OFQUAL and DfE Publish Guidance around 2022 examinations

There has been a joint publication from OFQUAL and DfE on the adaptations to GCSE, AS and A level exams in England next summer to maximise fairness and help students reach their potential.

The adaptations are in response to an earlier consultation looking at the impact of two years of disruption to the usual methods of examinations and continuing disruption to the education of students due to sit their examinations next year.

Some of the adaptations include:

• Choice of topics in GCSE English literature, History and Ancient History and choice of content in GCSE Geography.
• Advance information on the focus of the content of exams to be used for revision published by 7th February at the latest
• Change of guidance around practical activities in Art and Science
• Formula sheet in GCSE maths and equation sheet for GCSE Physics

In 2022 exam boards will set grade boundaries so that more students get higher grades than pre-pandemic based on an average of the 2019 and 2021 results.

Results days will return to their usual dates within the summer holidays, which will be 18th August for A-level and 25th August for GCSE in 2022. The normal arrangements and standards for grading will resume in 2023.

Teacher Assessed Grades (TAGs)

There is also a consultation around the use of Teacher Assessed Grades. TAGs may be used in the event that exams cannot take place due to further disruption that would make the adjustments still unfair or that Public Health England (PHE) decide that students cannot meet together for exams.

The proposals include:

• Non-Exam Assessment (NEA) and assessments should be collected through the year. 
• Opportunities to collect information to support TAGs should be planned through the year. 
• Pupils should only be assessed on the knowledge and understanding of what they have been taught. 
• There is a suggestion that the time students spend in such assessments is limited to no longer than the total exam time for that subject. 
• Reasonable adjustments should be employed during these assessments. 

These arrangements, should they be needed, will apply across both GCSE and A-level qualifications as well as Vocational Technical Qualifications (VTQs). The consultation runs until Wednesday 13 October at 11:45 pm.