On Thursday, students will receive their A level results – a regular event and for many a cause for celebration at the close of the academic year, but so very different this year. It’s an anxious time for students, parents/carers …
This summer will be my twelfth at Ofqual. Each one has been different, but this one has been truly exceptional. However, over that time there has been one constant – fairness for students. This has always been at the heart …
Assessment and awarding of Vocational and Technical Qualifications (VTQs) in 2020 has been quite different to any previous year. Yet despite the coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis leading to the cancellation of exams and most assessments, learners still need to be able to move on as planned – whether to university, college or sixth form, an apprenticeship …
Prof. Kevin Woods and Dr. Tee McCaldin are both psychologists working at the University of Manchester Institute of Education. They have written several posts on coping with exam anxiety for our blog, and this latest one looks at ways to manage anxious feelings before exam results.
On Tuesday we held our annual Summer Symposium. Given the circumstances this summer, it was a webinar, meaning we could speak to many more people than usual. In relation to GCSEs, AS and A levels in England, we focused on …
This year, exams and assessments in England have been cancelled to help stop the spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19). Instead, for GCSEs, AS and A levels, and many similar vocational and technical qualifications taken for progression purposes, schools and colleges are …
We will shortly publish the outcome of our consultation on arrangements for awarding grades in GCSEs, AS and A levels this summer. In a few weeks the window will open for schools and colleges to submit centre assessments grades and …
Last week we announced our plans for making sure students taking GCSEs, AS and A levels, as well as extended project qualifications and the advanced extension award in maths, get grades this summer. We published information for teachers, heads of …
With the first GCSE exams a little over 10 weeks away, exam boards are putting the final touches to their preparations for the summer. An important part of this is the recruitment of sufficient examiners to ensure that GCSEs, AS …
The National Reference Test (or NRT) is now in its fourth year, and schools across England are getting ready to take the test in the coming weeks. This test measures the performance of year 11 students in English language and …
On a cold February day, the summer exam season might seem a long way off. But for lots of students February half term is the time when they begin to prepare for exams. Time to draw up revision timetables and …