A-level and GCSE exam changes in England 2022: What does it mean for you?

Poll

After the announcement about exams in 2022, do you think your grades will be fair this year?

This advance information for GCSE and A-levels has now been released. You can find it here and get your questions asked by exam boards.

Today the DFE and Ofqual have announced their changes to A-level and GCSE exams for this summer, along with their decisions around the standard of grades and grade boundaries this summer.

I've tried to detail these changes as simply as I can below:

Changes to A-level and GCSE exams

•

There will be a choice of topics in GCSE English Literature, GCSE History, GCSE Ancient History and GCSE Geography

•

There will be advanced information given to students on the content of all other exams at both GCSE and A-level to be used as revision guidance.

•

This advanced information will be published by exam boards by the 7th of February and exam boards are looking to publish guidance on how to access and use this advanced information ahead of that date.

•

There will be support materials given in GCSE Mathematics (formula sheets), and GCSE Physics and Combined Science (equation sheets).

•

The same adaptation to exams will apply to GCSE English Language and GCSE Mathematics resits in November 2022.

Grading Standards in Summer 2022

•

In Summer 2022 exam boards will set grade boundaries that are based on the midpoint between the average of 2019 and 2021 results

•

As in any other normal year, exam boards will use statistics as a starting point to align their standards in each subject.

•

This means that in the 2022 exam season exam boards will set grade boundaries so that more students get higher grades in 2022 than when exams were taken before the pandemic began (2019)

Results Day

•

Results will be issued at the same time as normal, on the 18th of August for A-level and AS and the 25th for GCSE

Autumn 2021 grade standards

•

Exam boards will seek to align standards for this Autumns exam series with Summer 2021.

Grading for Summer 2023 and beyond

•

In 2023 Ofqual aim to return results and standards to pre-pandemic years.

Contingency Plans

•

Exams are going ahead this year, however there is a small risk that exams can't go ahead as planned, either because of a risk of further disruption to learning or that public health advice says it's not safe to do so.

•

If either of those scenarios are true, the DFE advice is that Teacher Assessed Grades will once again be used this year.

•

There is currently a consultation on this that is running now. We will provide a link to this for those interested shortly.

Reply 1

mnot

Universities Forum Helper

20

Original post by Evil Homer

Today the DFE and Ofqual have announced their changes to A-level and GCSE exams for this summer, along with their decisions around the standard of grades and grade boundaries this summer.

I've tried to detail these changes as simply as I can below:

Changes to A-level and GCSE exams

•

There will be a choice of topics in GCSE English Literature, GCSE History, GCSE Ancient History and GCSE Geography

•

There will be advanced information given to students on the content of all other exams at both GCSE and A-level to be used as revision guidance.

•

This advanced information will be published by exam boards by the 7th of February and exam boards are looking to publish guidance on how to access and use this advanced information ahead of that date.

•

There will be support materials given in GCSE Mathematics (formula sheets), and GCSE Physics and Combined Science (equation sheets).

•

The same adaptation to exams will apply to GCSE English Language and GCSE Mathematics resits in November 2022.

Grading Standards in Summer 2022

•

In Summer 2022 exam boards will set grade boundaries that are based on the midpoint between the average of 2019 and 2021 results

•

As in any other normal year, exam boards will use statistics as a starting point to align their standards in each subject.

•

This means that in the 2022 exam season exam boards will set grade boundaries so that more students get higher grades in 2022 than when exams were taken before the pandemic began (2019)

Results Day

•

Results will be issued at the same time as normal, on the 18th of August for A-level and AS and the 25th for GCSE

Autumn 2021 grade standards

•

Exam boards will seek to align standards for this Autumns exam series with Summer 2021.

Grading for Summer 2023 and beyond

•

In 2023 Ofqual aim to return results and standards to pre-pandemic years.

Contingency Plans

•

Exams are going ahead this year, however there is a small risk that exams can't go ahead as planned, either because of a risk of further disruption to learning or that public health advice says it's not safe to do so.

•

If either of those scenarios are true, the DFE advice is that Teacher Assessed Grades will once again be used this year.

•

There is currently a consultation on this that is running now. We will provide a link to this for those interested shortly.

I dont see any reason to keep inflating grades (especially if exams are going ahead). They produce a qualification specification, its time to stop fiddling around with it and use them as designed. It's like they now feel they have to intervene every year with a raft of measures.

The sooner they just run qualifications as designed the better, whilst I do think having several contingency plans drawn up is a sensible idea the priority should be running qualifications as normal.

OP

I'm tagging in all posters in the current Year 11 and Year 13 threads as I think this is especially relevant to you all. I do hope you don't mind!

Year 11 and Year 13

Thanks

This seems to make sense. If you look at high A-level grades, that is A* and A, in 2019 about 25% achieved this, but by 2021 it was a ludicrously high 45%. The suggesting therefore is to set 2022 to the midpoint, which will be about 35%. Beyond that they would look to move back to pre-pandemic levels, which would be 25%, although it might not be done in one step, and could be gradually implemented over multiple years, is the way I read it.

(edited 2 years ago)

Reply 5

username5706823

20

Original post by Evil Homer

•

This advanced information will be published by exam boards by the 7th of February and exam boards are looking to publish guidance on how to access and use this advanced information ahead of that date.

what does that even mean? and are these changes just for 2022 or is this going to continue?

