# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Skip to main content

Cookies on GOV.UK

We use some essential cookies to make this website work.

We'd like to set additional cookies to understand how you use GOV.UK, remember your settings and improve government services.

We also use cookies set by other sites to help us deliver content from their services.

You have accepted additional cookies. You can change your cookie settings at any time.

You have rejected additional cookies. You can change your cookie settings at any time.

Accept additional cookies Reject additional cookies View cookies

This guide provides you with information about this year's arrangements for qualifications regulated by Ofqual. It also explains what support is in place when taking exams and assessments.

Applies to England

Documents

Request an accessible format.

If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email publications@ofqual.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

Details

This guide is for students taking any of the following qualifications:

GCSEs

AS or A levels

other general qualifications, including International Baccalaureate, core mathematics and Pre-U

Technical Qualification (part of a T Level)

BTEC, Cambridge Technicals and other vocational and technical qualifications (VTQs) taken alongside GCSEs and A levels

In this guide, we refer to schools and colleges as a collective term for all schools, colleges and other exam centres.

Some students won't be studying at a school or college and will be private candidates. They are often home educated or are re-taking a qualification after leaving school or college. They may be studying with a distance learning provider, tutor, parent, or without any support. Private candidates will need to register at a school, college or other exam centre to sit their exams. More information on how to do this can be found in this guide. We make clear in this guide where information only applies to a certain type of qualification. If you are not sure exactly which qualifications you are taking, check with your school or college.

This guide talks about awarding organisations and exam boards. All organisations that offer qualifications regulated by Ofqual are called awarding organisations. The 4 awarding organisations that offer GCSEs, AS and A levels in England are also called exam boards.

This guide refers to exams officers. An exams officer is the person in a school or college that organises exams. An exams officer's duties will vary by school or college. Check with your school or college who your exams officer is and how to contact them.

Thank you for your feedback

Report a problem with this page

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
This guide provides you with information about this year's arrangements for qualifications regulated by Ofqual. It also explains what support is in place when taking exams and assessments.

# data[].attributes.headline
DfE: Guide to post-16 qualifications at level 3 and below in England from 2025

# data[].attributes.subject
DfE: Guide to post-16 qualifications at level 3 and below in England from 2025

# data[].attributes.body
Published: 20th April 2023
Summary - Post 16 Level 3 there will be a choice of A level or T level with the option to take additional single size (1 A level equivalent) technical qualification alongside an A level if you wanted a mixed programme. The old style 2 year full time BTEC technical qualifications type programme will gradually disappear.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Skip to main content

Cookies on GOV.UK

We use some essential cookies to make this website work.

We'd like to set additional cookies to understand how you use GOV.UK, remember your settings and improve government services.

We also use cookies set by other sites to help us deliver content from their services.

Accept additional cookies Reject additional cookies View cookies

An overview of post-16 qualifications at level 3 and below for awarding organisations and providers.

Details

The guide provides a high-level overview of the post-16 qualifications landscape from 2025 onwards, including:

changes to the funding approval process and criteria

the subjects that will be considered for funding

the implications for the availability of qualifications for teaching in England

The separate level 2 and 3 timeline documents provide a chronology of important dates for awarding organisations.

Post-16 qualifications at level 2 and below from spring 2023 signposts awarding organisations and providers to information that is already available and which they may find helpful in preparing for the reforms at level 2 and below.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Guide to post-16 qualifications at level 3 and below in England

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Skip to main content We use some essential cookies to make this website work. We'd like to set additional cookies to understand how you use GOV.UK, remember your settings and improve government services. We also use cookies set by other sites to help us deliver content from their services.

# data[].attributes.body
Published: 21 March 2023
This guide for students provides information about this year’s arrangements for qualifications regulated by Ofqual. It also explains what support is in place when taking exams and assessments.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Skip to main content

Cookies on GOV.UK

We use some essential cookies to make this website work.

We'd like to set additional cookies to understand how you use GOV.UK, remember your settings and improve government services.

We also use cookies set by other sites to help us deliver content from their services.

You have accepted additional cookies. You can change your cookie settings at any time.

You have rejected additional cookies. You can change your cookie settings at any time.

Accept additional cookies Reject additional cookies View cookies

This guide provides you with information about this year's arrangements for qualifications regulated by Ofqual. It also explains what support is in place when taking exams and assessments.

Applies to England

Documents

Request an accessible format.

If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email publications@ofqual.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

Details

This guide is for students taking any of the following qualifications:

GCSEs

AS or A levels

other general qualifications, including International Baccalaureate, core mathematics and Pre-U

Technical Qualification (part of a T Level)

BTEC, Cambridge Technicals and other vocational and technical qualifications (VTQs) taken alongside GCSEs and A levels

In this guide, we refer to schools and colleges as a collective term for all schools, colleges and other exam centres.

Some students won't be studying at a school or college and will be private candidates. They are often home educated or are re-taking a qualification after leaving school or college. They may be studying with a distance learning provider, tutor, parent, or without any support. Private candidates will need to register at a school, college or other exam centre to sit their exams. More information on how to do this can be found in this guide. We make clear in this guide where information only applies to a certain type of qualification. If you are not sure exactly which qualifications you are taking, check with your school or college.

This guide talks about awarding organisations and exam boards. All organisations that offer qualifications regulated by Ofqual are called awarding organisations. The 4 awarding organisations that offer GCSEs, AS and A levels in England are also called exam boards.

This guide refers to exams officers. An exams officer is the person in a school or college that organises exams. An exams officer's duties will vary by school or college. Check with your school or college who your exams officer is and how to contact them.

Thank you for your feedback

Report a problem with this page

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
This guide provides you with information about this year's arrangements for qualifications regulated by Ofqual. It also explains what support is in place when taking exams and assessments.

# data[].attributes.body
Published: 19th January 2023
"We expect that overall results in summer 2023 will be much closer to the pre-pandemic years than results since 2020. In other words, we expect that overall, nationally, results in 2023 will be lower than they were in 2022."

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Good afternoon. It is a pleasure to be with you this afternoon as Chair of Ofqual. Unfortunately, the Chief Regulator is unable to be with us today, which I know she very much regrets. She spoke to your winter conference last year in remote format, but it's obviously much better to be here face to face and talk in person.

And what a difference a year makes. Last year saw the very welcome return of a normal series of examinations and formal assessments, or nearly normal. Thank you for everything you did to enable those to run smoothly in your colleges. I know it wasn't always easy but we had a really good outcome for young people, nonetheless.

I will be saying something later on exams this summer, but I wanted to start with what is happening on the review of level 3 qualifications, including, for example, courses like BTECs at level 3, but also the whole range of alternative academic and technical qualifications at level 3.

I know that there are questions and potentially some concerns about what is happening, including the approval process for continued funding, and why all this is happening, so I thought it might be helpful for me to offer a brief overview.

Aside from a small number of exceptions, all level 3 alternative academic and technical qualifications (qualifications at level 3 which are not T Levels or A levels, like for example level 3 BTECS, alongside many others) are being required to re-apply for funding as part of a government-led streamlining programme for these qualifications.

The government's aim for this exercise is in essence threefold:

firstly, to simplify the landscape, including addressing what is seen as in some cases unnecessary duplication where that exists

to drive up the quality of qualifications and the assessment that underpins them

and to ensure that appropriate priority is given to T Levels and their place in the landscape

These alternative and technical qualifications constitute a large and complex area in comparison, say, with A levels and T Levels. For example, there are more than 60 awarding organisations offering the qualifications that are in scope, and several thousand different level 3 qualifications in the alternative academic and technical space.

Some of these are large entry and well known to you in your colleges, and some, of course, are very small in terms of entry, and not likely to be on your radar as college leaders.

Last week the government published details of their new qualifications funding approval process for qualifications at level 3. Talking to your colleagues, I know that that is under scrutiny by your representatives and I am sure debate will continue. What the document sets out to do is bring clarity on what type of L3 qualifications are likely to be publicly funded alongside A levels and T Levels, and bring clarity on the timescales.

I recommend that you take a look at this for more detailed information. I believe the Department for Education will be running some webinars to look at some of this in more detail, which may be useful for colleagues here as well.

As part of the process that awarding organisations are going through, re-applying for funding, we, Ofqual, are contributing by providing qualitative feedback to the DfE on each qualification where funding is being reapplied for, as well as on the awarding organisation itself.

This means that these qualifications are coming under much greater individual regulatory scrutiny than has been the case up to now. Ofqual has put in place a range of higher expectations relating to quality that we expect awarding organisations to meet in their reapplications. It is against those expectations that we provide our qualitative feedback to the DfE and the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE).

As the process plays out, the DfE is taking decisions on funding for the reapplications it receives taking into consideration the quality-based advice Ofqual provides, as well as the contribution of IfATE, that represents the employer voice.

It is probably important to flag that the government absolutely recognises that, alongside the aim of simplifying the landscape, there will, in the future, still need to be a range of qualifications at L3 available alongside A levels and T Levels.

For many students these qualifications are important, not only as vehicles for their continued education and engagement in education, but also because they provide important routes for further study or employment. So there will likely be many decisions to approve applications for funding, alongside decisions not to continue to fund.

You might be wondering what this means for you as a college leader.

In short, unless you are a college which offers only A levels and GCSEs, or T Levels, it is almost certain you will be offering some of these qualifications, maybe for example level 3 BTECs or equivalent.

It is also at least possible that the government will determine that some of those qualifications do not meet the criteria for continued funding, which may mean you will need to take decisions about changing the portfolio of courses you provide in the interests of your students to reflect what is available and funded in the future. So following this process, including through your representatives in this association, to make sure that you are up to speed with decisions being taken is critically important. I am sure you will also continue to make your views heard.

Grading in 2023

Moving on now, I will now say something about arrangements for grading GCSEs, AS and A levels in 2023. We published our plans back in September so that higher education institutions could factor in decisions that were being made about grading before they embarked on their offer-making, and of course because some of you will have been arriving at UCAS predictions for students. We felt it was important you had as much information as possible before you started that process. Our plans for 2023 take us a step further on the road to normality, building on what happened in 2022, while also recognising the impact of the pandemic.

You will recall that in summer 2022, we aimed for a staging post on the way back to more normal grading. In 2023, we will return to pre-pandemic grading, but with some protection in place for your students, a soft landing, if you like.

Students in the 2023 cohort have not, during their exam courses, experienced the level of national school or college closures experienced by students in the 2 years before them. But I know, from listening to teachers, college leaders and students themselves, that many have certainly experienced some level of disruption.

So, to achieve that extra bit of protection, Ofqual will put in place the same sort of safeguards used for the first students taking reformed GCSEs and A levels from 2017 onwards.

Back in the reform context, that meant not disadvantaging students in the first cohorts if overall they performed less well because they were the first to sit the new exams.

So how will it work this summer? In practice, as in any year, grade boundaries for every specification will be set by senior examiners after they have reviewed the work produced by students in their exams.

But those senior examiners will be guided in their decisions about where to set grade boundaries by information about the grades achieved in pre-pandemic years, along with prior attainment data for the cohort.

So that means students in 2023 will be protected in grading terms if their examination performance in 2023 is a little lower than it might have been had the pandemic not taken place. That is what I mean by a soft landing.

What that means is, a typical student who would have achieved an A grade in their A level geography before the pandemic will be just as likely to get an A in summer 2023, even if their performance in the assessments is a little weaker in 2023 than it might have been before the pandemic.

We expect that overall results in summer 2023 will be much closer to the pre-pandemic years than results since 2020. In other words, we expect that overall, nationally, results in 2023 will be lower than they were in 2022.

Individual providers, including colleges and schools, should be prepared for this. I know, as a school leader myself, it's worrying if you look at figures that are lower than the previous year.

It's important that we don't compare the results in 2022 with any other year. Lower results in 2023 compared with 2022 will not mean, by itself, that your college's performance has fallen. It will be much more likely to reflect the return nationally to normal grading standards.

