Rules that apply to Science GCSEs

The new Science GCSEs will have to comply with the generic rules that apply to all GCSEs. These are:

• Students must take at least 40% of the assessment of each specification in the final examination series when they certificate.
• This 40% terminal requirement means there may be less flexibility in the way students can progress through the course than with current GCSE sciences.
• Learners may only re-sit a unit assessment once.
• The better result for the two attempts at a unit counts, as long as the 40% terminal requirement is satisfied.
• Each specification may have a maximum of four units, and each unit must carry a minimum weighting of 20%.
• Controlled Assessment replaces coursework. This is set at 25% weighting, other than Additional Applied Science and Environmental and Land-Based Science which will be 60%.