Amid much speculation and the ongoing pandemic, government finally revealed what many suspected all along. Exams will not take place in England this summer. Instead, teachers will assess students on coursework and other methods.
A Change of Heart
Initially, the UK government said exams would go ahead after re-opening schools in the winter. When the pace and intensity of the second COVID-19 wave took everyone aback, a rapid rethink followed. When a new more virulent (but no more deadly) version of the virus emerged, both central and devolved governments changed tack.
Government asked Ofqual to devise a scheme to evaluate both GCSE and A-level results fairly and responsibly.
How These Assessments Are Expected to Pan Out
At present, schools in England have until 18th June to submit teacher and lecturer assessed grades to exam boards. Assuming this plays out as intended, teachers will meet students for one-to-one discussions to go over those assessments. Students will not receive their grades at this point.
Students should receive their grades around the same time as they would normally expect – mid-August.
- A-level results release planned for 10th August
- GCSE results release planned for the 12th
- BTECs available at some point in the same week
Details on Assessment Methods
Nothing is confirmed, however; According to reports, there is not yet a defined assessment method. With more time to plan, assessment process will be more complex than last year. Further details are expected on how to weight certain assessment types.
We do know there will be no national guidelines from central government; respective exam boards could eventually become responsible for this. We do know that schools and teachers may not use the previous year’s grades in the assessment of progress for this year.
We do know that teachers and lecturers will receive special training through March and April to help them understand how they can best assess each student.
The Appeals Process
The government stated that no student will be “punished” because of the unique pandemic challenges. Safeguards against grade inflation are expected (such as random auditing and investigations into any schools that buck long-term trends). However, like most years, a robust appeal process will aid students who feel they were unduly and unfairly marked down.
Students should appeal through their schools first. Exam board appeals become available once the school route is exhausted. The board will assess and adjudicate after hearing evidence from both sides. Appeal fees have been waived for this year. As most years, students appeal fully aware that their appeal may result in downgrading.