It is important to note that, while we aim to return pretty much to normal grading in 2023, this does not mean there is any nationally pre-determined 'quota' of grades. Every set of grade boundaries, qualification by qualification, is determined by human, senior examiners, taking account of all the information they have available, including actual student performance.

I did want to sound one note of caution: if you are using summer or autumn 2022 papers as mock or trial exams, the grade boundaries set for those papers are likely to be more generous, reflecting the approach we took in 2022, both summer and autumn. Do bear that in mind if you are using the results from mocks to give indicative grades for students being examined this year.

For vocational and technical qualifications (VTQs) taken alongside or instead of GCSEs and A levels, awarding organisations are expected to take account of the grading approach being used in GCSEs and A levels. So for VTQ qualifications certificating in 2023, this also means a return to normal grading arrangements.

And a word about universities and higher education: decisions about grading by themselves have no effect on the number of higher education places available. That is determined by other factors and has got nothing to do with grading decisions.

Universities themselves will take account of how exams will be graded when they make their offers, including any differences between the 4 nations of the UK (which already exist). Universities are well-experienced in factoring those in to their offering arrangements.

UCAS wrote out to all schools just after Ofqual announced our grading decision, to explain how offers will be made this year, and to confirm that universities would take our grading decision into account. The Chief Regulator also wrote to admissions officers just before Christmas.

Formulae/equation sheets, MFL and resilience

Further points on 2023: there are one or two changes to support students taking GCSEs. Students will be given formulae sheets for GCSE maths and revised equation sheets for GCSE physics and combined science, which we did in 2022 for those GCSEs. This will give some additional reassurance to GCSE students in the exam itself.

And for modern foreign languages GCSEs, Ofqual's changed requirements mean that exams do not have to test unfamiliar vocabulary. That's to make it feel a bit more accessible for students this year.

Delivering exams

Turning now to resilience, the arrangements in place should the unthinkable happen in summer 2023. Clearly the closer we get to the summer, the less likely that becomes, but we've all learned to be cautious in how we predict the future. In November, Ofqual and the DfE jointly published guidance on resilience, in the very unlikely event that exams are not able to go ahead as planned. Some colleges may be running mock exams now and I know this is a big operation, particularly in colleges such as yours with large cohorts of students. You are also, simultaneously, preparing students to take their end of year exams. Ofqual was conscious of this when we published the guidance.

The thrust of that guidance, designed to minimise the burden on you and your students, is that any assessment opportunities you plan should be in line with your normal approaches, as far as possible.

As well as all the work you do to prepare your students to take their assessments through your teaching and learning, we know that the administration and delivery of exams is something you take seriously. We take our hats off to people in colleges leading the examinations operation.

It is enormously complex, but there is training and support available, and I encourage you to make sure those who are charged with doing this work get access to the range of training available for them so they can benefit from it and deliver as well as possible on behalf of students.

If you've looked at the GCSE and A level exam timetables for next year, you'll see there are some changes from 2022.

The Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ) listened to feedback about the spacing between exams in the same subject in summer 2022. They have taken this on board for 2023.

They will largely be preserving those gaps, to reduce the risk of students missing all exams in a subject, but the spacing between some papers is slightly less next summer.

I did just want to draw your attention to the contingency days that they have built in. Both the 8 and 15 June will be 'contingency afternoons' and the 28 June will be a contingency day in case there is national or local disruption that would mean exams had to be re-scheduled.

Do please let your students know about this and remind them that they might have to be available on those dates. It's particularly important for them to be aware if they are planning holidays.

There are more details on the JCQ website, and a quick plug for Ofqual's resources as well: every year we provide a guide for students and a guide for schools and colleges. These will be published in the spring, and always live somewhere central on our website. I hope you'll be able to point your students to them.

Vocational and technical qualification results in 2023

And finally, just as Ofqual regulates in the interests of students of all ages and apprentices, we are also convinced of the need for parity of treatment for students across the different sorts of qualifications your colleges provide, whether vocational or academic.

So I wanted to reassure you that we have in train a series of actions to prevent a repeat of the delayed results in vocational and technical qualifications that we saw last August. I know this affected some of you and your students.

We were shocked by what became apparent in August. Not only that around 20,000 students from 1,550 centres had delayed results, but that for some time, there hadn't been a single date by which VTQ students could expect results - even when they were used for progression. That is not acceptable and Ofqual will work with the sector to fix this, not just for this summer, but for the long term and in the interests of being fair to students taking these qualifications.

Our investigation of the awarding organisations involved continues, as does our review of the extent of the problem. We will consider whether enforcement action is appropriate after that concludes.

In December, we published the 5 key actions that Ofqual, working with you and others in the sector, will deliver.

These actions cover a range of areas, and there isn't time to cover them in detail here. They include putting in place clear deadlines, improving data sharing, introducing check-ins for colleges and awarding organisations, improving information accessibility about these qualifications, improving communications from awarding organisations to centres, improving training for staff running exams, and monitoring the implementation of all this via a joint taskforce from around the sector chaired by the Chief Regulator.

We are certain that taken together these actions will to a very significant extent address the issues we saw playing out this summer (and which to a greater or lesser extent have been endemic in the system).

Thank you very much for your attention - I think we still have a few moments for any questions.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Sir Ian Bauckham CBE at the Sixth Form Colleges Association winter conference

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Ofqual's Chair looks ahead to assessment and examination results in 2023.

# data[].attributes.headline
Inspiration Teaching School Hub: Spring Newsletter

# data[].attributes.subject
Inspiration Teaching School Hub: Spring Newsletter

# data[].attributes.body
For schools in Mid, South and East Norfolk

# data[].attributes.headline
Julian Teaching School Hub: NPQ IN SENIOR LEADERSHIP

# data[].attributes.subject
Julian Teaching School Hub: NPQ IN SENIOR LEADERSHIP

# data[].attributes.body
February 2023 Start

# data[].attributes.headline
Julian Teaching School Hub: NPQ IN LEADING TEACHING

# data[].attributes.subject
Julian Teaching School Hub: NPQ IN LEADING TEACHING

# data[].attributes.body
February 2023 Start

# data[].attributes.headline
Ofqual: Letter to Heads and Principals - arrangements for exams and assessments in 2023

# data[].attributes.subject
Ofqual: Letter to Heads and Principals - arrangements for exams and assessments in 2023

# data[].attributes.body
Published: 9th December 2022

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Thank you to you and your colleagues for the vital part you played in the successful return to exams and formal assessments earlier this year. Over one million students received more than 5 million qualifications despite the disruption caused by the pandemic. From talking to teachers and students wh…

# data[].attributes.headline
JCQ: Key dates in the examination cycle document - June 2023

# data[].attributes.subject
JCQ: Key dates in the examination cycle document - June 2023

# data[].attributes.body
Published: 8th November 2022
Contingency days update: Timetabled for the afternoons of the 8 and 15 June and all day of 28 June 2023. To be used in the event of national or significant local disruption to examinations

# data[].attributes.headline
Ofqual: Apply to be an external expert with Ofqual - Subject matter expertise in vocational and technical subject areas

# data[].attributes.subject
Ofqual: Apply to be an external expert with Ofqual - Subject matter expertise in vocational and technical subject areas

# data[].attributes.body
Updated: 20th October 2022

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Skip to main content

Cookies on GOV.UK

We use some essential cookies to make this website work.

We'd like to set additional cookies to understand how you use GOV.UK, remember your settings and improve government services.

We also use cookies set by other sites to help us deliver content from their services.

Accept additional cookies Reject additional cookies View cookies

Find out what the role of an external expert involves and how to apply.

We often require advice from people with expertise to help with our work on qualifications and assessments for GCSEs, A levels, a wide range of vocational and technical qualifications and new apprenticeship end-point assessments.

External experts are invaluable to the work we do to ensure the qualifications we regulate are fit for purpose ensuring that the right things can be assessed in a consistent way.

What we look for in external experts

We are looking for people from a wide range of backgrounds.

You might:

be a teacher, practitioner, assessor, examiner or an academic

have extensive skills and experience in a particular industry

How to apply

If you would like to provide subject matter expertise in vocational and technical subject areas, please register your interest.
Register your interest
We are not currently seeking additional subject matter expertise in academic subjects.

Current experts

To see who is currently advising us, download our current .

Terms and conditions, and privacy statement

These are the terms and conditions for external experts and the .

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Apply to be an external expert with Ofqual

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Skip to main content We use some essential cookies to make this website work. We'd like to set additional cookies to understand how you use GOV.UK, remember your settings and improve government services. We also use cookies set by other sites to help us deliver content from their services.

# data[].attributes.headline
Ofqual & DfE: Consultation on Ensuring the resilience of the qualifications system in 2023: GCSE, AS, A level, Project and AEA

# data[].attributes.subject
Ofqual & DfE: Consultation on Ensuring the resilience of the qualifications system in 2023: GCSE, AS, A level, Project and AEA

# data[].attributes.body
Published: 29th September 2022
Deadline: 20th October 2022

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Skip to main content

Cookies on GOV.UK

We use some essential cookies to make this website work.

We'd like to set additional cookies to understand how you use GOV.UK, remember your settings and improve government services.

We also use cookies set by other sites to help us deliver content from their services.

You have accepted additional cookies. You can change your cookie settings at any time.

You have rejected additional cookies. You can change your cookie settings at any time.

Accept additional cookies Reject additional cookies View cookies

Detail of outcome

As outlined in our consultation document, both the DfE and Ofqual have responsibilities in this area, and so we consulted jointly.

The DfE is responsible for its policy for qualifications (including whether the government considers that exams can go ahead safely and fairly as planned) and the subject content that is taught and assessed. Ofqual is responsible for assessment arrangements and is therefore responsible for setting rules to implement alternative arrangements, if required.

As outlined in the consultation, the DfE considers that, if it becomes necessary to cancel exams this should apply to all students and a TAG approach should be implemented nationally. This would only happen due to an event like the pandemic which has such severe and catastrophic consequences for a significant number of students. The DfE has also confirmed that TAGs would not be used to award a grade when exams take place.

In line with our respective responsibilities, Ofqual and the DfE have decided to implement the proposals set out in the consultation about the provision of guidance for teachers on how they should collect evidence of student performance. The DfE has decided that the provision of guidance for schools and colleges is appropriate, given its responsibilities in this area. Ofqual has decided that the proposed guidance would support schools and colleges in gathering evidence of student performance that could be used to determine a TAG should exams not be able to go ahead as planned. Ofqual has revised the guidance consulted on, in response to feedback, with a view to minimise further the burden on students, schools and colleges. Ofqual has taken a decision to publish the final guidance, in line with its responsibilities for qualifications and assessments, including in the unlikely case that exams cannot go ahead.

The government is firmly committed to exams taking place. Schools and colleges are, therefore, not asked to determine TAGs and should not seek to do so. Guidance on how to determine a TAG, and on any quality assurance and appeal processes, will be provided only in the unlikely event that exams are not able to go ahead safely or fairly. These arrangements would depend on the nature and timing of any decision that exams cannot take place.

In this decisions document and the accompanying analysis, we have not sought to discuss every point made by those who responded to our consultation. In taking our respective decisions and finalising the guidance we have, however, considered all the points made in response to the consultation.

Detail of feedback received

The Department for Education (DfE) and Ofqual welcomed the return of exams and other formal assessments in summer 2022, for the first time since 2019. Exams and other formal assessments are the best and fairest way of assessing what students know and can do. That's why it was so important that students were able to take exams in 2022 and can continue to take them in 2023 and in the future.

The national cancellation of exams - and the need for alternative assessment arrangements - is now very unlikely. The government does not expect to ever be in the situation again where exams do not go ahead, but good public policy means having contingency, even for extremely unlikely scenarios.

