We have considered feedback about the use of optional questions. As an organization, it is critical for us to ensure that the options we provide for our IB community, students and teachers are fair and compassionate during these difficult circumstances. Subscribe to receive email alerts every time we publish new research about the topics you’re interested in. This is a central point of reference for key/selected information and it is the responsibility of centres to consult stakeholders' websites and any direct communications to ensure that they are in receipt of the … Because of the diversity of VTQs, a single approach would not be feasible, and instead, we intend to work with awarding organisations to support their decision-making around what adaptations are suitable for different qualifications. Updates in relation to Covid-19 will be announced on this page, through AAT social media, and through your regular emails. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/exams-and-assessments-in-2021 Teachers will decide upon a grade and submit these to the exam board by June 18 2021. In the new year, exam regulator for England, Ofqual, and the DfE, jointly consulted on awarding arrangements, and confirmed the plans on Thursday 25 February. Coronavirus: Wales scraps GCSE, AS and A-level exams for 2021 to ensure 'fairness' Students will instead complete assessments in the classroom which will be … Last updated 10 May 2021. English literature and history GCSE exams will change in 2021 amid Covid-19 UK News Published: Aug 3, 2020 But school leaders’ unions … GCSE results day 2021. We also use cookies set by other sites to help us deliver content from their services. “Students will also have the option to sit their exams in summer 2021.” Full government statement We have carefully considered the responses to our consultation in this context, and are today (Monday 3 August) confirming the changes we will require exam boards to make to exams and assessments next year. This assessment is expected to take a range of evidence into account, for example, work completed, and any relevant mock exam results. Full details of the subject by subject changes are outlined in our decisions document. Copyright © 2021 House of Commons Library. See more information on our running exams pages. We plan for exams to go ahead in June 2021 where it is permitted and safe. Ofqual confirms changes to GCSEs, AS and A levels next year, following consultation; and publishes new proposals for adjustments to VTQs. Education Secretary Gavin Williamson has said 2021 exams will go ahead, but the majority of tests will be pushed back to give pupils more time to catch up on their learning following school closures. Education Secretary Gavin Williamson has cancelled exams and GCSEs as the coronavirus pandemic rages through the UK, ... GCSE and A-Level exams cancelled in England for 2021… This briefing looks at the awarding of qualifications in summer 2021, in the context of the coronavirus pandemic. This briefing has been written for the House of Commons Second Reading debate on the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Bill. Coronavirus: GCSEs, A Levels and equivalents in 2021 COVID-19 Antigen testing – Further Update. It is important that any changes to assessments in 2021 qualifications continue to deliver qualifications that are a valid and reliable indication of knowledge, understanding, skills, or practical competence, and that, as far as possible, standards are maintained. It will take only 2 minutes to fill in. While there was general support for a delay to the exams, to allow more time for teaching, respondents were less positive about this if it meant a potential delay to results. On 25 February the government confirmed that assessments should continue to take place, subject to Public Health England guidance. Frequently Asked Questions. We have also confirmed similar decisions for GCSE, AS and A level geology; AS and A level environmental science; and modified the arrangements for observation in GCSE astronomy, changes to how the assessment of students’ spoken language skills is reported in modern foreign language GCSEs – students’ speaking skills will be assessed through a teacher endorsement alongside the 9 to 1 grade. In England, nearly all Centre Assessed Grades (CAGs) that were changed were adjusted downwards. This may include widening assessment windows to provide greater flexibility, streamlining assessments to free up time for teaching and learning, or changing some assessment requirements to deal with the impact of any ongoing social distancing measures, such as group performances. Exams regulator Ofqual says that if Year 10 and Year 12 have their 2021 exam performance affected by the coronavirus outbreak, they will not be disadvantaged Ofqual offers reassurance to Year 10 and 12 students whose 2021 GCSE and A-level performance could be affected by crisis The UK’s National Health Service (NHS) is available to all international students. We appreciate why optional questions might appear attractive, but evidence indicates this can have unintended consequences - with some students, particularly those who tend to perform less well in exams, doing worse when given more freedom over question choice. Like in England, schools and colleges will perform internal moderation with a later deadline of 25 June for submitting grades to the exam board. This is due to the disruption caused by the school closures as part of the measures to control the spread of coronavirus. All rights reserved. Welsh students, or those taking these qualifications, should continue with their university applications as normal. Many respondents arguing in favour of optional questions were in fact discussing introducing a choice of topics on which students will be examined, similar to the changes proposed for GCSE history and ancient history and (now) GCSE English literature in 2021. When exams were cancelled in summer 2020, all UK nations planned to use centre assessment followed by statistical adjustment