Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure equitable assessments of qualifications for students.

The department reformed and strengthened GCSEs and A levels from 2011 to be in line with the highest performing education systems. The department consulted widely with schools, colleges, universities and employers, both on the principles for reform and the detail of the content of individual subjects, to help them prepare for their introduction. There are no current plans for wholesale GCSE and A level reform.

The government believes exams are the best and fairest way of judging students’ performance as they provide a standardised means of assessment, with all students being examined on the same basic level of difficulty and understanding. Exams provide an even playing field with everyone being assessed on the same thing in the same amount of time. Following the difficulties experienced with awarding grades without exams in 2020 and 2021, the government is fully committed to exams going ahead this summer.

The independent qualifications regulator, Ofqual, advised that non-exam assessment (NEA) should only be used when it is the only valid way to assess essential elements of the subject. For example, NEA is still required in modern foreign languages (the speaking assessment) and in art and design.

Fair and meaningful grading is core to confidence in qualifications. Ofqual are responsible for maintaining qualification standards and doing so in a way that ensures public confidence.

Ofqual’s rules will require exam boards to use a range of qualitative and quantitative evidence so that grade boundaries are set in a way that is as fair as possible for all students, across all subjects and exam boards. Grading is monitored by the experts every step of the way and Ofqual will review results for every subject before they are issued.

Ofqual and the department published joint consultations outlining detailed proposals for changes to the assessment of GCSEs, AS and A levels in academic year 2021-22. The consultation decision document was published on 30 September 2021 and can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/proposed-changes-to-the-assessment-of-gcses-as-and-a-levels-in-2022/proposed-changes-to-the-assessment-of-gcses-as-and-a-levels-in-2022.

The proposals set out in the consultation received a high degree of support, and therefore we are proceeding with the package of adaptations we set out. The package of measures includes four elements:

1. a choice of topics or content on which students will be assessed in GCSE English literature, history, ancient history and geography
2. in all other GCSE and A/AS level subjects which have exams, advance information about the focus of the content of exams
3. changes to the assessment requirements for practical assessments in some subjects to take account of any public health measures that may be in place and relieve pressure on teaching time
4. allowing students to have access to support materials in the exam room in GCSE mathematics, combined science, and physics

Further information published by exam boards to support revision was published on 7 February 2022 and is available here: https://www.jcq.org.uk/summer-2022-arrangements/advance-information/.

The government and Ofqual are confident that the package of measures we have put in place will help ensure fairness.