Ofqual consultation on Autumn Exams (in England) is open! -8th June end date.
Poll
If you do not get the A-level grades you want this summer, what is your likely next step?
Ofqual consultation on Autumn Exams
Ofqual are really loading us up with the good stuff at the moment!
They’ve opened their consultation on the autumn exams.
You can respond to the consultation here: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/consultation-on-an-additional-gcse-as-and-a-level-exam-series-in-autumn-2020
It’s open until 8th June.
The full details of the proposals are available here:
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/887022/Consultation_on_an_additional_GCSE__AS_and_A_level_exam_series_in_autumn_2020.pdf
As an affected student, you can respond to these proposals. If you’ve got something you want to say, but aren’t sure how to phrase it, please feel free to post in the thread and I’ll be happy to help. The last consultation was pretty user friendly and lots of students felt able to respond.
Aims of the exam series:
-To provide students with a chance to improve their grade if they feel the grade they got this summer doesn’t reflect their abilities.
-To provide private candidates who couldn’t get a grade this summer the chance to get a grade.
What Ofqual is consulting on:
Should exam boards have to make exams available in all GCSE and A-level subjects?
-If Ofqual don’t make this compulsory, exam boards might pick and choose which subjects to offer, maybe only offering subjects where they expect to get a high number of entries.
-It may be difficult for exam boards and schools to manage exams with only a very small number of entries.
-Some retake exams for old style qualifications were due to be offered for the last time in Summer 2020.
Should exam papers be in the same format as the ones normally used in the summer?
-It’s been suggested to make things easier for schools and colleges that exam boards should only offer 1 paper for the autumn retakes.
-They might be asked to write a new style paper combining topics that would normally be assessed on e.g. paper 1 and paper 2.
-Ofqual don’t think this is a good idea as it might disadvantage candidates who won’t get to practice this style of paper before the exam.
-It would also be costly for exam boards to write new papers.
-If candidates take e.g. paper 1, but are ill for paper 2, they can still get a grade. This won’t be possible if there’s only one paper.
Should non-examined assessment be taken into account?
-Ofqual thinks that NEAs completed before 20th March shouldn’t be used as this could disadvantage some candidates. This will have already been used to inform their centre assessed grade.
-Ofqual thinks that NEAs started but not finished before 20th March shouldn’t be completed. If they’re completed at home, the normal rules won’t apply, and they don’t know if it will be possible for them to be completed in school in time. They think this could disadvantage some candidates.
-They don’t think requiring students to complete new NEAs in the autumn will be workable for all students, so it won’t be fair.
-On balance, Ofqual thinks the fairest and most workable approach for all students will be examined assessments only in most subjects.
-For Art, there will be special proposals- students would be set a new task by the exam board to be completed in supervised conditions of 10 hours (GCSE) or 15 hours (A-level). No portfolio would be used.
-Practical skills in Science A-levels and speech and language skills in English GCSE will not be able to be assessed in the autumn exam series. If students have got a “pass” result in the summer, they will be able to carry this forward. If they got “Not Classified”, they will need to retake this at another time.
Timing of the autumn exam series
-The entry deadline would not be before the end of August.
-Schools and colleges may not be able to open as normal at the start of the next academic year.
-Schools and students may be adjusting to new public health rules etc. in September and students may need time to settle back into the school environment. It would also be difficult for school staff to organise running exams in September.
-The aim is to have A-level exams taking place in October, and GCSE exams taking place in November. Some of the October exams might take place during half term.
-The aim would be for A-level results before Christmas, and GCSE results by February 2021.
-Dates would be flexible, in case schools had to close again.
Reviews of marking and appeals
-Ofqual aim to have these taking place as normal.
Certificates
-Normal rules require certificates to show all qualifications of that type that a student has been given.
-Ofqual understand that students may not want their summer result to show on certificates.
-They propose allowing exam boards to issue replacement certificates showing autumn grades only, but this would not be required. This might only be done in response to requests from students.
EPQs
-EPQs could be submitted in the autumn for moderation.
The consultation document is pretty meaty, so if you think there's anything I should add to this OP, please let me know!
Ofqual are really loading us up with the good stuff at the moment!
They’ve opened their consultation on the autumn exams.
You can respond to the consultation here: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/consultation-on-an-additional-gcse-as-and-a-level-exam-series-in-autumn-2020
It’s open until 8th June.
The full details of the proposals are available here:
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/887022/Consultation_on_an_additional_GCSE__AS_and_A_level_exam_series_in_autumn_2020.pdf
As an affected student, you can respond to these proposals. If you’ve got something you want to say, but aren’t sure how to phrase it, please feel free to post in the thread and I’ll be happy to help. The last consultation was pretty user friendly and lots of students felt able to respond.
Aims of the exam series:
-To provide students with a chance to improve their grade if they feel the grade they got this summer doesn’t reflect their abilities.
-To provide private candidates who couldn’t get a grade this summer the chance to get a grade.
What Ofqual is consulting on:
Should exam boards have to make exams available in all GCSE and A-level subjects?
