A third of students sitting GCSE exams in the autumn last year achieved better results than they were awarded through teacher-assessed grades in the summer, new figures reveal.
Nearly 100,000 students who took GCSE English language and maths exams in November in England are collecting their results today.
Ofqual has said that of the students that have a grade from the summer, around a third have improved their results, just over 40 per cent have the same grade, and just under 25 per cent received a lower grade in their November exams.
There have been concerns - both last year and in 2020 - around grade inflation in results being awarded through teacher-assessed grades (TAGs). This process has been used twice after Covid led to the cancellation of the summer exams.
Dr Jo Saxton, chief regulator at Ofqual, said in the Ofqual blog: “This year, the November series was not a typical resit series, since students had not taken exams in the summer.
“We therefore cannot assume that every student will have improved their grade.”
In September last year, Ofqual announced that exam boards should align their grading in the November resits with the summer exams.
The chief regulator said: “The aim of grading in November 2021 was to seek alignment, as far as possible, with summer 2021.
“This is different to summer 2022, when the aim of grading will be to reflect a midpoint between summer 2019 and summer 2021, to provide a safety net for students.
“So, you should not make any assumptions about likely grade boundaries in summer 2022 based on those for the November series.”
Dr Saxton added: “I am delighted that these exams were able to go ahead, and that they were taken by such a large number of students in schools, colleges and other exam centres across the country.
“Running an exam series where everyone takes the same assessments at the same time and in the same way, as the qualifications are designed, gives students the fairest chance to show what they know, understand and can do. I look forward to more students having this opportunity in the summer.”
The Department for Education has said that exams are due to go ahead this summer. However, schools minister Robin Walker told MPs in the Commons Education Select Committee yesterday that the decision is constantly under review.