to issue grades. (642 KB The consultation is open until 14 August 2020. We have engaged widely with awarding organisations, professional bodies and providers and consider that permitting awarding organisations to adapt their assessments is the best way to mitigate for the longer term impacts of coronavirus (COVID-19). The latest news and updates on how the coronavirus pandemic is affecting ACCA exams. While some respondents argued for shorter and/or fewer papers and some for different question styles such as multiple choice questions, others shared our concern that the lack of familiarity could have a negative impact on students’ preparation – particularly those with a special educational need or disability. The lecturer(s) for each module will make clear which format they will be using on the exam, but in any case make sure you read the exam rubric carefully once you are about to sit it. We will work with awarding organisations, in sector-specific groups and across different types of qualifications, to facilitate common approaches to help ensure that approaches are as consistent as possible across similar VTQs. We understand students preparing to take exams and assessments in 2021, and their parents, carers and teachers, are concerned about the impact coronavirus (COVID-19) has had on their education. We will look to consult on this guidance later this month, alongside any other changes we feel are necessary to the ERF for our 2020/21 approach. On 6 January, ... Find out more about the 2021 exam cancellations in this article. We will continue to develop contingency measures, exploring different options. In line with the Secretary of State’s letter to Ofqual, we are planning for exams and assessments to be taken next year. The NHS also provides Covid-19 advice through its online service or by calling 111.. We are considering our approach and will provide further information in due course. We want to thank you for your patience and consideration. This summer's exams have been cancelled in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Running exams. Don’t include personal or financial information like your National Insurance number or credit card details. You can change your cookie settings at any time. We have a few helpful videos for you to watch and some guidance on remote stations 2 and 4. International candidates will continue to sit the previous carousel format of the exam. Based on the most commonly taken combinations of GCSEs, most GCSE students will benefit from the changes being made. These are designed to help mitigate the impact of this disruption and respond to any future public health measures. Similar alternative arrangements are also being used to award students undertaking qualifications regulated by Ofqual’s equivalent bodies in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. This Commons Library briefing addresses commonly asked questions about the roll-out of the Covid-19 vaccine. Students taking exams from January 2021 should be encouraged to undertake a COVID-19 test prior to sitting their exam or assessment if available in their setting. Daily summary | Coronavirus in the UK Skip to main content. The government, which is responsible for content, has decided to allow for this change in light of the responses to the consultation. Having originally proposed that there would be no changes to the English literature exam in 2021, Ofqual said it had decided to offer students a choice of … We will continue to work with the DfE, exam boards, regulators in Wales and Northern Ireland, and groups representing schools, colleges and higher education to consider the best approach, and we will confirm our decisions as soon as possible. Please note that public health advice and requirements for Covid-19 may differ between the UK’s four nations. A number of respondents argued strongly for a similar adjustment to be made to AS and A level geography, because of the potential obstacles they foresee for students undertaking fieldwork during the next academic year. Find out more about how we use cookies. Advertisement. Download ‘Coronavirus: GCSEs, A Levels and equivalents in 2021’ report (642 KB In his letter to us, the Secretary of State for Education explained that he was not minded to specify changes to the content which forms the foundation for GCSE, AS and A level qualifications, because of the impact this could have on students moving to the next stage of education; he asked us to provide advice on the options for the 2021 exams. Exams in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland in the summer of 2021 have also been cancelled. Don’t worry we won’t send you spam or share your email address with anyone. The arrangements for vocational and technical qualifications (VTQs) differ depending on the nature and purpose of courses and awards. Find Covid-19 support and advice from the NHS here.. Nonetheless, we recognise there could be further disruption next year. media caption Coronavirus: All you need to know about Wales' schools returning full-time in September Exams in Wales could be delayed in 2021, following the … The final results showed an increase in top grades at A level and GCSE, particularly in independent and grammar schools. We’d like to set additional cookies to understand how you use GOV.UK, remember your settings and improve government services. Prioritisation Criteria Originally, the plan was for exams to take place, albeit with most slightly delayed. This page contains information on the changes we have made to the UK PACES as a consequence of COVID-19. Similarly, we received a range of responses to our proposal that exam boards should not generally change the length or format of their exam papers, except where needed to accommodate other agreed changes to the exams. We remind candidates and examiners that, to mitigate the risk of infection transmission, we wish them to undertake COVID antigen testing (Lateral Flow Test, LAMP or PCR) within 48 hours of attending one of our UK PACES venues in the upcoming diet commencing