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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/education/2018/jul/02/ofqual-record-fine-ocr-exam-board-error-english-paper-romeo-juliet
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| Thou art a villain: Ofqual fines exam board for Montague mix-up | Thou art a villain: Ofqual fines exam board for Montague mix-up |
| (5 months later) | |
| The examinations regulator Ofqual has fined one of England’s biggest exam boards a record £175,000 after an error in an English literature GCSE paper last summer left thousands of pupils baffled. | The examinations regulator Ofqual has fined one of England’s biggest exam boards a record £175,000 after an error in an English literature GCSE paper last summer left thousands of pupils baffled. |
| The mistake appeared in a question set by OCR about the character Tybalt from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet and confused the two warring families, the Capulets and the Montagues, who are the heart of the drama. | The mistake appeared in a question set by OCR about the character Tybalt from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet and confused the two warring families, the Capulets and the Montagues, who are the heart of the drama. |
| The question read: “How does Shakespeare present the ways in which Tybalt’s hatred of the Capulets influences the outcome of the play?” Tybalt is however a Capulet and the question should have referred to his hatred of the Montagues. | The question read: “How does Shakespeare present the ways in which Tybalt’s hatred of the Capulets influences the outcome of the play?” Tybalt is however a Capulet and the question should have referred to his hatred of the Montagues. |
| Ofqual said it had decided to impose its largest ever fine on an exam board because of the large number of pupils affected by the error, which it said was likely to have a “serious adverse impact on public confidence in qualifications”. | Ofqual said it had decided to impose its largest ever fine on an exam board because of the large number of pupils affected by the error, which it said was likely to have a “serious adverse impact on public confidence in qualifications”. |
| 'Panic attacks and crying': how the new GCSEs affected pupils | |
| More than 14,000 students sat the paper last May, of which up to 4,000 to 5,000 chose between two questions on Romeo and Juliet. OCR failed to spot the error during pre-exam checks, but the 15- and 16-year-olds who sat the paper were quick to take to social media to complain. | More than 14,000 students sat the paper last May, of which up to 4,000 to 5,000 chose between two questions on Romeo and Juliet. OCR failed to spot the error during pre-exam checks, but the 15- and 16-year-olds who sat the paper were quick to take to social media to complain. |
| Announcing the fine on Monday, Ofqual said OCR had failed to ensure that the paper – one of the new GCSEs being examined for the first time last summer – was fit for purpose. | Announcing the fine on Monday, Ofqual said OCR had failed to ensure that the paper – one of the new GCSEs being examined for the first time last summer – was fit for purpose. |
| The exam board pledged that students would not be disadvantaged by the error. An OCR spokeswoman said: “We would like to apologise again to students, teachers and parents for the error last year which led to regulatory action. We want to reduce the chance of errors like this happening in the future. | The exam board pledged that students would not be disadvantaged by the error. An OCR spokeswoman said: “We would like to apologise again to students, teachers and parents for the error last year which led to regulatory action. We want to reduce the chance of errors like this happening in the future. |
| “We have revised our system of checks, based on extensive research, with the aim of improving the quality of our question papers.” OCR has two weeks to appeal but is not expected to contest the fine. | “We have revised our system of checks, based on extensive research, with the aim of improving the quality of our question papers.” OCR has two weeks to appeal but is not expected to contest the fine. |
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