Students who were taught the wrong text for an exam will not be marked down because of their school’s mistake.

Students at Castle Rushen High School had been taught the exam text for the previous year rather than the 2018 syllabus.

Cambridge International, the exam board responsible for the exam has announced it will judge pupils on two of their other modules and use those to award them a grade.

The exam board has ruled that it will grade the affected students based only on the poetry and prose component and the coursework component.

The drama component - in which they learned about the wrong text - will play no part in the students’ overall grade.

By taking the poetry and prose exam and their coursework and ranking them against all other pupils who took them exams, the exam board can determine a rank equivalent mark for the drama exam, giving the students a combined overall grade.

Head teacher Keith Winstanley, said: ’I once again wish to extend my sincere apologies to the students, parents and carers affected by this issue.

’A review is ongoing and any necessary actions will be taken.’

Minister for Education Graham Cregeen said: ’Both the school and the department have lobbied hard on this issue.

’The response from the exam board is fair and reasonable and the best outcome we could have hoped for.

’I am sure it will be a relief for students and parents alike after what will have been an unsettling few weeks.’

Despite the good news, parents who have spoken to the Examiner said they are ’pleased’ but still want answers as to how the mistake happened.

In the June Tynwald sitting, Mr Cregeen appeared to blame the Year 11 head of year.

In response to a question from Onchan MHK Julie Edge question of ’what policy is in place to ensure that the subject leaders are teaching the correct parts’?

He replied: ’There are link advisers who go round to the schools. But this was actually down to the head of year, who had misread it.

’We are having an investigation to find out.’