Ahead of the UK national lockdown announced on 4th January 2021 the Government confirmed that "it is not possible or fair for all exams to go ahead this summer as normal. The Education Secretary will work with Ofqual to put in place alternative arrangements.” As and when the Government provide further clarity, we will update this blog.
We have included what we know so far below. Our current recommendation is that students should continue to work towards completing their courses to the highest level possible. At this stage it is unclear as to exactly how students will be assessed. However, the government have confirmed that exams will not go ahead for GCSE and A Level students in Summer 2021. They have announced that teacher-based assessment will play a central role in determining students’ grades. Although the process is yet to be determined, we would also anticipate some form of standardisation to ensure fairness under the revised assessment structure. It is worth noting at this stage that assessments, set and marked by schools, may still occur, unlike in Summer 2020 where student grades were determined using retrospective data.
In the sections below you will find further information on:
- How will GCSE exams be assessed in 2021?
- How will International GCSEs (IGCSEs) exams be assessed in 2021?
- How will A Level exams be assessed in 2021?
- How will International A Level exams be assessed in 2021?
- How will Pre U exams be assessed in 2021?
- How will IB exams be assessed in 2021?
- How will independent school entrance exams be assessed in 2021?
- How will 13+ Common Entrance exams be assessed in 2021?
How will GCSE exams be assessed in 2021?
England
We do not yet know how GCSE exams in England will be assessed and will provide a further update when it is available from Ofqual (The Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation). It is possible they will take a similar approach to Wales and Scotland who have already announced that exams will not take place as normal, but who have devised alternative forms of assessment (details below.). Northern Ireland have confirmed that all GCSE examinations will not go ahead this summer but are yet to detail how grades will be calculated.
Wales
The Welsh government has already confirmed that GCSEs in Wales “will be awarded through a three pillar approach that builds on the types of assessments schools and colleges regularly undertake and are experienced in delivering:
- non-examination assessment;
- internal assessments that are planned and marked by teachers and lecturers; and
- assessments that are externally set and marked by WJEC.”
Scotland
Similarly the Scottish government have announced that National 5 results (the Scottish equivalent of GCSEs) “will be based on teacher and lecturer judgement supported by a strong set of checks which we call ‘quality assurance.’ These checks will be carried out by your school or college, local authority and SQA.”
How will International GCSEs (IGCSEs) exams be assessed in 2021?
IGCSEs are set independently of Ofqual by various exam boards. We encourage you to check their websites to determine whether they plan for exams to go ahead as normal both within the UK as well as overseas. The exam boards offering IGCSEs are as follows: Cambridge Assessment, Edexcel & Oxford AQA.
How will A Level exams be assessed in 2021?
England
We do not yet know how A Level exams in England will be assessed and will provide a further update when it is available from Ofqual (The Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation). It is possible they will take a similar approach to Wales and Scotland who have already announced that exams will not take place as normal, but who have devised alternative forms of assessment (details below.). Northern Ireland have confirmed that all A Level examinations will not go ahead this summer but are yet to detail how grades will be calculated.
Wales
The Welsh government has already confirmed that A Levels in Wales “will be awarded through a three pillar approach that builds on the types of assessments schools and colleges regularly undertake and are experienced in delivering:
- non-examination assessment;
- internal assessments that are planned and marked by teachers and lecturers; and
- assessments that are externally set and marked by WJEC.”
Scotland
Similarly the Scottish government have announced that for Scottish Highers (the Scottish equivalent of A Levels) “The National Qualifications 2021 Group continues to meet weekly and is now working through the details of how Higher and Advanced Higher courses will be awarded in 2021. These courses will broadly follow the process that we recently announced for National 5 results. This means that your teacher or lecturer will decide your provisional result by judging your assessment evidence and checking the results with other staff in your school or college.”
How will International A Level exams be assessed in 2021?
International A Levels are set independently of Ofqual by various exam boards. We encourage you to check their websites to determine whether they plan for exams to go ahead as normal both within the UK as well as overseas. The exam boards offering International A Levels are as follows: Cambridge Assessment, Edexcel & Oxford AQA.
How will Pre U exams be assessed in 2021?
It is unclear as to whether Pre U examinations are to be cancelled. They are set by Cambridge Assessment and we encourage you to check their website for updates as to whether they plan for Pre U exams to go ahead as normal or not.
How will IB exams be assessed in 2021?
The International Baccalaureate have thus far confirmed:
“Whilst the May 2021 Diploma Programme and Career-related Programme examinations are currently scheduled to take place, we're listening to schools, monitoring the global situation and planning for a variety of scenarios.
In November 2020 we communicated to our schools about our intention to gather more information in January about their local context, restrictions and the impact of COVID-19. This information will be vital to our continued planning and preparation for the May 2021 examination session.”
How will independent school entrance exams be assessed in 2021?
A number of independent schools have already changed their admissions procedures for their entrance exams this year and we recommend speaking directly to the school about changes to their examination process.
How will 13+ Common Entrance exams be assessed in 2021?
The Common Entrance exams at 13+ (sat by students in Year 8 for Year 9 entry) is set by The Independent Schools Examinations Board (“ISEB”). The ISEB
On the 7th January 2021 the ISEB announced they intend "to make the 13+ Common Entrance examinations available" this Summer (2021). They "will also continue to keep schools informed about contingencies in the event of extended closure or any lockdown in the summer term." Please review the ISEB's announcement here: ISEB Updates on Examinations and Assessments.
It is also worth noting that not all independent senior schools require students to sit the Common Entrance at 13+ for Year 9 entry and that those that do may provide further updates as to their expectations of Year 8 applicants in light of the UK national lockdown announced on 4th January 2021.