General Qualifications Bulletin - UK - Issue 29
Dear Colleague,
As the Spring term ends for many of you and the days continue to get longer, I hope you are all able to take some time to have a break.
I know it’s been another term that has presented plenty of challenges for you and your students and I continue to be in awe of all that you continue to achieve. It has been great talking to some of you at the recent events I have been out attending.
Included in this issue of the bulletin is information on our progress in the last two years, and our future plans for onscreen assessment – including the first sitting of our onscreen GCSE Computer Science exam this summer. It’s an exciting time working with many of you on the opportunities for onscreen assessments.
The next term will also present different challenges as we draw closer to the May/June examination series which will, for many, be the first large exam series in a few years. We will do all we can to support you in advance of the series and we will continue to write to you through these bulletins with important and helpful resources and reminders.
You can always get in touch if you have any questions and we will always do our best to get you the answers as quickly as possible.
Have a good break.
Kind regards,
Hayley White
Assessment Director
We’re sorry if any of you have experienced problems whilst using our Learner Work Transfer (LWT) platform for the first time. As with any new system there will be things to learn as it is used for the first time, but we are committed to making further improvements to the system as we optimise this for use going forward.
All your speaking recordings and associated paperwork for languages qualifications will now need to be uploaded to our Learner Work Transfer (LWT) portal before the deadline. For detailed guidance, please see the following resources:
International GCSE and IAS/IAL LWT guidance
You can check the speaking window dates on our languages news page.
In the last two bulletins we communicated that as materials will be available to download on SDS, we will no longer be supplying CDs for A level and GCSE MFL listening, A level and GCSE Music, and CDs/DVDs for A level Music Technology exams.
We have also sent a follow-up email to all centres with entries for these subjects with a request to complete a short questionnaire. If you have not yet completed this questionnaire, we would be grateful if you could respond so that we can provide you with further support should you need it.
To find out more about SDS (if you do not already use this system) and how to set up an account, please take a look at our Secure Download Service support article.
We know that you take question paper security as seriously as we do. We’re always seeking ways to enhance the security of our papers and we wanted to let you know that we’re planning on making some changes which may affect you this May/June.
For exams in May/June, we will be putting additional measures in place to enhance the security of exams in some A level and International A level subjects. If your centre will be affected by these changes we will write to you with further details soon.
In the meantime, as we build up to the examination series we recommend reading the latest JCQ Instructions for Conducting Examinations document. More information about our question paper tracking services and how to store question papers can be found on our support portal.
You can also access free on-demand e-Learning for Exams Officers on our website, where our interactive module walks you through the process of maintaining exam paper security in your centre.
Access the free on-demand e-Learning for Exams Officers
Following the digital learning curve of the last two years, many teachers have been asking about our plans for onscreen Pearson Edexcel GCSE and A level assessment.
In 2021, thousands of students in the UK took onscreen GCSE mocks and this year sees the first sitting of our onscreen GCSE Computer Science exam assessing practical skills in real time.
Curiosity, collaboration and evidence are at the heart of unlocking the challenges and opportunities of onscreen assessment. That’s why we’re focusing on working with you to choose where and how we best use technology to positively impact assessments and the lives of learners.
Explore our approach to onscreen assessment
Our final May/June 2022 Assessment drop-in sessions will take place towards the end of April. Do join us to ask any questions you may have ahead of the exam series.
The next drop-in sessions are on:
- UK Qualifications: Wednesday 27 April 2022 at 16:00-16:30 GMT
- International Qualifications: Thursday 28 April 2022 at 07:00-07:30 GMT
For further information and to book your place please visit the Pearson Professional Development Academy.
As you will know the advance information for all relevant GCSE, A level and International GCSE subjects has now been released.
Since then, we have updated some of the advance information documents where minor amendments were needed due to typographical reasons OR to meet the principles of advance information content agreed by all exam boards . The qualifications and type of amendments are listed on the table on the main Summer 2022 Support page.
You can find out more more information in the JCQ Frequently Asked Questions for exam centres and the JCQ Frequently Asked Questions for students.
Do take a look at the advance information revision support packages we’ve created that will help you and your students in the run up to the summer 2022 assessments. These include topic-based tests for some subjects, or tools to create your own, and free teachers access to Pearson Revise ActiveBooks* for use in class, available until 28 June 2022.
All your advance information revision support, including your free front-of-class Revision ActiveBooks, can be accessed through the subject interactive PDFs on our website. And we’ve not forgotten about revision support for GCSE Geography and GCSE History where there is optionality rather than advance information.
Download the advance information revision support for your subject
*You do not have to purchase any published resources to deliver our qualifications. Other Pearson Edexcel endorsed resources are also available.
To support multi-academy trusts and groups of schools we’ve developed our new ResultsPlus Group Analysis service. This service can provide senior leaders with a clear overall picture of student performance across all their schools in Pearson Edexcel mock exams, high-stake exams and BTEC external assessments.
To use this new service we’ll need to set up a separate account for your multi-academy trust or groups of schools, even if your school is already set up with a ResultsPlus account.
Find out more about ResultsPlus Group Analysis and get your account set up now
The Key Dates Finder on our website enables you to find all of the key dates for Pearson general qualifications and subjects in one place.
Here are those taking place in the next few weeks.
- 7 April 2022 – Access to Scripts deadline for International GCSE and Edexcel Award January 22 Series
- 14 April 2022 – Date by which certificates will be issued for Project, International GCSE and Edexcel Award January 22 Series
- 18 April 2022 – Speaking tests can begin for A Level and GCSE MFL June 22 Series
- 20 April 2022 - Last day that withdrawn entries will be refunded for June 22 Series
- From 21 April 2022 - Amendment fees will be charged for June 22 Series
- From 22 April 2022 - High late entry fees will be charged for June 22 Series
- 22 April 2022 - Date by which AS and A Level, GCSE and International GCSE certificates will be issued for November 21 Series
For more information on key dates for post results services please visit our Post-results services key dates web page.
Our team of subject advisors send out regular important updates about their specific subject areas.
The updates contain important information about assessments, support, events, resources and other key areas of information.
Sign up for your subject advisor updates now
Please take a look at our FAQ hub, and Teaching, Learning and Assessment page for Vocational and Technical Qualifications in 2021/22.
Read vocational and technical qualifications 2021-2022 FAQs
Take a look at the Teaching, learning and assessment 2021-2022 page
You will find the latest information and support for our vocational qualifications on this web page, along with links to our regular VQ Bulletin containing all the key updates you need for our vocational qualifications. Please do bookmark this page for future reference.
