An exam board is to review its marking guidance after one of its top examiners gave marks for a script which contained only a two-word sexual expletive. The Times reported that Assessment and Qualifications Alliance chief examiner Peter Buckroyd gave a pupil two marks out of 27 for an English GCSE paper.

He is quoted as saying the candidate had demonstrated more skills than one “who doesn’t write anything at all”. AQA said this was not in line with its guidelines, which would be clarified. The pupil is reported to have written “**** off”, and would have had another mark for adding an exclamation point.

Mr Buckroyd is quoted by the Times as saying: “It would be wicked to give it a zero because it does show some very basic skills we are looking for – like conveying some meaning and some spelling.”