Getting a mark back that’s lower than you expected is a regular part of school and university. Sometimes the mark is accurate and the feedback explains why. Other times, a mistake has been made, or there’s a reasonable case that your work met a higher standard.
Schools and universities have processes for both situations. Understanding how they work makes it easier to decide whether to raise a mark, who to talk to, and what to bring with you.
Is it a mistake or a difference in judgement?
Disagreements about marks usually fall into one of two types.
A mistake is an error that can be checked and fixed without anyone reassessing your work. For example:
- Marks added up incorrectly
- A page or section that wasn’t marked
- A late penalty applied to work that was on time
- The wrong marking guide used
Mistakes are usually quick to fix. Show your teacher the error and it can often be corrected on the spot.
A difference in judgement is when you think your work deserved a higher level than it was given. Fixing this means someone has to look at the quality of your work again, which takes more time and doesn’t always lead to a change. Most disagreements are this second type.
Check your work against the rubric
Before raising a mark, compare your work with the rubric your teacher used to mark it. A rubric is the table that lists what you’re being assessed on and describes what each level of quality looks like.
For each part of the rubric, read the description for the level you received, then the level above it. Then look through your work for sections that match the higher description. If you’re not sure how to read a rubric, we’ve covered how rubrics work in more detail.
Your teacher’s written feedback helps here too. It often points to the exact area where marks were lost. It’s also worth checking the command words in the task, since describing something when the question asked you to evaluate it is a common reason for losing marks.
By the end, you should be able to point to:
- The part of the rubric you disagree with
- The level you think your work reached
- The sections of your work that show it
If you can’t find specific evidence, the mark is probably fair. In that case, the feedback is most useful as a guide for your next task.
When a mark is unlikely to change
Some situations make a change unlikely, even after someone looks at your work again:
- Your work shows features of two levels, and your teacher chose the lower one. That’s a judgement call, and it usually stands unless the work clearly fits the higher level.
- You’re comparing your mark with a friend’s. Each piece of work is marked on its own, so someone else’s result isn’t a reason for review.
- Your mark has been moderated. In the senior years, school marks can be adjusted so results are fair across different schools. We’ve explained how moderation works in each state separately.
It’s also important to know that a re-mark can lower a result as well as raise it. The Queensland authority says this directly about its reassessments, and several universities say the same about their re-marks.
Talking to your teacher
If you’ve found evidence, the next step is talking to your teacher.
Ask for a time to meet, rather than bringing it up at the end of class. Bring the task sheet, the rubric, your work and the feedback. Keep the conversation focused on one specific part of the rubric.
For example, you might say: “For the analysis section, I thought my second and third paragraphs matched the top level, because they explain why each source is reliable. Could you show me what was missing?”
Your teacher might change the mark, explain what the higher level needed, or tell you about the school’s next step. If talking in person is difficult, an email with the same details works too.
If it isn’t resolved
If the conversation doesn’t settle things, look up your school’s assessment policy. It’s usually in the assessment handbook or on the school website. It explains who to contact next, what reasons the school accepts, and how long you have to ask. Time limits can be short, so check them early.
Keep copies of your work, the feedback, and any emails, along with the dates. Formal processes rely on written records.
Formal reviews in the senior years
In Years 11 and 12, your results count toward your senior certificate. Each state and territory has an education authority that sets the rules for how schools handle questions about results. Those rules differ in one important way: whether a teacher’s judgement on a single task can be formally reviewed.
Where individual marks can be reviewed
Australian Capital Territory
In the ACT, students can ask for a review of individual task marks, as well as grades and final scores. The process starts with your teacher and moves through reviews within your college.
After that, you can appeal to the ACT Board of Senior Secondary Studies. The Board only looks at whether your college followed its procedures correctly and fairly. In the second half of Year 12, appeals about individual tasks should be lodged within two working days of results coming out.
Queensland
In Queensland, your school marks your internal assessments, and the Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority (QCAA) checks a sample to confirm the marking is accurate. After this, your school can request a review of a result once it has spoken with you and your parent or carer. Only schools can make this request, so start with your teacher.
Your end-of-year external exams are marked by the QCAA. If you think there’s been a marking error, you can apply to have your exam reassessed early in the following year.
Where reviews focus on your final result
New South Wales
In NSW, you can see your final assessment rank for each subject after your last HSC exam. Your rank is your position in your class based on your school assessment marks. If you don’t think it reflects your performance, you can ask your school to review it. If you’re not satisfied with the result, you can then appeal to the NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA).
Marks for individual tasks can’t be appealed to NESA. For a single task, follow your school’s assessment policy.
Western Australia
In WA, your school must give you your final mark and grade in writing for each Year 11 and 12 course. You can ask for a review in writing. The review checks whether your school followed the rules and whether there were any calculation errors.
Your teacher’s judgement about a mark on a single task isn’t reviewed. If the issue isn’t resolved at school, you can appeal to the School Curriculum and Standards Authority.
Tasmania
In Tasmania, your teacher gives you your final results for each course to sign before they’re sent to the state authority, TASC. Your school must also tell you how to request a review. This happens before results are submitted, so raise any concerns as soon as you receive them.
Where concerns go through a complaints process
Victoria
In Victoria, you receive a score for each school-assessed coursework task, often called a SAC. Your school must have a complaints process that can cover decisions about results.
Complaints start with your school. If it isn’t resolved, the next step is the organisation that runs your school, such as the Department of Education for government schools. After that, you can contact the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA) in writing within 14 days of that organisation’s decision.
South Australia and the Northern Territory
Students in both places study SACE subjects, so the same rules apply. Your principal, or someone they choose, should be available to answer questions about your school results.
Beyond your school, you can appeal to the SACE Board if you believe your school didn’t follow the Board’s policies, such as those on checking that student work is authentic.
At university
Universities have written processes for questioning a mark, and every university must make its policies available to students. There are usually specific steps for appealing a result.
At many universities, the steps look like this:
- Ask the marker or subject coordinator for feedback
- Request a review or re-mark if you think the marking guide wasn’t applied correctly
- Lodge a formal appeal if the review process itself wasn’t followed
Time limits are often between one and two weeks from when a result is released. Some universities also charge a fee to review a passing mark.
If a problem still isn’t resolved, outside complaint bodies can check whether your university followed its own policies. They generally won’t review the grade itself, since decisions about the quality of work stay with the university.
When it’s about your circumstances
Sometimes a lower mark comes from what was happening while you completed the task, like being sick or dealing with a family emergency. That’s handled through a separate process called special consideration, which we’ve covered here.
Using the outcome
Even when a mark stays the same, the conversation often shows you exactly what the next level of the rubric looks like in that subject. Keep that feedback with your notes, and check your next draft against it before you submit.
Note: information is accurate as of September 2026 – but schools, universities and education authorities regularly change these processes so check directly if you want the specifics.
If you’re looking for more on how assessment works, our study resources cover rubrics, moderation and more.
