Assessment

The latest news and analysis on exams in the UK, including key dates, timetables, results and statistics for Sats, GCSEs and A levels

Thursday

25th Nov 2021

GCSEs: Heads and exam boards reject ‘risky’ MFL reforms
DfE told to ‘rethink’ ‘fundamentally flawed’ government proposals to reform modern language GCSEs

Friday

19th Nov 2021

Marking mocks: have you tried it this way?
It’s mock season – and Laura May Rowlands shares her advice on making the marking process as equitable, interesting and useful as possible

Friday

12th Nov 2021

Call to scrap ‘unfair and inaccurate’ high-stakes Sats
One-off high-stakes tests should be replaced with more regular online assessments of primary school pupils, according to a new report

Thursday

11th Nov 2021

GCSEs and A levels 2022: How exams will run next summer
The government has set out how exams will run this year – and what will happen if they are scrapped again. Here’s everything you need to know
GCSEs 2022: Run ‘exam-condition’ mocks, schools told
The DfE says students should be tested in ‘exam-like conditions’ in case GCSEs and A levels are scrapped owing to Covid again next summer
GCSEs: Multilingual students ‘do better in all exams’
Secondary students who say they are multilingual outperform their peers in non-language subjects, research shows

Wednesday

10th Nov 2021

Government steps in over TikTok teacher abuse videos
Department for Education says it is ‘engaging with’ TikTok after heads’ warning over ‘highly insulting’ videos
Changes to exams ‘must be bearable for teachers’
Exam reform must not increase the burden on Scottish teachers, says author of report on future of qualifications

Monday

8th Nov 2021

SQA strike action could disrupt exams, warns union
The union Unite says SQA staff have been left in limbo – with no job security – following the government’s decision to replace the agency

Friday

5th Nov 2021

Why confusion reigns over assessment reforms
The Scottish government has said that it backs reform of national qualifications and assessment – but the big question is how far it is willing to go, writes Emma Seith

Thursday

4th Nov 2021

GCSEs 2021: How teacher grades changed the landscape
What the latest data reveals about GCSE and A level results during the pandemic

Monday

1st Nov 2021

Ofqual to consult on using simpler language in exams
Measures such as placing more difficult questions towards the end of papers could be introduced to make assessments more accessible