Today, the exams regulator Ofqual and the Department for Education (DfE) have confirmed key details about their plans for GCSEs and A levels in 2023.
Here is the latest information on what assessment will look like next year:
1. No content reduction or adaptations
This summer, GCSE and A-level exams were adapted owing to the disruption to students’ learning caused by the pandemic.
For example, there was a choice of topics in GCSE English literature, history and ancient history, and a choice of content in GCSE geography.
But the DfE has confirmed “the return to full subject content coverage for those GCSE subjects” for 2023.
There were also adjustments made to practical and fieldwork requirements in subjects such as science owing to public health measures that were in force. These adjustments are being dropped for next year’s exam cohort.
2. Ofqual will ‘consider’ approach to 2023 grading
Last September, the DfE announced that, in 2023, it would “aim to return to results that are in line with those in pre-pandemic years”.
But today’s announcement says that aim is dependent on results this summer.
It says Ofqual will “consider the approach to grading for 2023 in light of outcomes in 2022”.
3. Exams may still be more spread out
This year, the examination period has been extended and exams have been more spread out than in previous years.
Where there is more than one exam paper per subject, there is currently a 10-day gap between the papers.
This is to reduce the chances of students missing multiple papers in the same subject because of illness.
Today’s update indicates that this could remain in place next year, with the DfE asking Ofqual to consult with exam boards to “see if the increased spacing between subjects in the exam timetable should be retained”.
Are these adjustments enough?
Union leaders are not happy with the plans and Kevin Courtney, joint general secretary of the National Education Union, said the government “would do well to learn lessons from the pandemic”.
Rather than return to the “the status quo”, Courtney says students would be “more fairly assessed” if the current system of terminal exams was dropped.
He said: “There is high risk in relying on one short-time period for all the assessment to take place, never mind the mental health and wellbeing issues associated with the entirety of a grade resting on a few cliff-edge weeks at the end of a course.”
