A FORMER head boy caught up in an A-level marking scandal today told examiners to "get their act together".

Simon Mather narrowly scraped his first choice university place at Newcastle after some history coursework from Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School was returned with an E grade.

The 17-year-old of Whalley Road, Blackburn, is currently studying a degree in law but could not believe his eyes when the grade was revealed on results day.

He had been predicted to get straight As by teachers at QEGS.

Simon said: "On results day my first reaction was to be upset but then that quickly became anger. I had worked so hard and stayed with it, even when I felt like giving up.

"It seemed a waste. It was a total 'whammy' and very stressful. The whole day was a nightmare and a total disappointment."

The E grade Simon received from one piece of coursework on Sir Robert Peel was enough to pull his grade down from an A to B-grade, which threatened his requirement of 2As and a B.

He ended up with A-grades in General Studies and French and B-grades in History and Classics -- his required subjects.

Simon is one of 21 former pupils who have had work sent back to the Oxford and Cambridge examining board by QEGS.

Stonyhurst College near Clitheroe and Westholme in Blackburn have also returned papers to be remarked.

Teachers at QEGS had previously checked Simon's piece of work and concluded it was of a "similarly high standard" as his other work.

Some headteachers have claimed that examiners have awarded more low grades in response to criticism that A Levels had been made too easy. "I would say to anyone who thought A Levels had got easier to try them for themselves," Simon said.

"In three years we took some 30 exams with all the new AS Levels. It was a nightmare and the examiners really need to get their act together. Anyone who takes this number of exams is physically and mentally exhausted."

Simon now awaits the remarking of his coursework to find out if the final grade was a mistake.