A consultation, prepared jointly by the DfE and Ofqual, invited views on guidance to schools and colleges about gathering assessment evidence to support resilience in the exams system in the unlikely event it is necessary to use that evidence to inform Teacher Assessed Grades (TAGs). The proposed guidance was designed to allow schools and colleges to decide how to gather evidence of student performance in assessments in ways that align with their normal arrangements for preparing students for exams. The consultation asked for the views of relevant people and institutions, such as students, teachers, exam boards, schools and colleges and their representatives on the proposed guidance. In particular, it sought their views on whether it supported the gathering of evidence to build resilience in the system whilst minimising any additional burden on teachers and students.

Responses to the consultation have informed the arrangements for gathering assessment evidence to support resilience in the exams system in 2023 that we have now put in place. The decisions taken on the final form of the guidance are set out in a decisions document, and the final guidance itself can be found here . The consultation was available online for 21 days and received 213 responses.

Original consultation

Summary

Consultation proposals for gathering evidence of student performance in GCSE, AS, A level, Project and AEA qualifications to support qualification system resilience in 2023.

This consultation ran from

Consultation description

We welcomed the return of exams and other formal assessments in summer 2022, for the first time since 2019. Exams and other formal assessments are the best and fairest way of assessing what students know and can do. That's why it was so important that we got back to students taking them in 2022, and that this continues next year.

The national closure of schools or cancellation of exams - necessitating the use of alternative assessment arrangements - is now very unlikely. The government does not expect to ever be in the situation again where exams do not go ahead, but good public policy means having contingency, even for extremely unlikely scenarios.

It is important to learn lessons from the past 3 years. We have taken into account feedback received on the arrangements in place in 2022 and we propose to put in place arrangements which will build resilience in the exam system next year. We know that most schools and colleges have robust and effective assessment activities in place to monitor students' progress and prepare them for exams, such as mock exams, and these are well established.

This document, prepared jointly by the Department for Education (DfE) and Ofqual, invites views on guidance to schools and colleges about gathering assessment evidence to support resilience in the exams system in the unlikely event it is necessary to use that evidence to inform Teacher Assessed Grades (TAGs). It is designed to allow schools and colleges to determine arrangements to gather evidence that align with their normal arrangements for preparing students for exams.

The proposals in this consultation apply to GCSEs, AS, A levels, Project Qualifications and the Advanced Extension Award (AEA) in mathematics.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Ensuring the resilience of the qualifications system in 2023: GCSE, AS, A level, Project and AEA

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Consultation proposals for gathering evidence of student performance in GCSE, AS, A level, Project and AEA qualifications to support qualification system resilience in 2023.

# data[].attributes.headline
Pearson: "Snippet" samples available for BTEC Tech Award (2022) Travel and Tourism Student Book

# data[].attributes.subject
Pearson: "Snippet" samples available for BTEC Tech Award (2022) Travel and Tourism Student Book

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
BTEC Tech Award (2022) Travel and Tourism

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Your resources for the BTEC Tech Award (2022) in HSC, including;
Digital and print versions of the student book
Revision resources
Teacher resources

# data[].attributes.headline
All Aboard: Series of podcasts with giving you the latest trends and themes in the industry from guest speaker to support your teaching and learning

# data[].attributes.subject
All Aboard: Series of podcasts with giving you the latest trends and themes in the industry from guest speaker to support your teaching and learning

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Listen to All Aboard- A Pearson BTEC Travel and Tourism Podcast on Spotify.

# data[].attributes.headline
ZIGZAG: Now providing resources for Pearson BTECs - Photocopiable teaching resources

# data[].attributes.subject
ZIGZAG: Now providing resources for Pearson BTECs - Photocopiable teaching resources

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
You've come to the right place to browse, preview and order photocopiable teaching resources for BTEC Level 1/2 First (2013/18), BTEC Level 1/2 Tech Award (2018) and BTEC L3 Nationals (2019) Travel and Tourism.
Join our Mailing List to get updates as soon as these are available. Need a resource that isn't here? Request it using the button above or email travel@zigzageducation.co.uk

Read more

In collaboration with experienced teachers, examiners and subject specialists, we are developing a range of teaching and learning resources to cover every aspect of the BTEC T&T qualifications in a variety of different ways. Whatever you're looking for, we've got it covered. Plus, every ZigZag Travel & Tourism resource is written and reviewed by teachers, examiners and experts!

We hope you will enjoy bringing ZigZag Travel and Tourism into your classroom!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Teaching Resources for Travel and Tourism

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
You've come to the right place to browse, preview and order photocopiable teaching resources for BTEC Level 1/2 First (2013/18), BTEC Level 1/2 Tech Award (2018) and BTEC L3 Nationals (2019) Travel and Tourism.Join our Mailing List to get updates as soon as these are available. Need a resource that isn't here?

# data[].attributes.headline
Pearson: NEW BTEC Tech Awards L1/2 Support Pages 

# data[].attributes.subject
Pearson: NEW BTEC Tech Awards L1/2 Support Pages 

# data[].attributes.body
Published: 3rd October 2022

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Copyright © 1996 - 2022 Pearson All rights reserved.

# data[].attributes.body
Deadline: 14th October 2022

# data[].attributes.headline
Ofqual: Arrangements for 2022 to 2023 NEAs and Exams

# data[].attributes.subject
Ofqual: Arrangements for 2022 to 2023 NEAs and Exams

# data[].attributes.body
- Ofqual confirms the usual arrangements for NEA, fieldwork and practical science are in place for 2023.
- Ofqual will ask exam boards to look carefully at the design of the exam timetable for next year, to see if the increased spacing between subjects in the exam timetable should be retained.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Skip to main content

Cookies on GOV.UK

We use some essential cookies to make this website work.

We'd like to set additional cookies to understand how you use GOV.UK, remember your settings and improve government services.

We also use cookies set by other sites to help us deliver content from their services.

You have accepted additional cookies. You can change your cookie settings at any time.

You have rejected additional cookies. You can change your cookie settings at any time.

Accept additional cookies Reject additional cookies View cookies

Applies to England

In 2021 and 2022, Ofqual made a range of adjustments to the arrangements for NEA and fieldwork and practical science requirements in some GCSE, AS and A level subjects to respond to public health measures. Given that they are no longer in force, for the 2023 cohort Ofqual confirms that, as planned, the usual arrangements for NEA, fieldwork and practical science are now in place.

For the 2022 cohort, the Department for Education determined that there should be a choice of topics in GCSE English literature, history and ancient history and a choice of content in GCSE geography as part of a range of adaptations to GCSE, AS and A levels for this year. For 2023, the Department for Education confirms the return to full subject content coverage for those GCSE subjects.

For other qualifications, including vocational and technical qualifications taught alongside or instead of GCSEs, AS and A levels, a range of adaptations were permitted in academic year 2021 to 2022. Awarding organisations decided which adaptations were appropriate for their qualifications in accordance with Ofqual's Vocational and Technical Qualifications Contingency Regulatory Framework (VCRF). Some adaptations were in response to public health restrictions. Given that public health restrictions are no longer in place, these adaptations are no longer necessary for the academic year 2022 to 2023 onwards.

This means that schools and colleges have the information they need to plan their teaching of the required content and to provide non-exam assessments. The Department for Education and Ofqual will continue to monitor the path and impact of the pandemic and evaluate the delivery of arrangements this year, including the provision of exam aids, such as formulae sheets, and advance information to support students' revision, before finalising 2023 arrangements. Our intention is to return to the carefully designed and well-established pre-pandemic assessment arrangements as quickly as possible, given they are the best and fairest way of assessing what students know and can do.

For GCSEs, AS and A levels, Ofqual will, as planned, consider the approach to grading for 2023 in light of outcomes in 2022. Ofqual will also ask exam boards to look carefully at the design of the exam timetable for next year in the light of experience this year, to see if the increased spacing between subjects in the exam timetable should be retained.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Subject content and assessment arrangements in the academic year 2022 to 2023

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Skip to main content We use some essential cookies to make this website work. We'd like to set additional cookies to understand how you use GOV.UK, remember your settings and improve government services. We also use cookies set by other sites to help us deliver content from their services.

# data[].attributes.headline
Ofqual: Post 16 qualifications that sit alongside A and T levels - Second Consultation launched

# data[].attributes.subject
Ofqual: Post 16 qualifications that sit alongside A and T levels - Second Consultation launched

# data[].attributes.body
Published: 30th June 2022
Consultation Deadline: 10th August 2022

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Skip to main content

Cookies on GOV.UK

We use some essential cookies to make this website work.

We'd like to set additional cookies to understand how you use GOV.UK, remember your settings and improve government services.

We also use cookies set by other sites to help us deliver content from their services.

Accept additional cookies Reject additional cookies View cookies

Ofqual seeks views on its detailed proposals for regulating a range of academic and technical level 3 qualifications.

Ofqual has today confirmed how it will make sure there is quality and fairness for students who take level 3 qualifications that sit alongside A levels and T Levels. These decisions are informed by the views of students, employers, awarding organisations, and others who recognise the importance of these qualifications which enable progression into higher education and employment.

Alongside these decisions, in a second consultation Ofqual is seeking views on:

titles of qualifications

grading of alternative academic qualifications

details of the proposed draft regulations

Ofqual's proposals focus on providing students with good quality, fair assessments, supported by meaningful grading scales and titles which make it clear, to all, what these level 3 qualifications represent.

For alternative academic qualifications, Ofqual is requiring that awarding organisations should set and mark at least 40% of the assessment to be undertaken by all students, at the same time. For these alternative academic qualifications, Ofqual is also proposing putting in place guidance regarding grading scales and is considering a move to a smaller number of common grading scales in the future.

Dr Jo Saxton, Ofqual Chief Regulator, said:

It is important that students have access to high-quality qualifications that will help them to build a meaningful career. Qualifications lead to better opportunities in life.

It is also important that students and employers can easily identify which qualifications are relevant to them and understand what the grades awarded represent.

Ofqual has drawn up its proposals for regulating alternative level 3 qualifications to make sure students best interests are met.

These proposals all contribute to making sure that qualifications approved for use alongside A levels and T Levels are of high quality and relevant, an ambition the Department for Education (DfE) confirmed in July 2021 in i ts plans to reform post-16 qualifications.

The Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE) is currently consulting on proposals for its approval of level 3 alternative technical qualifications.

Ofqual, IfATE and DfE are working together to provide awarding organisations with a streamlined approval process for all level 3 qualifications, with no duplication of, or tension between, requirements. Awarding bodies will only be required to submit one set of documents for approval.

The aim is to have one single source of information once Ofqual's and IfATE's consultations are complete.

Ofqual's consultation opens today Thursday, 30 June 2022 and runs for six weeks, closing on Wednesday 10 August 2022.

Thank you for your feedback

Report a problem with this page

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Post 16 qualifications that sit alongside A and T levels

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Skip to main content We use some essential cookies to make this website work. We'd like to set additional cookies to understand how you use GOV.UK, remember your settings and improve government services. We also use cookies set by other sites to help us deliver content from their services.

# data[].attributes.headline
Julian Teaching School Hub: NPQLT 2022/23

# data[].attributes.subject
Julian Teaching School Hub: NPQLT 2022/23

# data[].attributes.headline
Ofqual: Podcast on Marking and grading in summer 2022

# data[].attributes.subject
Ofqual: Podcast on Marking and grading in summer 2022

# data[].attributes.body
Published: 13th May 2022

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Ofqual Podcast: Marking and grading in summer 2022

# data[].attributes.headline
Ofsted: Inspection Data Summary Report (IDSR) - Updated guidance on report

# data[].attributes.subject
Ofsted: Inspection Data Summary Report (IDSR) - Updated guidance on report

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
School inspection data summary report (IDSR) guide

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
This guide provides an overview of the inspection data summary report (IDSR) for primary and secondary schools, including schools with a sixth form and gives guidance on interpreting the data.

