Pupils could take GCSE and A Level exams at home with early results under new proposals

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Pupils in the UK could take mini GCSE and A Level exams at home and get their results under new proposals.

UNDER proposals published by the exam watchdog, Ofqual, for the first time ever, students in England could end up sitting the exams at home to help determine their grades, and results day could also be moved forward a month from August to early July.

The regulator said it hoped exams could take place at school, but pointed out this might not be possible for pupils.

“We, therefore, propose that, if the pandemic makes it essential, where papers are to be used in the final assessment, the papers could be completed at an alternative venue, including a student’s home, where that is an option.”

The papers produced by the exam boards could be based on a “combination of questions from past papers and new questions”, it said.

Tests would be sat within a set period of time and multiple papers could be produced to cut the risk of mini exam papers being leaked.

And teachers will be able to draw on a range of broader evidence of a student’s work to make their final assessment.

Under the new proposals, pupils would be assessed by their teachers in May and early June, who would submit grades to exam boards in mid-June.

An “external quality assurance” process would then be carried out by the boards throughout the rest of June, sampling evidence used by schools to decide grades.

Geoff Barton, the general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said the proposal is a “sensible” option for assessing GCSEs and A Levels, but said clear quality assurance processes would be necessary to ensure a “consistency” in how grades are awarded.


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Tara Rippin

Tara Rippin is a reporter for Spain’s largest English-speaking newspaper, Euro Weekly News, and is responsible for the Costa Blanca region.
She has been in journalism for more than 20 years, having worked for local newspapers in the Midlands, UK, before relocating to Spain in 1990.
Since arriving, the mother-of-one has made her home on the Costa Blanca, while spending 18 months at the EWN head office in Fuengirola on the Costa del Sol.
She loves being part of a community that has a wonderful expat and Spanish mix, and strives to bring the latest and most relevant news to EWN’s loyal and valued readers.

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