Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department will make an assessment of the potential impact of the reduction in the number of exams on school standards.

The independent Curriculum and Assessment Review acknowledged that young people in England sit more hours of exams than their peers in many other countries. As GCSEs are reformed, the department will work closely with Ofqual and exam boards to reduce exam time by 2.5 to 3 hours for the average student. In analysis submitted to the Review, Ofqual considered that a reduction of 10% is feasible with current content levels whilst balancing reliability and effects on teaching and learning. We will ensure that any amendments maintain high standards and protect the integrity and validity of the assessment system.