UK govt suspends exam appeal criteria, deepening chaos for students

The lockdown in March meant Britain's 16-and 18-year-olds were unable to sit their usual exams, which are used for job and university applications

The UK suspended new criteria for appealing exam results in England, used to gain entry to universities, just hours after their publication, further stoking public outrage over the government’s handling of the process during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation early Sunday said the new appeals criteria published Saturday afternoon were now “being reviewed.” The appeals process was due to begin Monday, and the new guidelines allowed more leeway for raising grades after hundreds of thousands of students received lower marks than projected by their schools.

The lockdown in March meant Britain’s 16-and 18-year-olds were unable to sit