Consultation response - Exceptional arrangements for exam grading and assessment in 2020 - 29 April 2020 - Centre assessment grades

Oct 20, 2026

Uploaded by Patrick

AQA response to Ofqual’s consultation on exceptional arrangements for exam grading and assessment in 2020, focusing on how centre assessment grades and student rank order data should be collected, declared, and safeguarded. The submission supports requirements for boards to gather centre information, stresses the role and timing of Head of Centre declarations, and highlights safeguards under Equalities Law. It also addresses consistency for Year 10 entries and treats inappropriate disclosure as potential malpractice, requesting clear guidance to reduce pressure and errors.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages11

Reading Time28 min

AccessFree to download

Centre assessment grades

Collection and use of centre assessment grades and rank order data

Declaration by Head of Centre accuracy and integrity

Equalities Law declaration requirements

Issuing results for Year 10 and below

Investigating inappropriate disclosure as potential malpractice

Comments on proposals for centre assessment grades

Consultation response Exceptional arrangements for exam grading and assessment in 2020 29 April 2020 i. Centre assessment grades (p. 15) 1. To what extent do you agree or disagree that we should incorporate the requirement for exam boards to collect information from centres on centre assessment grades and their student rank order, in line with our published information document, into our exceptional regulatory requirements this year? AQA strongly agrees. This will ensure teachers and centres understand their roles and responsibilities. AQA would further propose to Ofqual that it issue guidance on the extent and format of data which schools retain on their centre assessment grades and student rank order, in the event that awarding organisations need to query them for investigations into malpractice and other matters. 2. To what extent do you agree or disagree that exam boards should only accept centre assessment grades and student rank orders from a centre when the Head of Centre or their nominated deputy has made a declaration as to their accuracy and integrity? AQA strongly agrees. In practice, AQA will process all data received on centre assessed grades and grade rankings into the standardisation process , even when this declaration has not yet been received, in order not to disadvantage students. However, we do not believe it would be appropriate to issue results to students without this declaration. This is because a declaration from the Head of Centre or their nominated deputy as to the accuracy and integrity of the submission provides an additional safeguard. It also underlines that the Head of Centre takes responsibility for the data provided by centres, so that if there are any issues that require investigation, the Head of Centre should be able to provide evidence for the accuracy and integrity of grades and rankings submitted by teachers at the school. We recognise that clerical errors are made by schools each year. We also realise that the submission of calculated grades and grade rankings represents a new undertaking for thousands of teachers and schools during a difficult period. We therefore recommend that Ofqual issue sufficiently clear guidance, instructions, as well as a checklist, for Heads of Centre, in order to ensure they submit correct declarations at the right time. Such guidance to Heads of Centre from Ofqual should also acknowledge that new Heads of Centre unfamiliar with their staff and students might consider nominating a deputy to issue the declaration either instead of or alongside them. 3. To what extent do you agree or disagree that Heads of Centre should not need to make a specific declaration in relation to Equalities Law? We recognise that there are arguments for and against this proposal. On balance AQA agrees with the proposal, and believes that the general declaration signed by Heads of Centre should have them declare that teachers have understood and considered Equalities Law, and the school’s own equalities policies, in the grading and ranking of students. 4. To what extent do you agree or disagree that students in year 10 and below who had been entered to complete exams this summer should be issued results on the same basis as students in year 11 and above? AQA agrees with this proposal. We have received compelling representations from teacher associations about schools where Year 10 students were being legitimately entered this year and will be disadvantaged if they do not receive a grade. The proposal of a cut-off date for most Year 10 entries is also welcome to ensure schools are not incentivised to enter Year 10s they would not otherwise have entered. It would be useful , and indeed essential to ensure students are treated consistently, for Ofqual to provide further guidance to exam boards about what would be a ‘compelling reason’ to waive this deadline. Further guidance about whether Year 10s being entered this year ‘if they wish’refers to the

FAQs

Should exam boards incorporate information collected from centres on centre assessment grades and student rank order into exceptional regulatory requirements in 2020?

AQA strongly agrees, arguing it helps teachers and centres understand their roles and responsibilities and supports clear processing of centre data.

Who should make the declaration about the accuracy and integrity of centre assessment grades and rank order, and how should missing declarations be handled?

AQA strongly agrees the Head of Centre or a nominated deputy should declare accuracy and integrity. AQA says it will still process received data through standardisation to avoid disadvantaging students, but results should not be issued without the declaration.

How does AQA view inappropriate disclosure of centre assessment judgements or rank order information?

AQA strongly agrees it should be investigated as potential malpractice, to preserve qualification integrity and prevent unfair access differences between students and others.

Oct 20, 2026

Uploaded by Patrick