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National Reference Test 2019 – 10 things you need to know

Posted by: Cath Jadhav, Posted on: 22 February 2019 - Categories: A levels and GCSEs, National Reference Test
The Ofqual logo with words national reference test written below it. Underneath writing are 21 vertical colouring pencils, stacked against one another, of varying colours and sizes

Around England, a sample of schools are about to take the third annual National Reference Test (NRT). This test provides a valuable and unique source of evidence about the performance of year 11 students in English language and maths. From …

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Evaluating new GCSEs in French, German and Spanish

Posted by: Kate Keating, Posted on: 14 February 2019 - Categories: A levels and GCSEs, Exams
Image of baguette with cheese and salami, plus gherkins and French brand butter alongside

Last year we committed to do further work to evaluate the new GCSEs in French, German and Spanish, and to consider whether there was a case for making an adjustment to the grading. There are several strands to this work …

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New A level maths in 2019

Posted by: Cath Jadhav, Posted on: 8 February 2019 - Categories: A levels and GCSEs, Exams
Image of fountain pen, calculator and ruler set on squared paper

For some years, maths has been the largest entry A level in England. In 2018 around 90,000 students took A level maths, with just over 15,000 also taking A level further maths. The introduction of the new A level was …

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GCSE and A level reform is nearly complete

Posted by: chrisshadforth, Posted on: 1 February 2019 - Categories: A levels and GCSEs
image of table in 2 columns. Left column is of 'reformed GCSE (9 to 1) subjects awarded in England in 2019. Set against purple background. On right column 'reformed A level subjects awarded in England in 2019'. Set on orange background. The columns list subjects and when awarded in 2017, 2018 and 2019. A full accessible list can be obtained from Ofqual public enquiries team on 0300 303 3344

The recent reforms to GCSEs and A levels in England were the biggest in a generation. The new qualifications have been introduced in phases, with the first awarded to students in 2017. This summer is a major milestone in the …

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