# data[].attributes.body
Published: 9th May 2022

# data[].attributes.headline
JCQ: Guidance for centres managing exams - June 2022 Series

# data[].attributes.subject
JCQ: Guidance for centres managing exams - June 2022 Series

# data[].attributes.body
Published: 29th April 2022

# data[].attributes.headline
Pearson: New specification for Tech Award for first teaching in Sep 2022

# data[].attributes.subject
Pearson: New specification for Tech Award for first teaching in Sep 2022

# data[].attributes.body
Published: 15/02/22

# data[].attributes.headline
Register your interest for the new Tech Award for first teaching in Sep 2022

# data[].attributes.subject
Register your interest for the new Tech Award for first teaching in Sep 2022

# data[].attributes.body
Published: 01/01/22

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Register your interest in the BTEC Tech Awards 2022

If you're interested in the BTEC Tech Awards 2022 qualifications, let us know and we'll make sure you're kept fully up to date with the latest support and information.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
BTEC Tech Awards Travel & Tourism (2022)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
If you're interested in the BTEC Tech Awards 2022 qualifications, let us know and we'll make sure you're kept fully up to date with the latest support and information.

# data[].attributes.headline
TandT Publishing: Latest travel and tourism industry monthly newsletter

# data[].attributes.subject
TandT Publishing: Latest travel and tourism industry monthly newsletter

# data[].attributes.headline
SMBP Scheme Applications Open - Year 12&13

# data[].attributes.subject
SMBP Scheme Applications Open - Year 12&13

# data[].attributes.body
Applications Deadlines:
National Online week is end of March

Work Insight & Skills week is end of May

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Membership of ITT is open to everyone involved in travel and tourism - whether a employee of a travel agency, airline, tour operator, hotel, tourist office, car hire company or a business working with the sector such as finance, law, PR and marketing. There are different membership tiers available for individuals, companies and educational establishments, including lecturers and students.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Membership of ITT is open to everyone involved in travel and tourism - whether a employee of a travel agency, airline, tour operator, hotel, tourist office, car hire company or a business working with the sector such as finance, law, PR and marketing.

# data[].attributes.headline
ATHE: The Association for Tourism in Higher Education

# data[].attributes.subject
ATHE: The Association for Tourism in Higher Education

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The Association for Tourism in Higher Education is the subject association for tourism in higher education in the UK. Its objectives include promoting the development and recognition of tourism as a subject of study in the UK at foundation degree, undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral levels, and encouraging high standards in learning, teaching and research. To this end, it works with other bodies concerned with higher education in the UK such as the Quality Assurance Agency and the Higher Education Academy; it is a Learned Society of the Academy for the Social Sciences.

Objectives

The Benefits of Membership include:-

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
ATHE - Association for Tourism in Higher Education

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Association for Tourism in Higher Education is the subject association for tourism in higher education in the UK. Its objectives include promoting the development and recognition of tourism as a subject of study in the UK at foundation degree, undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral levels, and encouraging high standards in learning, teaching and research.

# data[].attributes.body
Awards for Y12/13 Norfolk & Suffolk students studying Vocational and Technical Qualifications

# data[].attributes.headline
Ofqual: Updated with additional information for teachers on collecting evidence for use in contingency arrangements

# data[].attributes.subject
Ofqual: Updated with additional information for teachers on collecting evidence for use in contingency arrangements

# data[].attributes.body
Updated: 25th March 2022

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Skip to main content

Cookies on GOV.UK

We use some essential cookies to make this website work.

We'd like to set additional cookies to understand how you use GOV.UK, remember your settings and improve government services.

We also use cookies set by other sites to help us deliver content from their services.

You have accepted additional cookies. You can change your cookie settings at any time.

You have rejected additional cookies. You can change your cookie settings at any time.

Accept additional cookies Reject additional cookies View cookies

Recent updates regarding regulated qualifications.

Delivery of vocational and technical qualification results for 2024 and beyond

Ofqual has announced arrangements to ensure the timely delivery of results for students taking vocational and technical qualifications in 2024 and beyond.

Dr Jo Saxton, Chief Regulator, has also written to all schools and colleges in England to explain the arrangements in more detail, and how they differ from those implemented in 2023.

GCSE, Level 1, Level 1/2 and Level 2 vocational and technical qualifications results, summer 2023

Ofqual has published 2 guides to today's (24 August 2023) exam results:

These guides summarise the headline figures across England and reflect Ofqual's decision to return to pre-pandemic grading this summer.

You can explore the results in more depth - including breakdowns by centre type, subject and region - using Ofqual's interactive visualisations.

Ofqual has also summarised the key data in infographics for GCSE and Level 1, Level 1/2 and Level 2 VTQ.

AS, A level and Level 3 vocational and technical qualifications results, summer 2023

Ofqual has published 2 guides to today's (17 August 2023) exam results:

These guides summarise the headline figures across England and reflect Ofqual's decision to return to pre-pandemic grading this summer.

You can explore the results in more depth - including breakdowns by centre type, subject and region - using Ofqual's interactive visualisations.

Ofqual has also summarised the key data in infographics for AS and A level and Level 3 VTQ.

Industrial action

The Department for Education has issued guidance that recommends that schools should prioritise the running of examinations and assessments on any strike days, and should review their contingency plans to enable this to happen.

Schools, colleges and other exam centres should speak to the relevant awarding organisations if they are expecting any disruption that might affect the sitting of exams and assessments.

Replacement certificates

Ofqual does not hold copies of your certificates - we can't tell you your grade or provide replacements. Certificates are held by the exam board you sat your qualification with. If you don't know which exam board you took your qualification with, ask your school. If your school don't know you will need to ask each exam board to do a search for you - they will charge you for this.

# data[].attributes.headline
DfE: Secondary accountability measures Guidance 2022

# data[].attributes.subject
DfE: Secondary accountability measures Guidance 2022

# data[].attributes.body
Updated: February 2022

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Skip to main content

Cookies on GOV.UK

We use some essential cookies to make this website work.

We'd like to set additional cookies to understand how you use GOV.UK, remember your settings and improve government services.

We also use cookies set by other sites to help us deliver content from their services.

You have accepted additional cookies. You can change your cookie settings at any time.

You have rejected additional cookies. You can change your cookie settings at any time.

Accept additional cookies Reject additional cookies View cookies

Information for schools about secondary school accountability measures, including Progress 8 and Attainment 8.

Applies to England

Documents

Details

This document explains how secondary accountability measures are calculated. It also gives more information about announced policies that apply to accountability measures for the 2022 to 2023 academic year.

This information is for:

senior leaders working in secondary schools and trusts, including maintained schools, academies, alternative provision, free schools and special schools

independent schools or colleges with 14 to 16 provision seeking information on secondary accountability measures

governors and trustees

local authorities

It applies to:

local-authority-maintained schools

academies

free schools

further education colleges with 14 to 16 provision

Find school and college performance data.

KS4 qualifications, discount codes and point scores for the school performance measures.

A short video explaining Progress 8 is also available:
Progress 8 video

Thank you for your feedback

Report a problem with this page

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Secondary accountability measures (including Progress 8 and Attainment 8)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Information for schools about secondary school accountability measures, including Progress 8 and Attainment 8.

# data[].attributes.headline
Ofqual: Regulating academic and technical qualifications at level 3 - Consultation

# data[].attributes.subject
Ofqual: Regulating academic and technical qualifications at level 3 - Consultation

# data[].attributes.body
Deadline: 20th April 2022

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Skip to main content

Cookies on GOV.UK

We use some essential cookies to make this website work.

We'd like to set additional cookies to understand how you use GOV.UK, remember your settings and improve government services.

We also use cookies set by other sites to help us deliver content from their services.

Accept additional cookies Reject additional cookies View cookies

Applies to England

Summary

Proposed regulatory approach for alternative academic and alternative technical qualifications at level 3 in England

This consultation closes at

Consultation description

This consultation sets out Ofqual's proposed approach to regulating alternative academic qualifications and alternative technical qualifications, operating in conjunction with the Institute and the Department. These qualifications will be part of the future level 3 landscape, as part of the Department's 'Review of post-16 qualifications at level 3 in England', alongside A levels, T Levels and Apprenticeships. These groups of qualifications are explained in more detail later in this document, but in summary:

alternative academic qualifications are those which have the primary purpose of evidencing students' attainment in relation to their course of study, with a view to supporting informed decisions and choices about further study

alternative technical qualifications are those which have the primary purpose of identifying students that have attained the knowledge, skills and behaviours linked to competence in a given occupation.

This consultation is open to anyone who may wish to make representation but may be of most interest to:

awarding organisations and their representative bodies, particularly those that deliver (or want to deliver) alternative academic and alternative technical qualifications that would fit into the groups to be regulated by the proposed arrangements

schools, colleges and training providers, and their representative bodies - particularly those that deliver (or want to deliver) alternative academic and alternative technical qualifications that would fit into the groups to be regulated by the proposed arrangements

students

employers

Documents

Ref: Ofqual/22/6898/1 HTML

Ref: Ofqual/22/6898/1 PDF, 678 KB, 65 pages

This file may not be suitable for users of assistive technology.

Request an accessible format.

If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email publications@ofqual.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

Thank you for your feedback

Report a problem with this page

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Regulating academic and technical qualifications at level 3

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Skip to main content We use some essential cookies to make this website work. We'd like to set additional cookies to understand how you use GOV.UK, remember your settings and improve government services. We also use cookies set by other sites to help us deliver content from their services.

# data[].attributes.headline
Ofqual: Subject-by-subject support for GCSE, AS and A level students in 2022

# data[].attributes.subject
Ofqual: Subject-by-subject support for GCSE, AS and A level students in 2022

# data[].attributes.body
Published: 7th February 2022

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Overview of the support being provided for each qualification for students taking GCSEs, AS and A levels in 2022.

Applies to England

Additional support this year

A package of support has been put in place for students taking GCSE, AS and A level qualifications in summer 2022. It is intended to make sure that we are being as fair as possible to students given the disruption they have experienced, and many continue to face, due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Part of the changes includes more generous grading this year to provide a safety net for students who may have been impacted by the pandemic.

Advance information might look different for different subjects because of how they are structured and assessed, but as far as possible the exam boards have made sure the approaches within a subject are the same.

These changes apply in England and to Ofqual regulated qualifications taken elsewhere.

Exam boards have published specific information about the changes for each qualification they offer, you should check their websites for more information:

GCSEs

Where we list changes for subjects in 2022, we only list what has changed, not what is remaining the same.

Ancient history, GCSE

Art and design, GCSE

Changes for 2022

More information is available from the exam boards:

Astronomy, GCSE

Biblical Hebrew, GCSE

Biology, GCSE

Business, GCSE

Chemistry, GCSE

Citizenship studies, GCSE

Classical civilisation, GCSE

Classical Greek, GCSE

Combined science, GCSE

Changes for 2022

Information on some of the exam content has been provided to help students focus their revision.

A revised equation sheet has been provided for teaching and learning.

A clean copy of the equation sheet will be provided for students in the exams.

Teachers can deliver practical work by demonstration.

Examiners will build in generosity for students when setting grade boundaries.

More information is available from the exam boards:

Computer science, GCSE

Dance, GCSE

Design and technology, GCSE

Drama, GCSE

Economics, GCSE

Electronics, GCSE

Engineering, GCSE

English language, GCSE

English literature, GCSE

Film studies, GCSE

Food preparation and nutrition, GCSE

Geography, GCSE

Changes for 2022

Exams will cover less content than usual.

In the exams there will be a choice of content on which students must answer questions.

There will be no questions on the student's fieldwork experience.

Fieldwork requirements have been relaxed.

Examiners will build in generosity for students when setting grade boundaries.

More information is available from the exam boards:

Geology, GCSE

Changes for 2022

More information is available from the exam boards:

History, GCSE

Latin, GCSE

Maths, GCSE

Modern foreign languages, GCSE

Changes for 2022

More information is available from the exam boards:

Music, GCSE

Physical education, GCSE

Physical education (short course), GCSE

Physics, GCSE

Changes for 2022

Information on some of the exam content has been provided to help students focus their revision.

