Consultation on England A-level and GCSE 2022 exams

Poll

Do you agree with the plans for GCSE and A-level plans in 2022?

Hi guys

Ofqual (The Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation) and the DFE ( Department For Education ) are asking for opinions on what should happen with GCSE and A-level exams next year. The DFE and Ofqual are also working on contingency plans in case the Coronavirus pandemic increases disruptions.

This is called a consultation and basically means they are looking for views on a suggested plan of action from educational experts, teachers, parents and importantly students.

The Consultation is open till the 1st of August and you can find the full consultation plus an official overview here.

Here at TSR we believe it's really important that students voices are heard on any and all matters that directly affect their own futures, so we urge everyone who is interested in having their say to respond.

However, I know that these consultations can sometimes not be the most friendly, so I have tried my best to give a very breif outline of what the suggested changes are below. Please be aware these are only suggested at this stage and could change depending on what the response is to the consultation:

GCSE and A-level proposed changes outlined

GCSE

•

Choice of topics in GCSE English literature, history, ancient history and choice of content in GCSE geography.

•

Maths and English Literature to remain the same, with no change in the curriculum or exam structure, although a formulae sheet should be allowed in the exam room for GCSE mathematics. This is as they believe it is essential that the full curriculum is covered in these key foundational subjects.

•

Exam boards should provide advance information about the focus of the content of the exams in all other subjects at GCSE. This advanced information will be issued in the spring term to help students to focus their revision time

•

Proposing to allow centres to deliver practical work by demonstration or observe practical work being undertaken remotely in GCSE biology, chemistry, physics, combined science, geology and astronomy

•

GCSE physics and combined science students should be provided with a revised equation sheet.

•

Exams will take place at the same time as in a typical year in exam halls

A-level

•

Exam boards should be required to provide advance information about the focus of the content of exams at both AS and A level. This advanced information will be issued in the spring term to help students to focus their revision time

•

Changes to the assessment of art and design and to the arrangements for the delivery of science practicals.

•

Exams will take place at the same time as in a typical year in exam halls

Hopefully the above gives you a clear overview of what the proposed plans are. If you want your voice heard then please respond! You can follow the link above and look through at your own pace.

Respond to the consultation here

I will be tagging in our Year 10's and Year 12's below to make sure everyone is aware of these changes. But please feel free to discuss and ask any questions below. We may not know all the answers yet but hopefully we can respond with what we know :smile:

Reply 1

CatInTheCorner

19

Thank goodness they're being reasonable. For A-levels however, what month of spring? March is a good time, gives us a a few months, but me and my SEN folks need an ample amount of time, and spring is a little late? Ops?

OP

Tagging in everyone who has posted in the Year 10 and Year 12 chat threads this year as I think it's something that you guys should be aware of. I hope you all don't mind :smile:

Year 10

x

Year 12

Reply 3

username5763963

16

Original post by Evil Homer

Tagging in everyone who has posted in the Year 10 and Year 12 chat threads this year as I think it's something that you guys should be aware of. I hope you all don't mind :smile:

Year 10

Year 12

i have no clue what half this means :redface:

Reply 4

mesub

17

Ah yes, I remember posting about this in a thread

The consultation end date says that it's the first of August though, so is that a typo @Evil Homer?

Reply 5

Aleeza Rehman

8

Original post by Evil Homer

Hi guys

Ofqual (The Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation) and the DFE ( Department For Education ) are asking for opinions on what should happen with GCSE and A-level exams next year. The DFE and Ofqual are also working on contingency plans in case the Coronavirus pandemic increases disruptions.

This is called a consultation and basically means they are looking for views on a suggested plan of action from educational experts, teachers, parents and importantly students.

The Consultation is open till the 26th of July and you can find the full consultation plus an official overview here.

Here at TSR we believe it's really important that students voices are heard on any and all matters that directly affect their own futures, so we urge everyone who is interested in having their say to respond.

However, I know that these consultations can sometimes not be the most friendly, so I have tried my best to give a very breif outline of what the suggested changes are below. Please be aware these are only suggested at this stage and could change depending on what the response is to the consultation:

GCSE and A-level proposed changes outlined

GCSE

•

Choice of topics in GCSE English literature, history, ancient history and choice of content in GCSE geography.

•

Maths and English Literature to remain the same, with no change in the curriculum or exam structure, although a formulae sheet should be allowed in the exam room for GCSE mathematics. This is as they believe it is essential that the full curriculum is covered in these key foundational subjects.

•

Exam boards should provide advance information about the focus of the content of the exams in all other subjects at GCSE. This advanced information will be issued in the spring term to help students to focus their revision time

•

Proposing to allow centres to deliver practical work by demonstration or observe practical work being undertaken remotely in GCSE biology, chemistry, physics, combined science, geology and astronomy

•

GCSE physics and combined science students should be provided with a revised equation sheet.

