Changing Exam boards

My son having received CAGs from his school which he feels are unfair and biased. He is appealing to the school via the complaints process. However as a result he has lost confidence in the school and is considering entering exams via another centre. However the centres nearest us do different exam boards. The syllabus is supposed to be more or less similar. Has anyone else had experience of of switching between AQA and WJEC exam boards for Biology Chemistry and Maths?

Reply 1

yeahthatonethere

16

I haven't had experience switching between those specific exam boards but I did switch between gcse and A Levels for Biology and Chemistry. Generally the syllabuses aren't too different but the easiest way to check is to print out the syllabus from each exam board website (they're free and available alongside past papers and such). You can use them like checklists to compare what your son has covered and what is in the new one.

You may also want to check question style and marking procedures by looking at and doing past papers. Again, they'll be very similar but they may want different things in his answers or want him to cover certain topics in more depth.

Hope this has helped and anymore questions just ask!

Reply 2

macbook4

OP

11

Thank you, that does help

Reply 3

Compost

19

If he is just looking to re-sit and not to retake the year then there's no need for him to stick to the same exam board as the entering centre normally uses. All the English exam boards have to comply with Ofqual requirements for content so there aren't big differences but WJEC is not bound by this.

WJEC still has modular A levels but the English exam boards are linear so there would be some issues swapping between them, particularly as I don't think you could transfer the pass at assessed practicals from linear A level to WJEC, I don't even know what WJEC does about assessed practicals. However, you can transfer the pass at assessed practicals between AQA, OCR and Pearson Edexcel if you swap boards between them.

Reply 4

macbook4

OP

11

Original post by Compost

If he is just looking to re-sit and not to retake the year then there's no need for him to stick to the same exam board as the entering centre normally uses. All the English exam boards have to comply with Ofqual requirements for content so there aren't big differences but WJEC is not bound by this.

WJEC still has modular A levels but the English exam boards are linear so there would be some issues swapping between them, particularly as I don't think you could transfer the pass at assessed practicals from linear A level to WJEC, I don't even know what WJEC does about assessed practicals. However, you can transfer the pass at assessed practicals between AQA, OCR and Pearson Edexcel if you swap boards between them.

Thank you for that information. Apparently this year WJEC does not have hands on practicals, only the theory associated with it.

Reply 5

macbook4

OP

11

Original post by Compost

If he is just looking to re-sit and not to retake the year then there's no need for him to stick to the same exam board as the entering centre normally uses. All the English exam boards have to comply with Ofqual requirements for content so there aren't big differences but WJEC is not bound by this.

WJEC still has modular A levels but the English exam boards are linear so there would be some issues swapping between them, particularly as I don't think you could transfer the pass at assessed practicals from linear A level to WJEC, I don't even know what WJEC does about assessed practicals. However, you can transfer the pass at assessed practicals between AQA, OCR and Pearson Edexcel if you swap boards between them.

Thank you for that information. Apparently for the summer 2021 exams WJEC does not have hands on practicals, only the theory associated with it. I assume this would hold true for those "resiting" the year as well.

Changing Exam boards

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