What is Ofqual?
Ofqual is the body that regulates qualifications, examinations and assessments in England. It is responsible for ensuring standards are maintained for GCSEs, A levels, AS levels, and all vocational and technical qualifications. The name is short for the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation.
How long has Ofqual been around?
Ofqual was formed in April 2010 under the Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Act, and is also covered by the Education Act 2011. It is a non-ministerial government department, which means it doesn’t have direct political oversight, and is headed by civil servants and the Ofqual Board.
What does Ofqual do?
Ofqual has a wide remit of responsibilities, all relating to qualifications: it has to ensure qualifications are a reliable indication of the knowledge, skills and understanding that students have demonstrated; that assessments and exams show what a student has achieved; that the public can trust and have confidence in GCSEs, A levels, and vocational and technical courses; and that information about exams is available to students and teachers.
How does Ofqual maintain standards?
One of the major ways Ofqual maintains standards is through monitoring the exam boards setting of grade boundaries. The decision-making process for grade boundaries is called “awarding”, and it is undertaken by a group of senior examiners who are experts in their subject and are overseen by Ofqual.
During awarding, the examiners compare scripts from the current exam series with previous years, and also look at the data of the cohort’s performance at key stage 2 Sats, to judge how they might be expected to perform in this exam.
How does Ofqual protect the integrity of exams?
Ofqual set rules that require the exam boards to choose examiners appropriately; this means a person without any significant conflicts of interest, and who holds an appropriate standard of subject knowledge.
In March 2018, Ofqual published a consultation on strengthening teacher-examiner safeguards, as part of its drive to uphold standards in qualifications, and to maintain the integrity and confidentiality of the materials produced for exams. Ofqual decided to strengthen their rules around their expectations of who exam boards should choose to take up senior positions. Ofqual now require enhanced measures to be put in place to manage any conflicts of interest a teacher may have when working for an exam board.
How does Ofqual use the National Reference Test?
Ofqual also oversees the National Reference Test, a standardised test used to measure the ability of a cohort and to ensure parity between exam boards.
The test is undertaken by 300 schools and is designed to measure small differences in students’ performance over time.
