The International Baccalaureate Organisation (IBO) has announced it will use the same dual assessment route for exams this summer in recognition of the disruption caused by Covid-19.
In a statement on its website, the IB said although it “strongly believes” exams are the best method for assessing students’ learning, it recognises some settings may not be able to sit exams this summer and so past methods used to award results without exams will be required.
“Where this happens, the IB will use processes that we have refined over the course of the pandemic to award grades without exams.”
This process chiefly involves awarding final grades using internal coursework marks and teacher-submitted predicted grades - something that IB has previously said it believes is the best way to achieve a fair outcome for students.
“Our detailed analysis shows that, when examinations cannot be sat, awarding grades using a combination of Internal Assessment coursework marks and teacher submitted predicted grades provides the best estimation of what a student would have achieved if they could sit the exams,” it has said.
Where this happens for this summer’s exam series will depend on what the authorities in any nation decide as to whether or not schools can sit exams, with different nations often taking different decisions depending on the circumstances in that country as exam season approaches.
Last year the IBO told Tes that 70 per cent of its schools worldwide decided to go ahead with exams. The dual route approach was controversial with some students, who argued that it was unfair for some students to take exams and not others.
Furthermore, the organisation stated that, in light of the impact of the pandemic on students’ learning, it will ensure “appropriate grade boundaries will be set to account for the disruption to education” - effectively meaning it will not attempt to start to return to pre-pandemic grade boundaries this year.
However, it said it would thereafter look to return to pre-pandemic levels in order to main the integrity of the assessment outcomes achieved by students under normal conditions in the future but would not rush to do so.
”In order to maintain the value and recognition of IB qualifications for learners and universities, it is important that we return to pre-pandemic standards as soon as possible,” it said.
“Therefore, we believe it is appropriate to return to established standards incrementally.”
