Ofqual has asked exam boards to make changes to their websites, specifications and training sessions in response to boards sharing “misleading” information at teacher events, it has emerged. 

The regulator has been alerted to a number of incidents after sending “mystery shoppers” to exam boards’ marketing and support events.

Generally, boards hold two types of events: “prepare to teach” events, which are usually free of charge and provide high-level information about their qualification; and “teacher support” events, which are usually fee-based and provide more details about the qualification to help teachers prepare students for assessments.

Since 2015 Ofqual has sent mystery shoppers to these events to ensure that boards are not providing information which might be “misleading”, such as implying that a qualification is easier or that it is not necessary to teach certain topics. The shoppers also look out for boards disclosing confidential information about an assessment that might compromise its validity.

Ofqual’s scrutiny of these events was prompted by a controversy in 2011, when an investigation by The Daily Telegraph revealed that teachers were paying up to £230 a day to attend seminars with chief examiners during which they were advised on exam questions and the exact wording that pupils should use to obtain higher marks.

According to an update published by Ofqual today, mystery shoppers have attended 56 events since 2015.

‘Inaccurate’ information

Issues that needed further review - “such as presenters providing inaccurate information about the requirements of the qualification or misleading advice about teaching practice” - were identified in 15 per cent of events (eight events).

Half of these cases raised with exam boards (four events) subsequently resulted in the board “making changes to their websites, specifications and/or training sessions”.

This afternoon Ofqual also confirmed that new conditions designed to prevent cheating by teacher-examiners will come into effect from 6 August. 

However, in a letter to exam boards, Sally Collier, the chief executive of Ofqual, acknowledged that it “may not be possible for some awarding organisations to quickly make all their planned changes to the way they produce assessment materials”. 

She said that for this reason, if a board is suspected of breaching the new conditions “we will take into account the progress it has made and any plans it has to further revise its policies and practices when we decide whether to take any enforcement action”.

All awarding organisations will have to be able to show that their practices reflect the new guidance by 1 January 2020.