what they have shown they can do rather
than penalised for omissions.
• Examiners should mark according to the mark scheme not
according to their perception of where the grade boundaries
may lie.
• There is no ceiling on achievement. All marks on the mark
scheme should be used appropriately.
• All the marks on the mark scheme are designed to be
awarded. Examiners should always award full marks if
deserved, i.e. if the answer matches the mark
scheme. Examiners should also be prepared to award zero
marks if the candidate’s response is not worthy of credit
according to the mark scheme.
• Where some judgement is required, mark schemes will
provide the principles by which marks will be awarded and
exemplification may be limited.
• When examiners are in doubt regarding the application of the
mark scheme to a candidate’s response, the team leader must
be consulted.
• Crossed out work should be marked UNLESS the candidate
has replaced it with an alternative response.
, EDEXCEL GCE MATHEMATICS
General Instructions for Marking
1. The total number of marks for the paper is 100.
2. The Edexcel Mathematics mark schemes use the following types of marks:
• M marks: method marks are awarded for ‘knowing a method and attempting
to apply it’, unless otherwise indicated.
• A marks: Accuracy marks can only be awarded if the relevant method (M)
marks have been earned.
• B marks are unconditional accuracy marks (independent of M marks)
• Marks should not be subdivided.
3. Abbreviations
These are some of the traditional marking abbreviations that will appear in the mark
schemes.
• bod – benefit of doubt
• ft – follow through
• the symbol will be used for correct ft
• cao – correct answer only
• cso - correct solution only. There must be no errors in this part of the
question to obtain this mark
• isw – ignore subsequent working
• awrt – answers which round to
• SC: special case
• oe – or equivalent (and appropriate)
• dep – dependent
• indep – independent
• dp decimal places
• sf significant figures
• The answer is printed on the paper
• The second mark is dependent on gaining the first mark
4. For misreading which does not alter the character of a question or materially
simplify it, deduct two from any A or B marks gained, in that part of the question
affected.
5. Where a candidate has made multiple responses and indicates which response
they wish to submit, examiners should mark this response.
If there are several attempts at a question which have not been crossed out,
examiners should mark the final answer which is the answer that is the most
complete.
