The Department for Education and Ofqual are seeking views from students, parents and teachers on proposed arrangements for GCSEs, AS and A levels in summer 2022, along with vocational and technical qualifications in academic year 2021-22.
Richard Fuller, MP for North East Bedfordshire said:
It is the government's firm intention that exams and assessments should return to normal in academic year 2021/22 but to ensure that they go ahead fairly, we recognise that students in the 2021/22 cohort have experienced significant disruption to their education over the last 16 months which may affect their preparedness for exams and assessments.
In order to be fair, general qualifications exams and assessments in summer 2022 and vocational and technical qualifications exams and assessments throughout 2021/22 will need to be adapted to take this disruption into account.
Qualifications For GCSEs, AS and A levels, the Department for Education and Ofqual have looked closely at what adaptations are appropriate on a subject-by-subject basis, as it is not possible to take the same approach in all subjects without requiring significant changes to the curriculum or exam papers. They are proposing a comprehensive package of measures that focuses on the following areas:
- Giving schools and colleges some choice about the topics or content their students will be assessed in GCSE English literature, history, ancient history and geography;
- Providing advance information of the focus of exam content, to help students focus their revision;
- Giving students a formulae sheet in GCSE mathematics and an expanded equations sheet in GCSE physics and combined science;
- Changing requirements for practical science work and practical art and design assessments.
Ofqual and the department are also running a consultation on arrangements for vocational, technical and other general qualifications (VTQs). This builds on the 2021 arrangements, which enabled awarding organisations to put in place adaptations such as streamlining assessments, providing revision guidance, and making changes to invigilation, including the introduction of remote invigilation and remote assessment. Plans for VTQs in 2021/22 are intended to be confirmed to enable assessments to commence early in the autumn term.
These changes will be for one year only.
To take part in the consultation on GCSEs, AS and A Levels in 2022, please visit this page. The consultation closes on 1 August.
To take part in the consultation on VTQ arrangements for 2021/2022, please visit this page. This consultation closes on 26 July.
