AS, A Level and GCSE qualifications in the UK are awarded using the ‘comparable outcomes’ approach to setting and maintaining standards.
The basic principle of this approach is that if the group of students (the cohort) taking a qualification in one year is of similar ability to the cohort in the previous year, then the overall results (outcomes) at national level, should be comparable.
Statistics play an important role in the comparable outcomes approach. Awarding bodies work with Ofqual to create a reference matrix for each subject, on which to base predictions of AS or A Level performance. This prediction matrix applies to the cohort taking the assessments in the current year, and is based on those candidates’ prior attainment data, taken from their GCSE performance.
In addition to statistics, senior examiners play a crucial role in providing their expert judgments about the quality of work and this insight also helps ensure that the grade boundaries are set in the right place.
Our subject experts are trained thoroughly in the process of writing question papers and assessments that are consistent in difficulty year on year. It is also important to ensure that assessments are valid and that they are not predictable for learners. Because of this, question papers can be slightly more or less difficult than in previous years because of the content being tested and the questions that are asked. In order to ensure fairness to all candidates and comparability of standards over time, grade boundaries may shift to ensure that variation in difficulty is taken into account.
This is particularly important during transition to new or changed qualifications, such as the new AS and A Levels.
Download our short PDF 'Comparable outcomes approach: A Guide', below.
Comparable Outcomes: A Guide
61.3 KB
pdf
/content/dam/pdf/GCSE/support-documents/Comparable-Outcomes-a-Guide.pdf
false
2017-09-29T15:24:45.006Z