A revised equation sheet has been provided for teaching and learning.

A clean copy of the equation sheet will be provided for students in the exams.

Teachers can deliver practical work by demonstration.

Examiners will build in generosity for students when setting grade boundaries.

More information is available from the exam boards:

Psychology, GCSE

Religious studies, GCSE

Religious studies (short course), GCSE

Sociology, GCSE

Statistics, GCSE

AS and A levels

Accounting, AS and A level

Ancient history, AS and A level

Art and design, AS and A level

Biblical Hebrew, A level

Biology, AS

Biology, A level

Business, AS and A level

Chemistry, AS

Chemistry, A level

Classical civilisation, AS and A level

Classical Greek, AS and A level

Computer science, AS and A level

Dance, A level

Design and technology, AS and A level

Drama and theatre, AS and A level

Economics, AS and A level

Electronics, AS and A level

English language, AS and A level

English language and literature, AS and A level

English literature, AS and A level

Environmental science, A level

Changes for 2022

More information is available from the exam boards:

Film studies, AS and A level

Changes for 2022

More information is available from the exam boards:

Further maths, AS and A level

Geography, AS

Geography, A level

Geology, AS

Changes for 2022

More information is available from the exam boards:

Geology, A level

Changes for 2022

More information is available from the exam boards:

History, AS and A level

History of art, AS and A level

Latin, AS and A level

Law, AS and A level

Maths, AS and A level

Modern foreign languages, AS and A level

Changes for 2022

Information on some of the exam content has been provided to help students focus their revision.

Examiners will build in generosity for students when setting grade boundaries.

More information is available from the exam boards:

AQA - Bengali (Listening, Reading, Writing), A level

AQA - French, A level

AQA - French, AS

AQA - German, A level

AQA - German, AS

AQA - Modern Hebrew (Listening, Reading, Writing), A level

AQA - Panjabi (Listening, Reading, Writing), A level

AQA - Polish (Listening, Reading, Writing), A level

AQA - Spanish, A level

AQA - Spanish, AS

Pearson Edexcel - Arabic (2018), A level

Pearson Edexcel - Chinese (2017), A level

Pearson Edexcel - French (2016), A level

Pearson Edexcel - German (2016), A level

Pearson Edexcel - Greek (2018), A level

Pearson Edexcel - Gujarati (2018), A level

Pearson Edexcel - Italian (2017), A level

Pearson Edexcel - Japanese (2018), A level

Pearson Edexcel - Persian (2018), A level

Pearson Edexcel - Portuguese (2018), A level

Pearson Edexcel - Russian (2017), A level

Pearson Edexcel - Spanish (2016), A level

Pearson Edexcel - Turkish (2018), A level

Pearson Edexcel - Urdu (2018), A level

WJEC Eduqas - French, AS and A level

WJEC Eduqas - German, AS and A level

WJEC Eduqas - Spanish, AS and A level

Music, AS and A level

Music technology, AS and A level

Philosophy, AS and A level

Physical education, AS and A level

Physics, AS

Physics, A level

Politics, AS and A level

Psychology, AS and A level

Religious studies, AS and A level

Sociology, AS and A level

Statistics, AS and A level

Background to these changes

Full details of the changes we have made to our rules can be found in the decisions for the consultations ' Proposed changes to the assessment of GCSEs, AS and A levels in 2022' and ' Arrangements for non-exam assessment for qualifications in 2022 '.

Vocational and technical qualifications

Where needed, [awarding organisations are allowed to make adaptations to assessments and qualifications due to the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Schools and colleges have already been told what these changes will be, and you should speak to your school or college for further details about your specific qualification.

Accessible version of diagram

Generous grading

Exams will be graded more generously this year providing a safety net for students.

Changes to coursework

Non-exam assessment and fieldwork requirements adjusted, with flexibility in some subjects.

Optional content

There will be less content or fewer topics for students to learn in some GCSEs.

Support materials

Students will get formulae and equation sheets in some exams and won't have to memorise as much.

Advance information

Exam boards will give information on the focus of exams for most subjects to help students revise.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Subject-by-subject support for GCSE, AS and A level students in 2022

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Overview of the support being provided for each qualification for students taking GCSEs, AS and A levels in 2022.

# data[].attributes.headline
JCQ:  Summer 2022 Exams and Advance Information 

# data[].attributes.subject
JCQ:  Summer 2022 Exams and Advance Information 

# data[].attributes.body
Updated: 7th February 2022

# data[].attributes.headline
DfE: Special consideration policies for technical qualifications in 2022

# data[].attributes.subject
DfE: Special consideration policies for technical qualifications in 2022

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Skip to main content

Cookies on GOV.UK

We use some essential cookies to make this website work.

We'd like to set additional cookies to understand how you use GOV.UK, remember your settings and improve government services.

We also use cookies set by other sites to help us deliver content from their services.

Accept additional cookies Reject additional cookies View cookies

A summary of special consideration policies for awarding organisations offering Applied Generals, Tech Awards, Tech Certs and Tech Levels in England.

Applies to England

Documents

Details

Special consideration may apply where a student has temporarily experienced an illness or injury, or other event outside their control, which is likely to have affected their ability to show their true abilities in an assessment. It allows the student to receive an assessment outcome despite the disadvantage.

This document gives a summary of the special consideration policies for each awarding organisation offering Applied Generals, Tech Awards, Tech Certs and Tech Levels in England.

Thank you for your feedback

Report a problem with this page

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Special consideration policies for technical qualifications

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Skip to main content We use some essential cookies to make this website work. We'd like to set additional cookies to understand how you use GOV.UK, remember your settings and improve government services. We also use cookies set by other sites to help us deliver content from their services.

# data[].attributes.headline
Ofqual Dr Jo Saxton: Speech at Sixth Form Colleges Association Conference

# data[].attributes.subject
Ofqual Dr Jo Saxton: Speech at Sixth Form Colleges Association Conference

# data[].attributes.body
19th January 2022
Sets out the support for students taking exams and assessments this year, including advance information and a fair approach to grading

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Good morning, everyone. Bill: thank you so much for inviting me. I'm thrilled to be with you, in spirit if not in person.

I first met Bill in something like 2008. I went to see him in his office somewhere high up in Millbank tower. It had the most stunning view across south Westminster. Bill deployed me as a literacy consultant, and not long after, I found myself in a particularly tough new academy in the East Midlands. At that time, challenging educational circumstances on the ground did not include providing and complying with public health measures, and it did not include devising and determining high stakes assessments on top of everything else. Your response to the scale and pace of the change required by the pandemic in the last 2 years is simply breath-taking-more so than any view.

Let me give a sense of scale. Thanks to your commitment and efforts, and those of many thousands of other sector colleagues, despite exams being cancelled, last year 1.2 million students received grades for GCSE, AS and A levels. You, and staff at schools and exam centres, submitted 5.7 million Teacher Assessed Grades for students in England last summer. That includes over 750,000 A level TAGs.

And, in the spring and summer of 2021 alone, thanks again to your efforts, awarding organisations were able to issue over 1 million qualification results to students taking Functional Skills qualifications, Core Maths, International Baccalaureate diplomas, Cambridge Pre-Us, Applied Generals, Tech Levels and others.

2022 is still very young, yet as at today, over 500 regulated assessments and exams have taken place, that's 480,000 entries, or 89% of the January series will have been undertaken, which is extraordinary, given the pressures of the Omicron variant. Once again, in very large part because you have adapted staffing, prioritisation and invigilation, and many of you will have even reorganised your facilities to enable COVID-safe exam sittings to go ahead.

None of us would have chosen this turn of events, and whilst media commentators are right that it has shown the extraordinary purpose, commitment, drive and dedication of those who work in colleges, sixth forms and schools - for which I, and Ofqual of course applaud you - I think there is a bigger point here, and it is about adaptation.

As Darwin and Wallace posited in the 1890s, it is the ability of a species to adapt to its environment that determines its success. The versatility you have all shown over the past 2 years - and the scale of change to qualification and assessment policy and practice that you have realised - must surely exceed that of any generation of educators, certainly in recent history.

And as you know, there are more novel and important adaptations to come, in the form of advance information next month, together with a measured approach to ensure fair grading in the summer. I want to talk to you now about both of these; how they were conceived; why I believe they will help your students, and why they will mark an important staging post in our move back towards normality.

Advance Information

The first point I want to make about advance information is that it's not something we would have contemplated in 'normal times'. In fact, we have gone to great lengths - the whole qualification system has gone to great lengths traditionally - through Ofqual's regulations to reduce the risk of any student or teacher knowing in advance the focus of any exam paper. But we wanted a way to make the exam experience less daunting for students, while also preserving the integrity of the content coverage, as well as preserving the integrity of the assessments themselves.

The whole point is to provide as universal as possible a revision aid for students. And this, combined with the anticipation of a difficult winter, is how policymakers arrived at the 7 February publication date. Any earlier, and content coverage would have been affected; any later and it comes too late in the day for revision to be effective, too late to allow you to recap and review where necessary.

Obviously this is the first time this innovative approach has been taken, and 2022 exam papers were not designed with the publication of advance information in mind. I've no doubt that some people will feel we haven't gone far enough, and others will feel we have gone too far. But the people who matter to me the most are the students - and my sincere hope is that - with guidance from you - they will be able to benefit from the information being shared.

Advance Information is novel for everyone in the exam system. Exam boards have developed it for almost every subject. They've worked at pace to do so in the interests of students. They have done their absolute level best to deliver focused aids, without revealing the questions, and you can imagine that's definitely an art rather than a science. If they'd gone too close to revealing the questions it would have undermined exams and turned them into short-term memory tests rather than true measures of what students have learned, know, understand and can do.

There has been some commentary already about whether advance information will mainly benefit more able students because it might support them to revise for the higher tariff questions.

Of course, much of the advance information gives a steer on how to revise for higher tariff questions, although not all of it.

Bluntly, to focus advance information on low tariff questions would be nonsensical. It would be silly to publish a document that says something like; you will be asked to identify the year in which the Versailles Treaty was signed, or the year in which Magna Carta was signed. Clearly, at that point, the exam would stop being an exam.

But supporting students to revise for higher tariff questions does not mean that advance information will only support the most able students. Higher tariff doesn't necessarily mean harder content. We know that candidates from across all abilities and demographics gain marks across an exam paper and not only in the low tariff questions. And we hope that the benefit of advance information will mean that students who suffered the most disruption, or those who are less able, may gain confidence to tackle elements of a paper that they might previously not have felt confident to try.

And just as much as advance information is a new phenomenon for the boards and for colleges and schools, so is it new for us at Ofqual. It presents us, as the regulator, with a novel and interesting challenge. We have created a regulatory framework for exceptional measures that would, quite simply, have been unthinkable in a normal exam context. The pandemic has required a range of regulatory reprioritisation and adaptation in the same way that you have had to reprioritise and adapt your normal practice. I am clear that our regulations must align to the interests of students - given the impact on their education experience these past 2 years. So, what does this novel situation look like from the regulator's point of view?

First, the tenet must hold true that Ofqual does not see exams before they are sat. That doesn't change this year. Each year the number of people that know the content of live papers before they are sat is very tightly controlled by exam boards, and that's right. That's key to fairness for students, and important to minimise the risk of any leaks. The exam boards are accountable to Ofqual for the quality and security of their papers. And this year they are also accountable to us for the accurate and careful introduction of advance information.

So, our approach has been about putting in place principles to ensure that advance information secures the interests of students and we've set the right regulations to enable that.

In practical terms, that means that we have worked with subject specialists and our assessment design team, and the boards to agree over 300 specifications how the advance information will work. You get a sense of what a dramatic innovation that is for us to have adapted our rules to allow this is, if you recall the outrage some years ago when a broadsheet newspaper sent a journalist to attend an exam board event, at which hints about the focus of certain questions were allegedly provided in this meeting. The scale of that shock really puts this year's innovation into perspective.

