A new online database will allow teachers to gain instant access to the A-level marks for every individual question answered by their pupils when results are released on Thursday.
The revolutionary exam system, designed in the wake of the 2002 exams crisis, allows teachers to log on to a database containing the results from Edexcel exams taken at 5,000 schools and colleges by over 933,000 students across England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
For the first time, teachers will be able to instantly see what marks their candidates have got in every individual question answered. The secure website also allows teachers to compare their pupils' and classes' marks for every question with the national average or the national average for comparable schools.
They will also get access to the chief examiners' reports for every subject and marking scheme. It is hoped that by making available all the details on the day, any students worried by a result will be able to have their minds put to rest straight away.
Teachers are allowed to check the new results service for concerned pupils and their parents and from next year Edexcel wants to be running pilots for pupils to log on and use the system themselves.
Edexcel has used online marking methods this year which allows the logging of results and therefore the instant publication of much more detail on the website. The managing director of Edxecel, Jerry Jarvis, said: "Post-results enquiries are far quicker. Schools benefit from the additional management information we are sharing with them - on results day, nearly a month sooner than they would usually have it.
"This really is useful to schools and our aim is to enable teachers to help target students' learning to where it is most needed."
Mr Jarvis insists that the access to the data will put any worried students' mind to rest but others suggested that it could also fuel concerns about results. Martin Ward, the deputy general secretary of the Secondary Heads Association, said: "If students are in any way dissatisfied with results, they want as much information as possible. Edexcel may find they will get more queries and requests for re-marks as a consequence of this information."
Barry Sheerman, the chairman of the Commons education select committee, said that ever since the exams crisis of 2002 when a massive re-grading process was ordered, there had been greater demand for transparency in results.
"I think this technology is with us and ... the demand for transparency is with us. Employers and universities want to see marks, it will make selection easier and more perceptive. Any time you change anything in education it will lead to queries and resolutions but I can't help but think that greater transparency is a good thing."
The government is preparing a pilot of publishing students' individual modular marks to universities to help them select the top candidates. If the pilot goes well the scheme will be adopted across England, Wales and Northern Ireland from 2007.
All the major exam boards are trailing the online marking and data capture used by Edexcel, which remains ahead in its development. It is owned by Pearson which has previously adopted the technology in America.
