The price of GCSEs and A levels has risen at a higher rate than inflation again, new data comparing fees charged to schools in 2019 with 2020 reveals

Between 2019 and 2020, exam board fees for these general qualifications rose by 3.3 per cent.

That rise was higher than the consumer price index measure of inflation but lower than the 5.6 per cent rise in GCSE and A-level fees between 2018 and 2019.

GCSEs and A levels: Dominant AQA grows market share

News: AQA penalised £1m for letting markers check own work

Background: What is AQA? Your guide to the GCSE exam board

Taken separately, GCSE prices rose by 3.3 per cent in 2020, while A-level prices rose by 3.5 per cent.

The weighted average price of a GCSE was £42.02 in 2020, while the weighted average price of an A level was £101.44.

GCSEs and A levels: ‘Significant cost implications’ for exam boards

An Ofqual analysis has found that the changes to the exams system necessary because of the pandemic last year had “significant cost implications” for exam boards.

“Awarding organisations and centres particularly highlighted the impact of people or staff cost,” it says.

“Some activities required a specific level of knowledge and experience combined with delivery within short timescales. Therefore, awarding organisations and centres could not recruit and train new staff to support such activities.

“Instead, they generally reprioritised their business activities for existing staff, and staff worked extended hours.”

It also found that exam boards had already spent money on the summer GCSE and A-level exams before they were cancelled.

“In particular, the content of exam papers is prepared approximately a year in advance,” Ofqual notes. 

“A high proportion of papers were already printed and papers were already packaged and ready for distribution.”