I see it as a really exciting adaptation. We will, of course, be monitoring its effect closely. Shortly after publication, we will be reaching out to hear your - and your students' - views on how it delivers the intentions. We will do so again once exams have been sat. There is much to learn from what will happen in the coming months and so we will expand a wide-ranging research programme to evaluate the impact of advance information to inform thinking for future years. But I ask that when you receive the advance information, please do remember the positive intentions behind it - it represents a unique coming together of everybody across the qualification system to act in the interests of students, to provide them with support whilst also enabling the re-instatement of the tried, tested - and trusted - approaches to the awarding of qualifications.

Grading

Our approach to advance information was informed and driven by the views of you and of your students - we heard from teachers who were anxious about their students' ability to cover the full range of subject content. We heard from students about their varied experiences of the pandemic.

This same listening approach was applied to how we've tackled grading too.

It was clear talking to students and their parents, that they wanted to get back to normal, but not to do so in one single leap.

At the end of September, we announced our resulting approach to grading next summer, one intended to be as fair as possible to 2022 students. Fair, because it will provide a safety net to students who have been so affected by the pandemic. Fair, because it will iron out some of the anomalies that have come into play through the non-examined years. Fair because it will secure consistency between subjects and between exam boards. Let's remember too that this year marks the return to exams - the way the qualifications have been designed - with all students assessed in the same way, marked, and graded consistently and externally to the same standard. That, along with advance information which itself provides unprecedented support, represents an unprecedented package of aid.

So, 2022 is a transition year to reflect the realities of the pandemic and that students' education does continue to be disrupted. Remember the package as a whole - it works together as a complete aid and support. You need to not try to pick apart individual elements of it.

The results in 2020 and 2021, when exams were cancelled, were clearly out of line with the results of previous exam years. As we ourselves learn to adapt to living with COVID-19, it is right that we take steps to resume arrangements that are coherent with those from pre-pandemic years. We must do it gradually; and this underpins our so-called midpoint approach.

Let me be clear, there is no single statistical midpoint. There will be no standardisation model to determine students' grades. Grade boundaries for each specification will be set by senior examiners, critically, only after they have reviewed the work produced by students. As a check and balance, of course exam boards will use other evidence, including statistical evidence of how students were graded when exams were last taken, so that grade boundaries do, indeed, deliver this generous midpoint approach. That means you can assure your students and their families that, as regulator, we are doing everything we can to secure approaches to standards which are fair, whichever exam board a student is working with, whichever subject. As regulator, one of the key things that we do is review the results. I started to experience this process for the autumn series. Results across every subject in every board are reviewed in great detail and Ofqual checks the appropriate processes have been followed; considers anomalies with exam boards, before results are issued.

Because the process of determining grade boundaries must follow the act of script marking, which of course follows candidates sitting papers, what we can't tell you is precisely what these arrangements mean for results. But I can assure you that our grading requirements will provide a safety-net for this cohort and it is likely to mean that results overall are higher than in normal years.

Talking to UCAS, and to employers, they wanted to see grades that were closer to the currency they were used to. They also recognised it was not right to implement this in one go. We've heard concerns that repeating 2021 outcomes would likely lead to universities devising alternative entry arrangements and raising the grades on which offers are based. Contributing to a system where that might happen would not actually increase opportunity for students in practice.

Vocational and Technical Qualifications grading

Coherence, parity if you will, between vocational and technical qualifications and general qualifications is really important - and something that the regulatory framework devised during the pandemic better supports than pre-pandemic arrangements.

Ofqual's specific regulatory framework for awarding vocational qualifications in the pandemic requires awarding organisations to secure, as far as possible, that VTQ students are neither disadvantaged nor advantaged compared with their GCSE and A level peers. That principle has not existed in legal regulatory terms before.

Boards will take account, therefore, of the approach for GCSEs and A levels when setting standards in their own vocational and technical qualifications. We, as regulator, will closely monitor the arrangements and look at what awarding organisations are putting in place for their qualifications to ensure they are delivered fairly and are appropriately adapted in the interests of students.

Contingencies

I am really aware that some of you, and your students, would dearly like us to switch off contingencies given the government's confidence and commitment to exams going ahead. But I'm afraid that the need to collect evidence of student performance in case exams don't take place is important. It won't surprise you that I can't agree to turn off those arrangements. Not, of course, that it's entirely in my gift.

As well as showing us your incredible resilience and ability to adapt, the pandemic has also been unpredictable. That's the one predictable thing about the pandemic; it's continually surprised us and caught us off guard. It wouldn't be doing justice to you and your students to stand down contingencies at this time.

I am, nonetheless, hugely sympathetic to how challenging operationally and emotionally for you and your students it is to ride both these horses, but there are no plans to turn off Plan B.

Ofqual: expert and human, regulating in the interests of students

I promised Bill to leave time to take your questions, but before doing that, please allow me to share a little bit about myself, given this is my first chance to speak to you.

I am here today as Chief Regulator, but I am above everything else, like you, an educator.

I thrive in challenging environments - and actually anyone who knows me will tell you that I actively seek them out. Whether that is leading schools in disadvantaged communities, working in central government in the eye of a pandemic, or coming to Ofqual as we move further through the demands and opportunities the pandemic has forced.

For me, there is nothing more important in education than young people getting the qualifications they need to unlock their future. This is something I live and breathe.

I live and breathe it because that was precisely my own experience.

My qualifications opened all sorts of doors for me - including studying and working in six different countries around the world, and I want everyone to have those same opportunities - but especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds.

That's why I am here. Every day I think about those students - those with caring responsibilities at home; those who have a fractured or chaotic home life; those whose families are working second, or even third jobs, to keep their homes warm and food on the table - I want qualifications to work for them in the best way possible, to open doors for them.

These are the students who I've started to talk about as being my compass. Their interests are my true north. And this true north breathes life into Ofqual's statutory objectives.

What flows from that, is an Ofqual which is expert, absolutely, but an Ofqual that must also be human. That means listening - to students of all ages, but also to you, those who teach and lead them. You who make the longlist of qualification choices for them, you who support them as they work towards securing qualifications that have the potential to change their lives.

Over the coming weeks and months, I will be spending time with colleges, sixth forms, schools, different education and training providers in every region of England, so that I can listen to you, to students, to governors and to parents. I want to hear directly about the challenges faced in the qualification system. It's only by hearing and responding to these challenges that I and we at Ofqual can improve how assessment and qualifications work. Some of these things that we'll hear about, Ofqual can do something about. There are others that won't be in our gift, but we can do our best to play our active part in the system which we regulate on behalf of students.

I've so far been lucky enough to visit some colleges in the West Midlands and some schools in the south west. Some of this listening work will happen virtually so that the pandemic doesn't slow us down, nor interrupt your day too much.

What's important is that the insights we gain from you, your students and their families, inform our decisions. To those who think accessible qualifications are dumbing down, I say there is no better illustration of the importance of the power of the functional skills curriculum and those qualifications that enable entry into employment, than what I saw at Hereward College. There I met Sophie and Akram who were developing and practising functional skills in the college's hospitality training centre. Graduates of the college dramatically exceed national averages of employability for those with SEND, and those 2 were well on their way to being able to be employed by a national hotel chain. I am proud that one of the first decisions taken during my tenure as Chief Regulator was to publish a consultation on improving the accessibility of assessments, and another decision on the regulation of reformed digital functional skills. These are live examples of acting in the interest of students.

From visiting Walsall College, I gained real insight into how working with a range of awarding organisations can really meet a college's needs. The Walsall team shared how, while the larger AOs (awarding organisations) have the breadth and can deliver at scale, it is often the smaller ones - many of whom offer the end-point assessments for apprentices - who offer a personal and flexible approach to assessment bookings, which is really useful to help provide confidence and support, and take an element of stress out of the system as apprentices get closer to being ready to take their end point assessment. Accordingly, we will continue to be nuanced in our consideration of applications by organisations seeking entry to this sector and to our recognition. Assessment and organisational capacity must be balanced with a student-centric culture.

Conclusion

Listening to and acting in the interests of students is the true north for everything I will do as Chief Regulator. The context we must navigate together is one of adaptation and innovation, crystalised by the pandemic. But it also a time of reform, already in train pre-pandemic - T Levels, apprenticeship expansion, among others.

I have not even touched on the possibilities afforded by technology and other innovations. I am convinced of the opportunities they present to improve assessments for students and apprentices - to make them more accessible, more valid, more reliable. We will work together on these in the coming years. We need to ensure that both what we assess and how we assess it stays relevant to needs of employers and society at large.

We share, I have no doubt, a commitment to ensuring that qualification evolution is squarely in the interests of students and apprentices. I am hugely grateful to teachers in colleges, schools and training providers across the country, for the vital part they will play as we navigate the way forward together.

Thank you.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Dr Jo Saxton at Sixth Form Colleges Association conference

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Chief Regulator sets out the support for students taking exams and assessments this year, including advance information and a fair approach to grading.

# data[].attributes.headline
Getting Started: Ways to Teach and Assess BTEC Tech Award in Travel and Tourism 2022

# data[].attributes.subject
Getting Started: Ways to Teach and Assess BTEC Tech Award in Travel and Tourism 2022

# data[].attributes.body
16:00-18:00, 17 January 2022

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Getting Started: Ways to Teach and Assess BTEC Tech Award in Travel and Tourism 2022

# data[].attributes.headline
Ofqual: Letter to schools - Advance information

# data[].attributes.subject
Ofqual: Letter to schools - Advance information

# data[].attributes.body
Published: 9th December 2021

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
I write to update you about the nature of the advance information, on the content of some GCSE, AS and A level exams, which the exam boards will be publishing by 7 February 2022.

# data[].attributes.headline
Pearson: Assessment Update for 2021/2022

# data[].attributes.subject
Pearson: Assessment Update for 2021/2022

# data[].attributes.body
Published: 8th September 2021

# data[].attributes.headline
Ofsted: New Inspection Handbook for Sep 21

# data[].attributes.subject
Ofsted: New Inspection Handbook for Sep 21

# data[].attributes.body
Updated 27th August 2021

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Skip to main content

Cookies on GOV.UK

We use some essential cookies to make this website work.

We'd like to set additional cookies to understand how you use GOV.UK, remember your settings and improve government services.

We also use cookies set by other sites to help us deliver content from their services.

You have accepted additional cookies. You can change your cookie settings at any time.

You have rejected additional cookies. You can change your cookie settings at any time.

Accept additional cookies Reject additional cookies View cookies

Ofsted guidance on inspecting maintained schools and academies in England under the education inspection framework.

Applies to England

Documents

Details

Thank you for your feedback

Report a problem with this page

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Ofsted guidance on inspecting maintained schools and academies in England under the education inspection framework.

# data[].attributes.headline
Guidance for schools/college: Awarding VTQs in 2021 and 2022

# data[].attributes.subject
Guidance for schools/college: Awarding VTQs in 2021 and 2022

# data[].attributes.body
Published: 2nd December 2021

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
About this document

This document is for those working in colleges, schools, training providers and other settings (or 'centres') where assessments for vocational and technical qualifications (VTQs) and general qualifications other than GCSEs, AS and A levels, AEAs and project qualifications (or 'other general qualifications') are scheduled to take place in the academic year 2021 to 2022.

In this guidance we, as regulator, explain how VTQs and other general qualifications will be awarded this academic year. We outline what we expect from awarding organisations and what you and your students should expect to happen over the coming year.

Arrangements for awarding VTQs in the academic year 2021 to 2022

The government's intention is that exams and other formal assessments, including for VTQs and other general qualifications, will go ahead in the academic year 2021 to 2022. We have looked at how our regulations can help make this happen.

We know students taking exams and assessments this year may have already experienced significant disruption to their learning or work over the last year as a result of the pandemic. Your students may also need further support from you this year should the public health situation worsen and cause further disruption. Our regulations can help awarding organisations support you so your students can demonstrate their knowledge, skills and understanding in assessments, and in this way achieve their outcomes and progress to the next stage of their lives.