•

Exams will take place at the same time as in a typical year in exam halls

A-level

•

Exam boards should be required to provide advance information about the focus of the content of exams at both AS and A level. This advanced information will be issued in the spring term to help students to focus their revision time

•

Changes to the assessment of art and design and to the arrangements for the delivery of science practicals.

•

Exams will take place at the same time as in a typical year in exam halls

Hopefully the above gives you a clear overview of what the proposed plans are. If you want your voice heard then please respond! You can follow the link above and look through at your own pace.

Respond to the consultation here

I will be tagging in our Year 10's and Year 12's below to make sure everyone is aware of these changes. But please feel free to discuss and ask any questions below. We may not know all the answers yet but hopefully we can respond with what we know :smile:

For science, some schools in the country were unable to perform practicals because of covid-19 restrictions so either some revised sheets for the undone practicals or removing some practicals. Other than that the plan proposed is reasonably fair however only change I will make it s=when the advance information will be released the amount of knowledge acquired during the 18 months of on and off lockdown is overestimated and OFQAL should use mocks recently completed by students to determine the level of intelligence so far. As a high-level student recently plummeting to below average the exam board management should use examples of exeplar students to determine how much learning was lost.

OP

Original post by mesub

Ah yes, I remember posting about this in a thread

The consultation end date says that it's the first of August though, so is that a typo @Evil Homer?

Hmmm, no idea where I got that date. You are indeed correct. I've changed that now, thanks!

Reply 7

Muttley79

20

Original post by Evil Homer

Hi guys

Ofqual (The Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation) and the DFE ( Department For Education ) are asking for opinions on what should happen with GCSE and A-level exams next year. The DFE and Ofqual are also working on contingency plans in case the Coronavirus pandemic increases disruptions.

This is called a consultation and basically means they are looking for views on a suggested plan of action from educational experts, teachers, parents and importantly students.

The Consultation is open till the 1st of August and you can find the full consultation plus an official overview here.

Here at TSR we believe it's really important that students voices are heard on any and all matters that directly affect their own futures, so we urge everyone who is interested in having their say to respond.

However, I know that these consultations can sometimes not be the most friendly, so I have tried my best to give a very breif outline of what the suggested changes are below. Please be aware these are only suggested at this stage and could change depending on what the response is to the consultation:

GCSE and A-level proposed changes outlined

GCSE

•

Choice of topics in GCSE English literature, history, ancient history and choice of content in GCSE geography.

•

Maths and English Literature to remain the same, with no change in the curriculum or exam structure, although a formulae sheet should be allowed in the exam room for GCSE mathematics. This is as they believe it is essential that the full curriculum is covered in these key foundational subjects.

•

Exam boards should provide advance information about the focus of the content of the exams in all other subjects at GCSE. This advanced information will be issued in the spring term to help students to focus their revision time

•

Proposing to allow centres to deliver practical work by demonstration or observe practical work being undertaken remotely in GCSE biology, chemistry, physics, combined science, geology and astronomy

•

GCSE physics and combined science students should be provided with a revised equation sheet.

•

Exams will take place at the same time as in a typical year in exam halls

A-level

•

Exam boards should be required to provide advance information about the focus of the content of exams at both AS and A level. This advanced information will be issued in the spring term to help students to focus their revision time

•

Changes to the assessment of art and design and to the arrangements for the delivery of science practicals.

•

Exams will take place at the same time as in a typical year in exam halls

Hopefully the above gives you a clear overview of what the proposed plans are. If you want your voice heard then please respond! You can follow the link above and look through at your own pace.

Respond to the consultation here

I will be tagging in our Year 10's and Year 12's below to make sure everyone is aware of these changes. But please feel free to discuss and ask any questions below. We may not know all the answers yet but hopefully we can respond with what we know :smile:

I posted this on Monday!!!

Reply 8

mesub

17

Original post by Muttley79

I posted this on Monday!!!

Same lol.

Reply 9

username5799028

9

Spring term next year? Damn. I'll see what I can do then.

OP

Original post by Moonbeam06

i have no clue what half this means :redface:

Is there anything I can try and clarify for you?

Reply 11

Ghostface6001

17

Original post by Evil Homer

Hi guys

Ofqual (The Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation) and the DFE ( Department For Education ) are asking for opinions on what should happen with GCSE and A-level exams next year. The DFE and Ofqual are also working on contingency plans in case the Coronavirus pandemic increases disruptions.

This is called a consultation and basically means they are looking for views on a suggested plan of action from educational experts, teachers, parents and importantly students.

The Consultation is open till the 1st of August and you can find the full consultation plus an official overview here.

