Ofqual and DfE announcements on grading and support for Summer 2023

Exams and grading in Summer 2023

The Department for Education (DfE) and Ofqual have stated in an article that exams will head back to normality for students in 2023.

Ofqual have also published an article on grading in Summer 2023.

Key points to note are as follows:

• GCSE, AS, and A level exams in England will largely return to pre-pandemic arrangements next summer.
• No Advance Information of exam content will be provided.
• To protect students against the disruption of recent years, and in case students’ performance is slightly lower than before the pandemic, senior examiners will use the grades achieved by previous cohorts of pupils, along with prior attainment data, to inform their decisions about where to set grade boundaries. This mirrors the approach used in the first years of reformed GCSEs and A levels.

GCSE Physics and Combined Science equation sheets

As stated in the exams article mentioned above, the government is also confirming that students should be provided with support in GCSE Physics and Combined Science with equation sheets as was the case in 2022. In light of this, Ofqual has launched a consultation on these plans. This consultation will close on 20 October.

Gathering assessment evidence

In the unlikely event it is necessary to use evidence to inform Teacher Assessed Grades (TAGs), the DfE and Ofqual are also jointly consulting on guidance to schools and colleges about gathering assessment evidence to support resilience in the general qualifications system. This consultation will close on 20 October.