Qualifications can be adapted

To help mitigate the impact of the pandemic on students and their learning, we are continuing to allow awarding organisations to adapt their exams and other formal assessments for VTQs.

We require awarding organisations to continue to carefully balance mitigating the effects of the pandemic on teaching and learning with the need to ensure that results are fair, consistent and allow students to progress. For example, assessments may need to be adapted to free up time to focus on catch-up and teaching the remaining qualification content.

Ofqual has put in place a number of requirements that awarding organisations must follow when determining if their adaptations remain appropriate in the context of the 2021 to 2022 academic year. For example, we still expect that all content should be taught, as far as is feasible, so that students are as well-prepared as possible for progression to the next stage of their education, training, or employment.

To align with government policy, this year, we are no longer allowing awarding organisations to award results using alternative evidence such as teacher-assessed grades (TAGs). These were a necessary mitigation when exams and formal assessments could not take place.

We also expect awarding organisations to consider how making some adaptations now could make their VTQs more resilient if there is further disruption so that exams and other formal assessments could continue, as far as possible. We require awarding organisations to ensure, as far as possible, that the adaptations applied do not disadvantage, or advantage, students against their peers taking similar VTQs or, where relevant, GCSEs, AS and A levels.

Ofqual continues to work closely with awarding organisations, as we have done throughout the pandemic, so that awarding organisations provide colleges, training providers and schools with clear information in a timely manner to enable them to implement the adaptations fairly and consistently. In turn, we expect awarding organisations to continue to work collaboratively together and with centres, professional organisations and sector bodies in ensuring their approaches to awarding make sure that students completing these qualifications this year have the knowledge and skills employers expect.

There is a range of different qualification structures and assessment methods used in VTQs. As last year, we expect awarding organisations offering similar qualifications to continue to work with each other to ensure consistency is maintained where possible and appropriate. Awarding organisations will have different approaches, because of the variety of assessment methods, structures, and purposes of VTQs. Awarding organisations are best placed to understand the kinds of adaptation that work best for their qualifications and meet the needs of the students that take them so where there are differences, this is for a good reason.

The Conditions, requirements and guidance setting out our regulatory requirements for awarding organisations offering VTQs and other general qualifications affected by the coronavirus pandemic this year are set out in the Vocational and Technical Qualifications Contingency Regulatory Framework (the VCRF).

As in any other year it is important to us that:

results secure public confidence so teachers and employers can be confident this year's results will reflect what students know, understand, and can do, and students can progress to the next stage of their lives

students receiving VTQ and other general qualification results this year are neither advantaged nor disadvantaged compared to students studying for GCSEs, AS and A levels

What this means for you

Your awarding organisation should have provided you with the information you need to support you in implementing their adaptations. They should also provide you with details of the arrangements that will need to be made for any students who need reasonable adjustments.

This year, awarding organisations are likely to ask you for more information about which learners are planning to take assessments, when they plan to take them and when they are likely to award certificates. You might find it helpful to start capturing this information as early as possible.

If you ordinarily choose to deliver modular qualifications with assessments at the end of the course, you should consider whether that is appropriate this year. You might decide to run assessments throughout the year instead.

If you want to change the timing or delivery of assessments, then contact your awarding organisation to make sure this is done in the right way.

Arrangements for continuing students

Students who completed some of their exams or formal assessments in either the 2019 to 2020 or the 2020 to 2021 academic years, and who will complete the remainder of their qualification this academic year or in the future, are able to carry forward any results they have achieved so far. This applies whether the result was awarded using an adapted assessment or through use of alternative sources of evidence, such as TAGs.

In the same way, students starting new programmes of study this year will be able to carry the results of their adapted assessments forward. Arrangements for 2022 to 2023 have not been confirmed yet.

What this means for you

To make sure these arrangements are as manageable as possible for centres, many awarding organisations may use their normal quality assurance policies and procedures, however arrangements may be adapted to reflect current public health advice. On-site visits, for example, may be adapted to remote or virtual visits. Your awarding organisation will tell you what to expect.

Performance table qualifications

Awarding organisations must take account of the Department for Education's technical guidance when developing their approach to adaptation for VTQs approved for inclusion in performance tables. Where it is possible to do so, we expect awarding organisations to use similar approaches to adaptation for other qualifications at the same level leading to similar progression opportunities.

Assessments can be reduced, as is possible for VTQs that are not included in performance tables, but we expect that all of the qualification content should be taught where this is possible and the number of guided learning hours for each qualification should remain the same.

What this means for you

If you ordinarily choose to deliver performance table qualifications with assessments at the end of the course, you should consider whether that is appropriate this year. You might decide to run assessments throughout the year instead.

You should consider the Department for Education's decision not to limit the number of resits that are permitted for qualifications listed in performance tables. This means you can choose to assess earlier, without putting your students at a disadvantage.

If you want to change the timing or delivery of assessments, then contact your awarding organisation to make sure this is done in the right way.

T Levels

The arrangements for the Technical Qualifications of T Levels are in line with other VTQs. This means that the core and occupational specialism components exams and assessments should go ahead in 2021 to 2022. In the case of further significant disruption, the Department for Education may permit adaptations to content and or delivery of assessments where appropriate.

Functional Skills qualifications

As with other VTQs, we expect all Functional Skills qualifications (FSQs) assessments to go ahead in 2021 to 2022 and the full subject content to be taught across all levels.

Our expectation is that awarding organisations will continue to put in place adaptations relating to the delivery of FSQ assessments where necessary. Awarding organisations have put in place a range of approaches to give students as much opportunity as possible to take assessments. Some examples include:

changes to invigilation arrangements, including remote invigilation and remote assessment of the speaking, listening and communicating component

additional flexibility for exam dates and windows for assessments

additional guidance about the distribution and collection of papers, for example collation of scripts after students have left exam rooms, quarantining papers before and after use, and extended timescales to return scripts after exams

adaptations to guidance for individuals involved in examination delivery, for example invigilators, readers and or scribes

What this means for you

You should contact your awarding organisation to find out more about the arrangements they have put in place. The table below shows the range of assessment options for FSQs offered by each awarding organisation.

Awarding organisation

Remote invigilation

On-screen or computer based

Paper based

Awarding organisation provided test centre

Apprenticeship end-point assessments

The flexibilities for the assessment of apprenticeships are being overseen by the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education and are not covered by the VCRF.

Monitoring the public health situation and contingency planning

It is possible that further disruption may occur over the course of 2021 to 2022. Even if some public health restrictions were to be needed over the next academic year, it should still be possible for students to take exams and formal assessments safely. If there is further disruption, we would ask awarding organisations to consider whether further adaptations to their qualifications are necessary and possible.

We need to have contingency plans in place for the event that students cannot sit exams and formal assessments.

If the government decides that exams and formal assessments cannot take place in the summer then as in 2021, it is possible that VTQs and other general qualifications may be awarded through TAGs. GCSEs and A levels may also be awarded through TAGs. The evidence for TAGs is likely to come from the assessments your students have already taken during the year or other work. Many VTQs are modular and designed so that assessments can take place throughout the year. This means it is unlikely that there will be any additional assessments to inform the TAG.

You can find more information about contingency arrangements in the Department for Education's contingency guidance for vocational and technical qualifications.

What this means for you

If you ordinarily choose to deliver modular qualifications with assessment at the end of a course, you may wish to consider whether that is appropriate this year. You might decide to run assessments throughout the year instead.

If you want to change the timing or delivery of assessments, then contact your awarding organisation to make sure this is done in the right way.

Results

Approaches to awarding may differ between awarding organisations. This will depend on how the qualification is assessed and was assessed in summer 2021 and or summer 2020. Some qualification will have standards aligned to those of similar subjects in GCSEs and A Levels. Some VTQs saw an increase in outcomes and higher grades during the pandemic, but that was not the case for others. Awarding organisations will take all these factors into account, to ensure learners get fair results.

Most results will continue to be issued to normal timescales. Roll-on roll-off qualifications, and those not tied to an academic year, will continue to be awarded throughout the year.

Where VTQ results are used to support progression to further or higher education, results should be awarded on or before the following dates:

18 August 2022 for level 3 qualifications

25 August 2022 for level 2 qualifications

This is in line with A level and GCSE results days and ensures that students wishing to progress onto further or higher education are not disadvantaged compared to students taking A levels or GCSEs.

What this means for you

Your awarding organisations will confirm their results days.

The results of roll-on roll-off qualifications will continue be awarded in line with current timescales.

You should receive results data in good time to allow you to prepare for the distribution of results on the correct days.

Please ensure that you have the right people and resources available at your centre who can respond to queries from students, queries from the awarding organisation, and help prepare for the distribution of results.

Appeals

Awarding organisation appeals processes will be the same as any other year. Awarding organisations are still required to consider appeals for students whose results were based on alternative evidence such as TAGs. For more information, please contact your awarding organisation.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Guidance for centres: awarding VTQs in 2021 and 2022

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
This document is for those working in colleges, schools, training providers and other settings (or 'centres') where assessments for vocational and technical qualifications (VTQs) and general qualifications other than GCSEs, AS and A levels, AEAs and project qualifications (or 'other general qualifications') are scheduled to take place in the academic year 2021 to 2022.

# data[].attributes.headline
BTEC Travel and Tourism Training for new staff 

# data[].attributes.subject
BTEC Travel and Tourism Training for new staff 

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
All our training events will be delivered under the UK time zones, Greenwich Meantime (GMT) for all events taking place before 28 March 2021, and British Summer Time (BST) for events between 28 March to 31 October 2021.

In addition to our live online training offer below, we have a selection of on-demand, and self-guided training which we hope you will find useful. Customers also have the option to request paid for centre-based online training, please see the relevant pages on the ribbon above for further details.

If you find that the booking registration is already closed for an event that you wish to attend, please continue to register your details, as this will allow you to be added to the waiting list. We will then contact you, if a place becomes available.

Please download our terms and conditions for more detail.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
All our training events will be delivered under the UK time zones, Greenwich Meantime (GMT) for all events taking place before 28 March 2021, and British Summer Time (BST) for events between 28 March to 31 October 2021.

# data[].attributes.headline
JCQ: Advance Information for Qualifications in 2022

# data[].attributes.subject
JCQ: Advance Information for Qualifications in 2022

# data[].attributes.headline
DfE: Guidance for schools/colleges on contingency arrangements for GCSEs, AS and A levels in summer 2022

# data[].attributes.subject
DfE: Guidance for schools/colleges on contingency arrangements for GCSEs, AS and A levels in summer 2022

# data[].attributes.body
Published: 11th November 2021

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Skip to main content

Cookies on GOV.UK

We use some essential cookies to make this website work.

We'd like to set additional cookies to understand how you use GOV.UK, remember your settings and improve government services.

We also use cookies set by other sites to help us deliver content from their services.

You have accepted additional cookies. You can change your cookie settings at any time.

You have rejected additional cookies. You can change your cookie settings at any time.

Accept additional cookies Reject additional cookies View cookies

Arrangements for exams and non-exam assessments for students taking qualifications in summer 2022.

Details

The government is clear that students entering GCSEs, AS or A levels in 2022 should expect to take exams in the summer and complete any non-exam assessments in the usual way throughout the year.

In recognition of the fact that students' education has been disrupted by the pandemic, they will be given extra help to prepare for their exams, as detailed in this publication.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Guidance on contingency arrangements for GCSEs, AS and A levels in summer 2022

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Arrangements for exams and non-exam assessments for students taking qualifications in summer 2022.

# data[].attributes.headline
DfE: Contingency arrangement for awarding qualifications in summer 2022

# data[].attributes.subject
DfE: Contingency arrangement for awarding qualifications in summer 2022

# data[].attributes.body
Updated: 11th November 2021

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Contingency arrangements: GCSE, AS, A level, Project and AEA

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Consultation proposals for contingency arrangements for the award of GCSE, AS, A level, Project and AEA qualifications in 2022.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
BTEC Nationals Travel and Tourism (2019)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Information for students and teachers of our BTEC Nationals in Travel and Tourism (2019), including key documents and the latest news.