-If Ofqual don’t make this compulsory, exam boards might pick and choose which subjects to offer, maybe only offering subjects where they expect to get a high number of entries.
-It may be difficult for exam boards and schools to manage exams with only a very small number of entries.
-Some retake exams for old style qualifications were due to be offered for the last time in Summer 2020.
Should exam papers be in the same format as the ones normally used in the summer?
-It’s been suggested to make things easier for schools and colleges that exam boards should only offer 1 paper for the autumn retakes.
-They might be asked to write a new style paper combining topics that would normally be assessed on e.g. paper 1 and paper 2.
-Ofqual don’t think this is a good idea as it might disadvantage candidates who won’t get to practice this style of paper before the exam.
-It would also be costly for exam boards to write new papers.
-If candidates take e.g. paper 1, but are ill for paper 2, they can still get a grade. This won’t be possible if there’s only one paper.
Should non-examined assessment be taken into account?
-Ofqual thinks that NEAs completed before 20th March shouldn’t be used as this could disadvantage some candidates. This will have already been used to inform their centre assessed grade.
-Ofqual thinks that NEAs started but not finished before 20th March shouldn’t be completed. If they’re completed at home, the normal rules won’t apply, and they don’t know if it will be possible for them to be completed in school in time. They think this could disadvantage some candidates.
-They don’t think requiring students to complete new NEAs in the autumn will be workable for all students, so it won’t be fair.
-On balance, Ofqual thinks the fairest and most workable approach for all students will be examined assessments only in most subjects.
-For Art, there will be special proposals- students would be set a new task by the exam board to be completed in supervised conditions of 10 hours (GCSE) or 15 hours (A-level). No portfolio would be used.
-Practical skills in Science A-levels and speech and language skills in English GCSE will not be able to be assessed in the autumn exam series. If students have got a “pass” result in the summer, they will be able to carry this forward. If they got “Not Classified”, they will need to retake this at another time.
Timing of the autumn exam series
-The entry deadline would not be before the end of August.
-Schools and colleges may not be able to open as normal at the start of the next academic year.
-Schools and students may be adjusting to new public health rules etc. in September and students may need time to settle back into the school environment. It would also be difficult for school staff to organise running exams in September.
-The aim is to have A-level exams taking place in October, and GCSE exams taking place in November. Some of the October exams might take place during half term.
-The aim would be for A-level results before Christmas, and GCSE results by February 2021.
-Dates would be flexible, in case schools had to close again.
Reviews of marking and appeals
-Ofqual aim to have these taking place as normal.
Certificates
-Normal rules require certificates to show all qualifications of that type that a student has been given.
-Ofqual understand that students may not want their summer result to show on certificates.
-They propose allowing exam boards to issue replacement certificates showing autumn grades only, but this would not be required. This might only be done in response to requests from students.
EPQs
-EPQs could be submitted in the autumn for moderation.
The consultation document is pretty meaty, so if you think there's anything I should add to this OP, please let me know!
(edited 3 years ago)
I've added a poll just asking a little about students likely next steps if grades don't work out!
Original post by Evil Homer
I've added a poll just asking a little about students likely next steps if grades don't work out!
I wonder how many of those taking Autumn exams will want to defer their university offers beyond September 2020 if they could? We are waiting to see what arrangement my child's preferred university and UCAS will make to allow a conditional offer to roll over and would be interested to know how many others are in the same situation.
Just bumping this as Monday 8th June is the cut off for the consultation (wish this had been in the title?)
Really important to make your thoughts known if you do a subject with a big non-exam assessment component (Music, Drama, DT etc) as the current proposal is that your work on your NEA won't be carried forward into an autumn exam, which will be based ONLY on written exam papers.
If (like me!) you think this is wrong, you need to say so in Q 7 of the consultation (link is in the OP).
Really important to make your thoughts known if you do a subject with a big non-exam assessment component (Music, Drama, DT etc) as the current proposal is that your work on your NEA won't be carried forward into an autumn exam, which will be based ONLY on written exam papers.
If (like me!) you think this is wrong, you need to say so in Q 7 of the consultation (link is in the OP).
Original post by AlexSilver
Just bumping this as Monday 8th June is the cut off for the consultation (wish this had been in the title?)
Really important to make your thoughts known if you do a subject with a big non-exam assessment component (Music, Drama, DT etc) as the current proposal is that your work on your NEA won't be carried forward into an autumn exam, which will be based ONLY on written exam papers.
If (like me!) you think this is wrong, you need to say so in Q 7 of the consultation (link is in the OP).
Really important to make your thoughts known if you do a subject with a big non-exam assessment component (Music, Drama, DT etc) as the current proposal is that your work on your NEA won't be carried forward into an autumn exam, which will be based ONLY on written exam papers.
If (like me!) you think this is wrong, you need to say so in Q 7 of the consultation (link is in the OP).
Edited to include the end date in the title!
Original post by SarcAndSpark
Edited to include the end date in the title!
Great! Thanks!
Last day to respond, so just giving this a bump.
The problems is that we would forget everything if we are to sit the exam next summer!
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