Here at TSR we believe it's really important that students voices are heard on any and all matters that directly affect their own futures, so we urge everyone who is interested in having their say to respond.

However, I know that these consultations can sometimes not be the most friendly, so I have tried my best to give a very breif outline of what the suggested changes are below. Please be aware these are only suggested at this stage and could change depending on what the response is to the consultation:

GCSE and A-level proposed changes outlined

GCSE

•

Choice of topics in GCSE English literature, history, ancient history and choice of content in GCSE geography.

•

Maths and English Literature to remain the same, with no change in the curriculum or exam structure, although a formulae sheet should be allowed in the exam room for GCSE mathematics. This is as they believe it is essential that the full curriculum is covered in these key foundational subjects.

•

Exam boards should provide advance information about the focus of the content of the exams in all other subjects at GCSE. This advanced information will be issued in the spring term to help students to focus their revision time

•

Proposing to allow centres to deliver practical work by demonstration or observe practical work being undertaken remotely in GCSE biology, chemistry, physics, combined science, geology and astronomy

•

GCSE physics and combined science students should be provided with a revised equation sheet.

•

Exams will take place at the same time as in a typical year in exam halls

A-level

•

Exam boards should be required to provide advance information about the focus of the content of exams at both AS and A level. This advanced information will be issued in the spring term to help students to focus their revision time

•

Changes to the assessment of art and design and to the arrangements for the delivery of science practicals.

•

Exams will take place at the same time as in a typical year in exam halls

Hopefully the above gives you a clear overview of what the proposed plans are. If you want your voice heard then please respond! You can follow the link above and look through at your own pace.

Respond to the consultation here

I will be tagging in our Year 10's and Year 12's below to make sure everyone is aware of these changes. But please feel free to discuss and ask any questions below. We may not know all the answers yet but hopefully we can respond with what we know :smile:

What about a level history

Reply 12

username5763963

16

Original post by Evil Homer

Is there anything I can try and clarify for you?

just simplify the whole thing im kinda dense lmao

OP

Original post by Moonbeam06

just simplify the whole thing im kinda dense lmao

What are you studying next year and at what level?

Reply 14

starmoney

13

Can someone please explain what's happening with a levels?

Reply 15

Interea

19

Original post by CatInTheCorner

Thank goodness they're being reasonable. For A-levels however, what month of spring? March is a good time, gives us a a few months, but me and my SEN folks need an ample amount of time, and spring is a little late? Ops?

Spring term finishes in early April, so at the very least you'd have the Easter holidays and most of the next half term (A levels usually start the week before late May half term at the earliest, and most papers tend to be mid-June after week off). So even if they did it as late in the spring term as possible, you're still looking at probably a minimum of 6 weeks for pre-half term exams, and 2 months for the main bulk of exams.

Considering people usually use the Easter holidays to start their more intense revision, I think it should work out okay regardless of when they release it - you can revise the core content before they release the extra information, and then really focus your revision over the usual revision period :smile:

Reply 16

CatInTheCorner

19

Original post by Interea

Spring term finishes in early April, so at the very least you'd have the Easter holidays and most of the next half term (A levels usually start the week before late May half term at the earliest, and most papers tend to be mid-June after week off). So even if they did it as late in the spring term as possible, you're still looking at probably a minimum of 6 weeks for pre-half term exams, and 2 months for the main bulk of exams.

Considering people usually use the Easter holidays to start their more intense revision, I think it should work out okay regardless of when they release it - you can revise the core content before they release the extra information, and then really focus your revision over the usual revision period :smile:

Thanks, that really calms me down, just wondering if students who have been unfairly disadvantaged on top of everything else will get anything different. My special needs were a nightmare during lockdown, and my peers learnt much better than I did, even if we all struggled. Students who aren't comfortable studying at home also really need to be helped out, I called a friend and could tell I wouldn't be able to study in her environment, can't imagine how she got her grades. She's a tough cookie

Reply 17

X.243llie

18

Original post by CatInTheCorner

Thank goodness they're being reasonable. For A-levels however, what month of spring? March is a good time, gives us a a few months, but me and my SEN folks need an ample amount of time, and spring is a little late? Ops?

i just thought the same thing when i read it. thats a bit to late for me but at least i know so i can pre revise every topic anyway rather then wait. im starting A levels next year so i think its a little unfair as itll take me a while just to settle in let alone start revising. they really dont think about us sen people do they , the government.

Reply 18

CatInTheCorner

19

Original post by X.243llie

i just thought the same thing when i read it. thats a bit to late for me but at least i know so i can pre revise every topic anyway rather then wait. im starting A levels next year so i think its a little unfair as itll take me a while just to settle in let alone start revising. they really dont think about us sen people do they , the government.