BEIJING, July 1 (Xinhuanet) -- A British high school student got credit although he wrote nothing but a two-word obscenity on his exam paper, media reported Tuesday.

    The student, who wrote "f*** off" in his GCSE English exam, was marked two points by examiner Peter Buckroyd for its correct spelling and conveying a meaning successfully.

    "It would be wicked to give it zero because it does show some very basic skills we are looking for, like conveying some meaning and some spelling," Buckroyd was quoted as saying, "It's better than someone that doesn't write anything at all."

    The student would have received a higher mark if the phrase had been punctuated, said Buckroyd, a senior examiner for the Assessment and Qualifications Alliance, which is one of several bodies that grade British high school exams.

    Buckroyd said the expletive was used in 2006 GCSE exam by a student in response to the question: "Describe the room you are sitting in." He used the example to tell other examiners how to make finer points.

    The alliance confirmed the story, but claimed Buckroyd's decision to give the student marks was not official policy, saying obscenities on exam papers "should either be disregarded, or action will be taken against the candidate, depending on the seriousness of the case."

    (Agencies)