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Are exams fair for everyone this year?

Poll

Are exams fair for everyone this year?

There has been lots of talk about next summer's assessments for GCSE, BTEC and A-level exams. As we currently stand Ofqual have stuck to their decision to delay the exam schedule by 3 weeks and to offer some limited reductions in assessment material for a few select subjects.

For Year 11 and Year 13 students however, the disruption to teaching and learning time is like nothing that has been experienced before. Significant chunks of courses will have been taught online, and schools and colleges' online offerings have had to be prepared quickly with very little notice meaning the quality and effectiveness may have varied greatly from school to school.

I wanted to ask TSR if you think a typical exam system this year was a fair playing ground for yourself or others. Here are some things that might be worth considering:

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Some students may have been impacted personally by the pandemic, or feel that their living situation negatively affects their ability to study.

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Schools and Colleges may have had varying success at offering successful distance learning.

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Covid disruption since September has not been nationwide, and different areas and schools have been affected differently meaning some students have had to self-isolate while others have benefited from face to face learning.

I wanted to ask TSR if you think it's been a fair playing field for yourself and others this year in terms of the ease of access and quality of virtual learning? I would love to hear what our community thinks on this, either in general or if you have personal experience on why exams may or may not be fair this summer?

Edit: Well call me psychic, breaking news that Wales have cancelled all GCSE, A-level and AS exams as it's felt it was impossible to guarantee a fair playing field. You can read more here on the Welsh cancellation here.

Scroll to see replies

Reply 1

__DC

I want to be in control of my own future no matter what. Not in the hands of teachers and computers.

Reply 2

stereotypeasian

were exams ever fair , even before the pandemic ?

Reply 3

Evil Homer

TSR Community Staff

Original post by stereotypeasian

were exams ever fair , even before the pandemic ?

That is a completely valid position as well! Why do you think the exam system isn't fair?

Reply 4

5hyl33n

Volunteer Team, Clearing and Applications Advisor

Some students wants exams to go ahead and some students don’t want them to go ahead.

I don’t think we can please everyone in this situation. Personally, I would prefer if A-Level exams went ahead but if not, I would like an answer as soon as possible on what will happen if they do not go ahead.

Reply 5

Theloniouss

Universities Forum Helper

I don't really see how they're any less fair than a normal year. If the reasons are just students' individual circumstances and the fact that some schools are worse than others, those are not new factors.

(edited 3 years ago)

Reply 6

GCSE_Rockstar32

They are fair in these circumstances. They are certainly more fair compared to 2020 Cohort, who received teacher assessed grades, that could have negatively impacted a student, whereas 2021 Cohort know the situation they are in, therefore, have more of an advantage in preparing for either outcome the government has for them: cancelling exams and using teacher asses grades or going ahead with the exams.

Reply 7

PastelColours

I want to do those exams

Reply 8

katie2675

i don't think its possible for it to be fair at all, but exams never have been fair. in an ideal world, i would want us to be given the option of our predicted grades/CAGs and the option to still sit some exams. it would be kinda similar to how the current year 12s grades went but we'd do the exams at the normal time if we chose to continue them. being honest though this is very unrealistic.

something needs to be done further to make it slightly more fair because there's so many ways people have had advantages others haven't like other schools have had zoom calls over lockdown whereas my school had work set on google classrooms. some people have good work environments whilst others don't. some people can't work without the routine of school. some people's mental health has taken a massive hit. some people have had to self-isolate since we've been back to school. i could go on and list further lol

Reply 9

katie2675

these factors aren't new, but they are more prominent in the current situation and will have a bigger impact on grades than they usually would

Original post by Theloniouss

Reply 10

Theloniouss

Universities Forum Helper

Original post by katie2675

these factors aren't new, but they are more prominent in the current situation and will have a bigger impact on grades than they usually would

Will they?

Reply 11

katie2675

Original post by Theloniouss

Will they?

i believe they would. an example would be for people who have a rough home life and don't have an good work environment at home. if we had been in school normally, they would be able to learn in a better working environment until they get home. because we hadn't been in school, those students didn't have a good work environment at any time and so they couldn't continue their learning, or at least not to the quality they would've done while at school whereas people who have a good work environment at home as well as at school wouldn't really have this issue.

Reply 12

Cooliyoni

I must emphasise this coming from a 2020 cohort student.

CAGs have affected my life dearly. Rejected from all 5 offers. There is support at all for students like myself - only exam helplines which tell you to go to clearing and do a course that your not interested at all doing - wow thnx loving the 'help'!!!! The only way to prove ourselves were 'Autumn Exams', which were exams that were so last minute and many were simply unable to prepare for them as they would have been 6 months (half a year!) out of education.

