Latest news about Edexcel International GCSEs from 2016 and 2017 | Pearson qualifications

Latest news about Edexcel International GCSEs from 2016 and 2017

Thu Apr 28 11:00:00 UTC 2016

Over the past year, we have been consulting with teachers, higher education representatives, subject expert groups and other key stakeholders to gain feedback and insight on our suite of Edexcel International GCSE qualifications. 

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Below you can read more about what changes to expect.

Your feedback

The feedback we received through the consultation process highlighted that Edexcel International GCSEs are valued by teachers and learners across the world. It indicated that you would welcome some updates to the qualification suite, rather than large scale changes, including more internationally relevant content. You also requested a grading scale that provides learners with the best possible progression pathways to A levels, International A Levels and university. Taking into consideration your feedback, we are making a number of updates to our Edexcel International GCSE qualifications suite, as outlined below.

Updated Edexcel International GCSE qualifications

In response to your feedback, we plan to retain the best elements of the current Edexcel International GCSE qualifications that you have told us you value. In addition, we plan to introduce more international content, including the addition of further international content topics and the use of local contexts where possible. This is to ensure that these qualifications are even more relevant and engaging for students around the world, allowing for learning in a local context to a global standard. We will also update the content of the qualifications so that they reflect the latest thinking in each subject.

With the introduction of a new 9-1 grading scale for GCSEs in England, the A* grade available for the current Edexcel International GCSEs does not neatly align with the top grade 9. Grade 9 represents a higher level of attainment than the current A* grade. After extensive consultation with schools and wider stakeholders, we have taken the decision to introduce the 9-1 grading scale for the updated suite of Edexcel International GCSEs.

With 9 levels of performance rather than 8, there is greater differentiation of learners across the full grading scale, which better identifies students’ potential, putting you in a stronger position to help students make informed decisions about their A level and university choices. This will also give the very highest performers the opportunity to achieve a grade 9, rewarding outstanding academic achievement.

We will provide you with a wider range of teaching and learning materials, resources and training to support the best possible learner outcomes, in time for first teaching. Examples of support available for some subjects include: schemes of work, Getting Started guides,  exemplar materials, comprehensive textbooks and interactive resources, digital services and tailored Edexcel International GCSE teacher training. This will complement the wider Pearson support available for Edexcel qualifications, such as ResultsPlus, ResultsPlus Direct, and Exam Wizard.

Through the consultation process, you expressed a preference for the single introduction of a new grading scale. As such, we will ensure that the full updated Edexcel International GCSE 9-1 suite is available for first teaching in September 2017, with first assessment in May / June 2019. By introducing the full suite of updated Edexcel International GCSEs in 2017, we aim to provide teaching teams with a structured transition over to the refreshed specifications with more preparation time. We will equip you with dedicated teaching and learning resources to support the effective delivery of these updated qualifications in time for first teaching.

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