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What happens after exams finish?
GCSE, AS and A level exams finished in late June, and schools and colleges are now nearing the end of term. But what happens to students’ scripts once the exam is over? Here’s a brief guide to marking, who the …
gcse
Exam marking: how technology is improving the quality of marking
When asked to think of examiners marking scripts, many people still tend to think of them sitting at a desk with a pile of envelopes from schools and colleges, gradually working through each one in turn. In some subjects, that …
5 questions and concerns answered about new 9 to1 GCSE grading
This week we’re addressing some of the common questions and concerns posted in response to our recent Facebook updates and blogs. ‘New GCSEs are very hard’ We have seen quite a few comments about new GCSEs being ‘too hard’, or …
Supplementary GCSE science research
During the first half of this year we carried out research to evaluate the expected difficulty of exam boards’ sample GCSE maths papers developed as part of the current reforms and their approach to the assessment of mathematical problem solving. …
Clarification of provisional citizenship data
On Wednesday this week I gave a briefing to journalists about some of the trends that we might expect to see in this year's A level and GCSE results given provisional entry data and known changes to qualifications. A number …
GCSE marking and grading
Introduction A successful qualification reflects the achievements of its holder. It signifies the attainment of a specific set of skills. Those who rely on the qualification (for example, colleges or universities making admissions decisions, or employers deciding who to employ) …
Assessing drama
We are aware that a petition is circulating suggesting that the new GCSE drama course contains more written elements than practical elements and calls on others to object; We want GCSE Drama to contain more practical elements than written.i I …
New GCSE maths sample exam papers
Many of you reading this blog will know of the work we have been doing to review exam boards’ sample GCSE maths papers. Those particularly interested in the detail may wish to see our latest report which describes what has …
Summer 2015 GCSEs, IGCSEs, AS and A levels
As the exam season closes, I thought it would be helpful once again to set out how we are regulating the awarding of GCSEs, IGCSEsi , AS and A levels. Changes to qualifications There are relatively few changes to the …
Some thoughts following my talk to Surrey Secondary Heads in Dorking
As Ofqual’s Chief Regulator, I care deeply about assessment, of course, but it is only one part of the system; qualifications should be designed to deliver the curriculum aims first of all, and of course they in turn rely on …