Commentary - 5 minute read

Dr Frances Wilson, Principal Researcher

We are committed to ensuring our Cambridge Nationals and Cambridge Technicals students are not disadvantaged (or advantaged) compared to GCSEs, AS and A Levels. 

In September, Ofqual set out their plans for awarding GCSE, AS and A Levels in 2022. These qualifications will return to a normal, pre-pandemic, approach to standards over two years. 

This means: 

• In 2022, results for GCSE, AS and A Level will be set at an intermediate point between 2021 and 2019, so results will be slightly higher than in 2019
• In 2023 the profile of results will look similar to 2019.

Therefore, for Cambridge Nationals and Cambridge Technicals, we are also planning to return to pre-pandemic results at qualification level in 2023, with 2022 as an intermediate stage. 

Cambridge Nationals and Cambridge Technicals have a very different structure from GCSEs and A Levels, because they have units which can be taken throughout the course (see our blog for details). This means many Cambridge Nationals and Cambridge Technicals students started the 2021/22 academic year having completed some units. They may also receive unit level teacher assessed grades for units which they would have taken in 2020/21, which will contribute towards their qualification result in 2022 and beyond. 

For most subjects, we have introduced a reduction in assessment, allowing students to take one fewer moderated unit assessment. This will be available for students completing their qualifications from June 2022, to allow students the full academic year to continue their studies. 

For Cambridge National in Information Technologies (as there are only two units), the examined unit will have advance information instead, and we are extending the use of the set task for the internally assessed unit for January and June (see our update for more details). 

We have also introduced adaptations on a range of units to take the public health situation into account, and are allowing learners to complete internal assessments from home. Together, this package of adaptations will support students to perform at their best for the units they will take in 2021/22. 

Due to the adaptations, we will therefore award units taken during 2021/22 broadly as in a normal exam year. However, we will check to see whether there is any evidence of disruption, and take that into account when we set grade boundaries at unit level. 

Where students have used the reduction in assessment, we will calculate a grade for the unit assessment which was not taken. We will do this by averaging the grades achieved in their other internal units. 

We have also changed the rules on special consideration for the January exams. A student who is unable to take exams in January can apply for special consideration if they are going to finish their qualification in January or June 2022. This means that students who are unable to reschedule their January exam to June 2022 may receive an assessed grade (see our FAQ for more details).

For Cambridge Nationals, our qualification level UMS boundaries will return to normal, reflecting the wide range of other adaptations in place to support your students this year.

We are also planning to return to pre-pandemic results at qualification level in 2023, with 2022 as an intermediate stage.

Summary of the adaptations available in 2021/22

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About the author

Dr Frances Wilson, Principal Researcher

Dr Frances Wilson is the Principal Researcher for OCR’s Research and Technical Standards team, part of the Assessment Standards Team at OCR. Frances and her team carry out valuable research and technical studies to underpin the development and delivery of OCR’s qualifications. OCR is part of Cambridge University Press & Assessment which is a department of the University of Cambridge.