# data[].attributes.headline
Pearson: BTEC Tech Award Travel & Tourism

# data[].attributes.subject
Pearson: BTEC Tech Award Travel & Tourism

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
We've created a guide to help you to understand the differences between the BTEC First Awards and the BTEC Tech Awards and inform your decision about which of the two would be better suited to your KS4 students.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Travel and Tourism | Pearson qualifications

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
We've created a guide to help you to understand the differences between the BTEC First Awards and the BTEC Tech Awards and inform your decision about which of the two would be better suited to your KS4 students.

# data[].attributes.headline
Pearson: New draft Spec in Travel & Tourism for September 2022

# data[].attributes.subject
Pearson: New draft Spec in Travel & Tourism for September 2022

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Register your interest in the BTEC Tech Awards 2022

If you're interested in the BTEC Tech Awards 2022 qualifications, let us know and we'll make sure you're kept fully up to date with the latest support and information.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
BTEC Tech Awards Travel & Tourism (2022)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
If you're interested in the BTEC Tech Awards 2022 qualifications, let us know and we'll make sure you're kept fully up to date with the latest support and information.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Travel and Tourism Lesson Plans & Worksheets Reviewed by Teachers

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Find travel and tourism lesson plans and teaching resources. From travel and tourism industry worksheets to travel and tourism impacts videos, quickly find teacher-reviewed educational resources.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Resources created by myself for use with students ranging from Years 10 through to 13. I'll update the shop as I create more resources - primary focus will be on OCR Cambridge Technical Level 3 Business, and OCR National Enterprise and Marketing. Report this resourceto let us know if it violates our terms and conditions.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Travel and tourism publishing, ebooks, textbooks, online resources

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Travel and tourism publishing, ebooks, textbooks, online resources

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Understanding the tourism industry is integral not only to help us all to have amazing holidays, but to ensure that the industry is sustainably and responsibly managed. From environmental degradation to the growth of the sharing economy to the impacts of globalisation, there are a lot of variables to consider when planning for tourism.

Through this website, I share my conceptual, theoretical and practical knowledge of the travel and tourism industry. Whether you are looking for travel tips and advice for personal travel or to further understand some of the underlying principles and practices of the tourism industry, I have a wide range of analytical, critical and objective articles on Tourism Teacher.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Welcome to Tourism Teacher - Tourism Teacher

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Understanding the tourism industry is integral not only to help us all to have amazing holidays, but to ensure that the industry is sustainably and responsibly managed. From environmental degradation to the growth of the sharing economy to the impacts of globalisation, there are a lot of variables to consider when planning for tourism.

# data[].attributes.headline
Pearson: Webpage Updates for Vocational Qualifications for 2021/2022

# data[].attributes.subject
Pearson: Webpage Updates for Vocational Qualifications for 2021/2022

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
PLEASE NOTE: All BTEC external assessments for 2021/22 are expected to go ahead.

We released our draft exam timetables, and many centres fed-back their preference for the January series to commence one week later (from Wednesday 12 January).

In light of this, we are working quickly to review our January timetables to accommodate this later start. Please note this means results day will move to Wednesday 23 March.

We are also reviewing our February (Tech Award) timetables to also commence a week later (from Monday 7 February) with results day moving to Wednesday 6 April.

All January and February external assessment timetables will be finalised and published during the week commencing Monday 6 September.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Teaching, learning and assessment 2021/2022

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
PLEASE NOTE: All BTEC external assessments for 2021/22 are expected to go ahead. We released our draft exam timetables, and many centres fed-back their preference for the January series to commence one week later (from Wednesday 12 January). In light of this, we are working quickly to review our January timetables to accommodate this later start.

# data[].attributes.headline
Ofqual: Consultation Outcome for Vocational and Technical and Other General Qualifications in  2022

# data[].attributes.subject
Ofqual: Consultation Outcome for Vocational and Technical and Other General Qualifications in  2022

# data[].attributes.body
Published: 6th August 2021

# data[].attributes.headline
Pearson: Streamlined Internal Assessments for BTECs and Technicals in 2021/22

# data[].attributes.subject
Pearson: Streamlined Internal Assessments for BTECs and Technicals in 2021/22

# data[].attributes.body
Published: 8th September 2021

# data[].attributes.headline
Ofqual: Consultation Outcome for Changes to the assessment of GCSEs, AS and A levels in 2022

# data[].attributes.subject
Ofqual: Consultation Outcome for Changes to the assessment of GCSEs, AS and A levels in 2022

# data[].attributes.body
Published: 30th September 2021

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Skip to main content

Cookies on GOV.UK

We use some essential cookies to make this website work.

We'd like to set additional cookies to understand how you use GOV.UK, remember your settings and improve government services.

We also use cookies set by other sites to help us deliver content from their services.

You have accepted additional cookies. You can change your cookie settings at any time.

You have rejected additional cookies. You can change your cookie settings at any time.

Accept additional cookies Reject additional cookies View cookies

This consultation has concluded

Download the full outcome

Detail of outcome

In summary, these decisions mean that for summer 2022:

There will be optional topics and content in GCSE English literature, history, ancient history and geography. Ofqual will require exam boards to change how they assess these subjects to reflect the expected changes to the way the subject content is assessed, as proposed in the consultation.

Centres will be allowed to deliver practical work in GCSE biology, chemistry, physics, combined science, geology and astronomy, AS level biology, chemistry, physics and geology, and AS and A level environmental science by demonstration. We would encourage centres to continue to make available hands-on practical activities for their students wherever possible. This does not require changes to the assessment arrangements that the exam boards have in place for each of these specifications.

Centres will be allowed to assess the Common Practical Assessment Criteria (CPAC) across the minimum number of practical activities required to enable students to demonstrate their competence in A level biology, chemistry, physics and geology.

Exam boards can carry out remote monitoring of centres' application of the CPAC.

Students taking GCSE, AS and A level art and design will be assessed on their portfolio only.

Exam boards will provide advance information about the focus of the content of the exams for all GCSE, AS and A level subjects (except GCSE English literature, history, ancient history and geography) for the summer 2022 exams. The advance information will meet the principles set out in the consultation document.

The policy intention of providing advance information is that it will support students' revision. Therefore, the DfE has confirmed that advance information will be provided by 7 February 2022 at the latest. This will enable teachers to plan to adapt their teaching in the second half of the spring term if necessary. DfE has also decided to retain the flexibility for advance information to be deployed at other points ahead of 7 February 2022 if circumstances require. At least a week's notice will be given if it is decided that advance information will be released earlier than 7 February 2022.

Students will be given a formulae sheet for GCSE mathematics in summer 2022. Exam boards will provide copies of the formulae sheet for use in teaching and to ensure that students are familiar with it prior to the exams. Clean copies of the formulae sheet will be provided in the exams.

Students will be given a revised equation sheet for GCSE physics and combined science in summer 2022, covering all the equations required in the subject content. Exam boards will provide copies of the equation sheet for use in teaching and to ensure that students are familiar with it prior to the exams. Clean copies of the equation sheet will be provided in the exams.

Feedback received

Detail of feedback received

The consultation was available online for 21 days and received 6,725 responses. It gathered views on the following proposals:

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

changes to the requirements for the delivery of practical activities in science subjects, and assessment in art and design

the provision of advance information on the focus of the content of exams, in the majority of subjects at GCSE, AS and A level

the provision of support materials in GCSE mathematics, physics and combined science exams

Several themes were suggested by respondents across multiple questions. To avoid duplicating analysis, these themes are summarised below.

First, many respondents emphasised that proposed changes to summer 2022 exams and assessments needed to be announced as soon as possible to provide staff sufficient time to plan (adjusting curriculums and mock exam materials and so on). Reasons provided by respondents included the fact that last-minute announcements would increase workloads and place additional pressure on students and teachers. In addition, respondents mentioned that earlier announcements would allow students more time to familiarise themselves with additional materials (such as revised equation sheets).

Second, some respondents noted the variation in students' experiences regarding remote learning over the past two years, with some schools and colleges facing more frequent lockdowns and self-isolation events than others, and that this should be taken into account in any proposed change. Similarly, respondents brought up the concept of a "level playing field" for students and expressed concerns over proposals where, in their opinion, some students or schools and colleges may be disadvantaged relative to others.

Third, respondents suggested several modifications for exams, including lengthening the time students had to complete the exam, dividing exams into shorter papers, allowing students to choose topics to respond to on the day of the exam or reducing the number of exam papers students had to complete. In particular, some respondents stated they had faced difficulties in covering the specification during remote learning, and reducing the number of exam papers or allowing students to choose topics would reduce pressure on students caused by missed learning time. Respondents also mentioned that the subject content across many GCSE, AS and A level subjects should be reduced.

Fourth, some respondents expressed concern that the DfE and Ofqual's proposed changes were limited to a specific set of qualifications, in particular the absence of modifications to A Level subjects compared to equivalent GCSE subjects.

Fifth, many respondents generally agreed with proposals to carry over changes proposed in previous consultations in 2020 and 2021, as consistency would reduce the amount of time teachers and other staff would need to prepare for the upcoming year.

Sixth, a number of respondents who disagreed with proposals on choice of topic/content or advance information believed that these proposals would lead to grade inflation for certain students. Because these proposals would narrow the focus of exams (compared to the full specification), in their view the proposals would advantage students with resources for external tutors. As a result, proposals to provide choice of topic/content or advance information would make it difficult to differentiate between "good" and "excellent" students.

Finally, a small proportion of respondents across all respondent types called for exams to be cancelled and students to be assigned teacher assessed grades (as in summer 2021). Alternatively, respondents proposed that no modifications be made to exams and assessments in summer 2022 (compared to before the pandemic) and instead grade boundaries should be adjusted to account for varying difficulties of exams due to lost learning time.

Original consultation

Summary

A joint consultation published by Ofqual and the Department for Education on proposed changes to the assessment of GCSEs, AS and A levels in 2022.

This consultation ran from

Consultation description

This joint consultation by the Department for Education and Ofqual invites your views on proposed adaptations to the assessment of GCSEs and GCE AS and A levels for students in England taking exams in summer 2022. A separate but related consultation on proposed changes to assessments for vocational and technical qualifications (VTQs) in the 2021 to 2022 academic year is taking place.

These proposals are made in the context of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, which has disrupted education during the current (2020 to 2021) and previous (2019 to 2020) academic years. This consultation covers the arrangements for exams and assessments to be taken in summer 2022 in light of this disruption and uncertainty about the continuing impact of the pandemic over the coming academic year.

The proposals take account of the responses Ofqual received to its consultations on qualifications in July and December 2020, as well as more recent discussions with stakeholders. The proposals are in addition to the changes to non-exam assessment (NEA) and fieldwork requirements for summer 2022 which were confirmed by Ofqual on 16 June following consultation.

This consultation proposes a package of measures to help mitigate the impact of disruption to students' education, and seeks views on proposals on the following areas:

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

changes to the requirements for the delivery of practical activities in science subjects, and assessment in art and design

the provision of advance information on the focus of the content of exams, in the majority of subjects at GCSE, AS and A level

the provision of support materials in GCSE mathematics, physics and combined science exams

Documents

Thank you for your feedback

Report a problem with this page

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Proposed changes to the assessment of GCSEs, AS and A levels in 2022

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
A joint consultation published by Ofqual and the Department for Education on proposed changes to the assessment of GCSEs, AS and A levels in 2022.

# data[].attributes.headline
Summary of changes to the assessment of GCSEs, AS and A levels in 2022

# data[].attributes.subject
Summary of changes to the assessment of GCSEs, AS and A levels in 2022

# data[].attributes.body
30th September 2021