I am doing 2021 summer exams, hopefully.

I am telling you my experience as a student that this year was awful for me and many others across the nations. I urge this not to be a repeat of last year.

Unfortunately there was no U-turn for those students with unjustified CAGs. Would never imagine the UK to have such low standards.

Reply 13

SupposedlyIronic

Personally I wish they could be cancelled, and I do think it's unfair, but I see few alternative options. Perhaps an improved algorithm could be used actually, as they have had nearly a year to think about this, and if they had a better appeals process then it would be a lot smoother. We could have an early results day if they make up their minds soon and then they have months to cope with it.

I'm still learning at home personally, and I know that there are widely differing circumstances. Massive congratulations to those who have thrived in this atmosphere, but I relate to those who feel as though they have zero motivation and are barely keeping afloat. I haven't even had extreme technological issues, although even I've had to cope with no printing facilities, occasional poor connection, and frequent audio issues, so I can't imagine what it's like if you've had to share screens with family members or had no internet connection or anything.

I heard a quote much earlier in the year that said we are, as people say, all in the same storm, but this doesn't mean we're in the same boat. Here's an excerpt of a message I sent somebody a while back while debating this, just to outline all the potential struggles people could have faced off the top fof my head: "there may be disadvantaged students whose home lives are full of distractions or sadly hardships, or who don’t have access to screens/Wifi. Many people will be grieving this year. Some people may have the virus in exam season. Some schools are shutting and others staying open. It’s the most uneven playing field in recent years."

I don't think it's fair, but I do struggle to evaluate which decision is for the best.

Reply 14

sixthformapp

Original post by stereotypeasian

were exams ever fair , even before the pandemic ?

yes as those who make the life choice to use resources they have to take exams and succeed and those who dont subsequently dont reach their potential. exams are a choice and u do as well as u prepare for them x

Reply 15

FreshlyC

Original post by GCSE_Rockstar32

I have to disagree with you on this. I think students should be allowed to decide whether they get their Predicted grades or if they want to do exams AND not be deferred to a later year entry (due to unsatisfactory predicted grade) Centre Assessed Grades/Teacher Assessed Grades in my opinion is utter **** (excuse the language). Predicted grades should already be to some extent a marker/indication of what a student is able to obtain, and I know some people who have been predicted lower than expected and therefore those students if given the option would prefer to take the exams. But the idea of CAG/TAG's makes no sense, it was shown how messed up of a system it was for the 2020 cohort and in all honesty, if exams get cancelled again for the 2021 cohort then they should have the same process of Predicts given and the availability to sit exams if they wish AND not be deferred. Students have already suffered enough and making them a year late for something at no fault of their own seems unreasonable. Why have 1 system for 2020 and another for 2021 when it's a short-term (hopefully) issue that is hopefully not going to affect then 2022 cohort. Especially as vaccines and stuff are rolling out soon enough, why make the process 20x more hectic, stressful and uncertain than it needs to be.

Reply 16

GCSE_Rockstar32

Original post by FreshlyC

I agree with your opinion to some extent, however not every school uses predicted grades. E.g. my school does not use predicted grades. :smile:

Reply 17

flaurie

Volunteer Team

I didn’t think that they’re fair, but I don’t know if there is actually a better way of awarding grades this year? Perhaps more weighing on coursework grades (for subjects w/ coursework) or having a mixture of CAGs and exams?

Either way, people are going to be upset and start petitions etc. so I don’t think there is a solution that will benefit everyone :dontknow:

Reply 18

FreshlyC

People would get higher marks if the tests were actually about applying knowledge to a question rather than can you memorise this random fact or this rule. Google and smartphones are available to nearly everyone in the world. You can find out the history of US Politics in 5 minutes with a little googling. It's an out-dated system in my opinion. Open-book tests seem much more reasonable as it shows a students ability to pick out key information as well as show their capabilities in explaining information they pick out. If you wanted to be more extreme with it, give an open-book test but throw in completely false information to test if the student has paid any attention in class etc.. Just my opinion but yeah.

Reply 19

SupposedlyIronic

Original post by FreshlyC

I’ve emboldened exactly what I’m replying to.

We can’t have exactly the same system because that system didn’t work. There was too much grade inflation, and a lot of problems have been caused. It’s suspected that the grades of 2020 won’t have as much weight to future employers for instance, because the grades don’t seem to mean the same thing as they normally do.