OP

Original post by summerbirdreads

what does that even mean? and are these changes just for 2022 or is this going to continue?

The advanced information is just for Summer 2022.

Reply 7

liamlarner

13

what is happening with A Level Maths and A Level Further Maths is there any specific changes to that or is it just the advanced notice like will there be extra formulae normally the one's that we have to remember in the Edexcel formula booklet

(edited 2 years ago)

Reply 8

username5706823

20

Original post by Evil Homer

The advanced information is just for Summer 2022.

but what exactly do they mean by advanced information?

Reply 9

liamlarner

13

Original post by summerbirdreads

but what exactly do they mean by advanced information?

I would say they will tell you some of the topics appearing

OP

Original post by liamlarner

what is happening with A Level Maths and A Level Further Maths is there any specific changes to that or is it just the advanced notice like will there be extra formulae normally the one's that we have to remember in the Edexcel formula booklet

There will be no extra forumlae information for any of the A-levels no. It will just be the advanced notice :smile:

OP

Original post by summerbirdreads

but what exactly do they mean by advanced information?

So you will have a rough idea of the topics that will be be coming up in your exam. What this exactly looks like we don't know yet, but it should give you an idea of what topics you should focus your revision on.

Reply 12

username5706823

20

Original post by Evil Homer

So you will have a rough idea of the topics that will be be coming up in your exam. What this exactly looks like we don't know yet, but it should give you an idea of what topics you should focus your revision on.

Original post by liamlarner

I would say they will tell you some of the topics appearing

damn

Reply 13

liamlarner

13

Original post by Evil Homer

Today the DFE and Ofqual have announced their changes to A-level and GCSE exams for this summer, along with their decisions around the standard of grades and grade boundaries this summer.

I've tried to detail these changes as simply as I can below:

Changes to A-level and GCSE exams

•

There will be a choice of topics in GCSE English Literature, GCSE History, GCSE Ancient History and GCSE Geography

•

There will be advanced information given to students on the content of all other exams at both GCSE and A-level to be used as revision guidance.

•

This advanced information will be published by exam boards by the 7th of February and exam boards are looking to publish guidance on how to access and use this advanced information ahead of that date.

•

There will be support materials given in GCSE Mathematics (formula sheets), and GCSE Physics and Combined Science (equation sheets).

•

The same adaptation to exams will apply to GCSE English Language and GCSE Mathematics resits in November 2022.

Grading Standards in Summer 2022

•

In Summer 2022 exam boards will set grade boundaries that are based on the midpoint between the average of 2019 and 2021 results

•

As in any other normal year, exam boards will use statistics as a starting point to align their standards in each subject.

•

This means that in the 2022 exam season exam boards will set grade boundaries so that more students get higher grades in 2022 than when exams were taken before the pandemic began (2019)

Results Day

•

Results will be issued at the same time as normal, on the 18th of August for A-level and AS and the 25th for GCSE

Autumn 2021 grade standards

•

Exam boards will seek to align standards for this Autumns exam series with Summer 2021.

Grading for Summer 2023 and beyond

•

In 2023 Ofqual aim to return results and standards to pre-pandemic years.

Contingency Plans

•

Exams are going ahead this year, however there is a small risk that exams can't go ahead as planned, either because of a risk of further disruption to learning or that public health advice says it's not safe to do so.

•

If either of those scenarios are true, the DFE advice is that Teacher Assessed Grades will once again be used this year.

•

There is currently a consultation on this that is running now. We will provide a link to this for those interested shortly.

one more question;

will the Advanced notice be made public on the exam board's website so in my case Edexcel or will it be locked because I don't really see the point in password protecting this information as a member of staff are only gonna tell us anyway

OP

Original post by liamlarner

one more question;

will the Advanced notice be made public on the exam board's website so in my case Edexcel or will it be locked because I don't really see the point in password protecting this information as a member of staff are only gonna tell us anyway

So we did ask this question, it will have to be freely available to that private candidates and home schooled students have access. So I imagine no password protection!

Reply 15

Student5cience

14

Does anyone know any update for. Alevel Chem bio and psychology if so please get back to me 😊

Original post by mnot

I dont see any reason to keep inflating grades (especially if exams are going ahead). They produce a qualification specification, its time to stop fiddling around with it and use them as designed. It's like they now feel they have to intervene every year with a raft of measures.

The sooner they just run qualifications as designed the better, whilst I do think having several contingency plans drawn up is a sensible idea the priority should be running qualifications as normal.

especially considering the fact that most people in this current A-level Cohort have no prior proper exam experience (they didn't sit GCSEs exams in a standardised national manner, well i did but yeah). GCSEs sure i support tons of changes, A-levels unfortunately for 2022, 2023 exam students, the changes need to be as minimal as possible (at least in my opinion) but hey the more changes to the 2022 A-level exams the better for me, as long as the exams are not cancelled lastminute.com. I can't believe that the government hasn't looked at the current exams system and thought: "nope it sucks and is unfit for purpose we need to change this nonsensical linear exams system as the pandemic has exposed the issues with it", disgusting government we have.