The DfE has confirmed arrangements for awarding GCSE and A level qualifications in summer 2022, including information on adaptations to take account of the impact of the pandemic on learners taking exams.
Adaptations will include advanced notice of exam content. Grade boundaries will be set at midway point between 2021 and 2019, the last time exams were sat before the pandemic.
There will be a transition year before grades return to pre-pandemic levels in 2023, to ensure fairness for the current cohort while providing a ‘step back to normality’.
The DfE has also published contingency plans to allow for the pandemic resulting in exams being cancelled again, and has launched a consultation on thse plans. The consultation includes proposals for teacher-assessed grades, using evidence collected from October half term onwards.
Functional skills
Assessment arrangements for vocational and technical qualification have already been announced , but awarding organisations will be required to be mindful of the assessment approach taken for GCSEs and A-levels when setting their own standards so that learners are not disadvantaged.
