A vegetarian GCSE pupil was disqualified after criticising halal meat in a Religious Studies exam, it has today emerged.
Abigail Ward, 16, was accused of making "obscene racial comments" in her test.
She was informed by exam board OCR after committing a "malpractice offence".
The practicing vegetarian said in the paper in June she found the idea of halal meat "absolutely disgusting", Telegraph reports.
But the disqualification was overturned when the board was told the teenager's distaste for halal butchers came from the fact she is a strict vegetarian.
Abigail took the exam at Gildredge House school in Eastbourne, East Sussex, which appealed against the decision on the grounds that their student had not made an Islamophobic or racist comment about Muslims, but was merely expressing her distaste for halal butchers.
The girl's mum, Layla Ward, said the misunderstanding was probably down to an "over-zealous, over-righteous" examiner.
The 36-year-old nurse told the publication: "Abbey is an animal lover and a very strict vegetarian.
"It made me angry … when asked a question in the exam, you can't even express your feelings.
"It's great that it has been overturned, but it should never have happened.
"Philosophy is all about debating and getting your opinion out. I can’t believe how pathetic it is."
OCR said in a statement: "OCR takes all incidence of suspected offensive material against a religious group in exams very seriously and must apply rules which are set out for all exam boards in such cases.
"We accept that initially we did not reach the right conclusion and were too harsh."
Pupils get their GCSE results on Thursday.
