Summer 2023 consultation outcomes confirmed

Ofqual and the Department for Education (DfE) confirmed in September that GCSE, AS and A Level exams in England will largely return to pre-pandemic arrangements next summer. On 30 November they released the outcomes of several summer 2023 consultations.

GCSE formulae and equation sheets

Ofqual confirmed that in summer 2023, students do not need to memorise formulae for GCSE mathematics and equations for GCSE physics and combined science. We will therefore be publishing formulae and equation sheets and we’ll let schools and colleges know when these are available in the new year.

Collecting evidence of student performance

Ofqual has also published the outcome of its joint consultation with the DfE on proposals to build resilience in the exam system for GCSE, AS, A Level, Project and AEA qualifications. As agreed for summer 2022, if exams do not go ahead in England, the DfE and Ofqual have confirmed that: 

• a teacher assessed grades (TAGs) process is the contingency for 2023
• if exams were cancelled in some parts of England, TAGs would be implemented nationally 
• TAGs would not be used to award a grade when exams take place. 

Ofqual has published new guidance for all schools and colleges in the unlikely event exams cannot go ahead as planned in summer 2023. The guidance explains how to collect evidence from students in advance of any decision to cancel exams. It was developed with a view to “minimising additional burden on schools, colleges and students” and “allowing schools and colleges to use existing assessment practices to gather evidence to support resilience in the exam system”. 

Information on how TAGs would be determined in summer 2023 will only be published if exams cannot go ahead. Teachers must not attempt to determine TAGs unless exams are cancelled.

Key points:

• Schools and colleges should plan assessment opportunities in line with their usual assessment approaches 
• Students should be assessed under exam-like conditions and, wherever possible, at the same time or using different materials at different times 
• Assessment materials should be as useful as possible for students preparing to take summer exams – similar to full or parts of exam papers 
•  Students should be assessed on a wide range of content 
• Total time spent assessing students should not normally exceed the total time students would spend taking exams for the relevant qualification, plus any time spent on non-exam assessment
• Students must be told before each assessment their performance would be used as part of evidence to determine a teacher assessed grade 
• Reasonable adjustments: the same adjustments made for disabled students taking exams in the summer should be applied, where possible, to assessments 
• Special consideration: if a student’s performance was affected by an event such as illness or family bereavement, the teacher should mark the assessment as normal but record the issues so they can be taken into account later 
• Teachers should mark in line with published exam board mark schemes and guidance but be aware that the grade boundaries from Autumn 2020, 2021 and Summer 2022 reflect the grading arrangements in place during the pandemic, which were more lenient
• Students should not resit assessments for the purpose of evidence collection; however, they may repeat assessments where they are not being used as evidence 
• Teachers may tell the student the grade at which their performance in the assessment indicates they have performed 
• Student work must be retained by the centre – digitally or physically 
• Students may be given a copy or the original of their work 
• Students should be supported to complete their non-exam assessment (NEA) wherever possible

For a summary of the consultation outcome and changes to the original proposals, please see our policy update.

OCR’s vocational and technical qualifications (VTQs)

For Cambridge Nationals and Cambridge Technicals and other vocational qualifications that are most similar to GCSEs, AS and A Levels, we will work with Ofqual to make sure appropriate arrangements are in place if required.

Supporting you in 2022/23

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