March 2021. The standard format for all exams will be either 3 compulsory questions, or 1 compulsory question and 2 optional questions out of 3 choices. Students in all four UK nations eventually received calculated grades based on teacher and lecturer judgements, or the statistically adjusted grade, if higher. The smallest increases in top grades were in FE colleges. This includes changes to 15 A level subjects, and 25 GCSEs. We use some essential cookies to make this website work. Learners taking vocational and technical qualifications (VTQs) and general qualifications other than GCSEs, AS and A level have also experienced lost teaching time and we are today launching our consultation on a range of proposals for VTQ assessments in 2021 and a new version of the Extraordinary Regulatory Framework (ERF) to support the 2020/21 approach. Yes, you’ll have chance to sit exams if you want to, by summer 2021 at the latest. As this subject is taken by the majority of students, and typically taught alongside English language, this will ease the pressure on many students and teachers, changes to the requirement for a specified number of days of fieldwork in a number of subjects. This is the fairest and most accurate way of assessing candidates’ performance. The Government has announced that GCSE, AS and A Level exams won’t go ahead in England in summer 2021. Updated following confirmation of the awarding arrangements for 2021. All content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0, except where otherwise stated, Further and higher education, skills and vocational training, Apprenticeships, traineeships and internships, Education, universities and childcare during coronavirus, his letter to us, the Secretary of State for Education explained that he was not minded to specify changes to the content which forms the foundation for GCSE, AS and A level qualifications, confirming the changes we will require exam boards to make to exams and assessments next year, consultation on a range of proposals for VTQ assessments in 2021 and a new version of the Extraordinary Regulatory Framework (ERF) to support the 2020/21 approach, Exams and assessments in the months ahead, Arrangements for examinations and assessments in 2020/21, GCSE, AS and A level qualifications in 2021, Further and higher education courses and qualifications, Key stage 5 exam marking, qualifications and results, Key stage 3 and 4 exam marking, qualifications and results, Closures, exams and managing a school or early years setting during coronavirus, Further and higher education and vocational training during coronavirus, Coronavirus (COVID-19): guidance and support, Transparency and freedom of information releases, changes to how content is assessed in GCSE geography, history and ancient history, to help teachers and students cover that content in appropriate depth, as we proposed in our consultation, changes to GCSE English literature, to introduce a choice of topics on which students are required to answer questions in their exams. The Exams Office provides a summary of key information released by stakeholders relating to examinations and assessments during the 2020/2021 academic year. https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-9045 Results day for students will be on Thursday 12 August 2021. , PDF), Support for children entitled to free school meals, Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Bill 2021, Coronavirus: Covid-19 vaccine roll-out. More CAGs were adjusted down in FE colleges and least in independent schools. A Westminster Hall debate on the ‘Support for children entitled to free school meals’ has been scheduled for Wednesday 26 May 2021 from 2.30pm. Having considered the responses in detail, we have decided it is in students’ best interests if exam boards do not make these changes, except where needed to accommodate the specific changes to the exams we have set out. This will be informed by a set of objectives and additional guidance we will produce, to run alongside the ERF. We also sought views on possible changes to the summer 2021 timetable. Common assessment criteria will be produced for teachers to use when assessing students’ spoken language skills, so that these can be assessed within teaching, giving centres some flexibility over how they approach the oral component of the assessment, a range of modifications to the non-exam assessment arrangements in a number of subjects to accommodate potential public health requirements, for example, GCSE food preparation and nutrition, GCSE, AS and A level music and GCSE physical education. It also provides background information on qualification awarding in the summer of 2020. As a result, the IB with considerable advisement from stakeholders … This includes mock exams, coursework, essays and in-class tests. The paper gives background to the Bill, sets out the Bill's provisions and provides commentary and responses to the Bill. Get the latest information on where exam cancellations are taking place, and learn about your options if your centre based exam is cancelled due to local restrictions around covid-19. 2021 Welsh A level and AS level exams have been cancelled and replaced by teacher-assessed grades More details will be available during early 2021. , PDF). VTQs serve a mixed purpose, ranging from those taken alongside, or instead of, general qualifications to progress in education; to those used to signal occupational competency – which, by necessity, often include substantial practical elements that cannot be wholly accommodated through online learning. Facecovering at exams is mandatory in the UK from 24 July onwards. Results from optional question papers supplied by exam boards can also be used. This will play an important part in our overall support for the 2021 cohort. We understand students and teachers want reassurance about how outcomes might be protected through our approach to grading next year, as we did to protect the interests of students who took the reformed qualifications for the first time.