Weighting factors are used in linear qualifications, e.g. the reformed AS and A Levels and GCSEs.
In linear specifications, each component has a given number of raw marks available. For example, a written paper with ten compulsory questions, each worth five marks, has a maximum mark of 50. We call this the raw mark.
However, the maximum raw marks across components do not always reflect the relative value each component has within the overall specification.
We use weighting factors to make sure that, when a candidate’s marks for each component are added together, the relative values are correctly reflected.
The weighting factor is the maximum weighted mark of a given component divided by the maximum raw mark of the component.