Consultation response - Proposed changes to the assessment of GCSEs, AS and A-levels in 2021 - July 2020

Oct 20, 2026

Uploaded by Patrick

Consultation response addressing proposed changes to the assessment of GCSEs, AS and A-levels for 2021. It evaluates non-subject-specific questions, including whether centres should have topic choice for GCSE History and GCSE Ancient History, and the proposed arrangements in annex C. The response discusses operational risks of changing entry codes and argues about geography fieldwork requirements, balancing public health constraints against the value of fieldwork. It also addresses question optionality and the number and length of exams, emphasizing fairness, consistent standards, and comparability between years.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages68

Reading Time2 h 51 min

AccessFree to download

Non–subject-specific questions (Plus GCSE History and GCSE Geography questions)

Sampling of subject content (pp. 10-2)

Question level optionality (pp. 12-4)

Changing the number and the length of exams (pp. 14-5)

Consultation response Proposed changes to the assessment of GCSEs, AS and A-levels in 2021 July 2020 Non–subject-specific questions (Plus GCSE History and GCSE Geography questions) i. Sampling of subject content (pp. 10-2) 1. To what extent do you agree or disagree that centres should have a choice of topics on which their students will answer questions for GCSE history and GCSE ancient history in 2021? Agree 2. To what extent do you agree or disagree with the proposed assessment arrangements for GCSE history and GCSE ancient history exams in 2021 as set out in annex C? Agree 3. Do you have any comments on the proposal to allow centres a choice of topics on which their students will answer questions for GCSE history and GCSE ancient history exams and/or any of the proposed assessment arrangements for particular specifications in 2021? The proposal is an appropriate and proportionate response to the current circumstances. If adopted, it will make the History GCSE in 2021 more manageable for centres and fairer for students in the current circumstances. The proposal would, however, cause issues from an operational perspective. For example, the different approach to optionality (that is, a choice of topics) would require a significant change to entry codes, which in itself would increase risks of incorrect entries by centres choosing wrong options. Careful thought must therefore be given to how the proposal would be put into practice in 2021. 4. To what extent do you agree or disagree that students taking GCSE geography exams in 2021 should not be required to undertake or be assessed on fieldwork? Disagree 5. Do you have any comments on the proposal to remove the fieldwork requirement and exam questions relating to fieldwork from GCSE geography exams in 2021? Whilst we agree that students taking GCSE Geography exams in 2021 should not be required to undertake or be assessed on physical outdoor fieldwork if the ongoing public health risks make it impermissible, we value it as an important part of geography. Fieldwork is an important feature of the qualification and, being outdoors, carries low risk. While we recognise the difficulties, we would prefer content relating to fieldwork to remain assessable in 2021. If lockdown policy makes this impermissible, virtual fieldwork can be developed and undertaken (eg including manipulation of unprocessed data sets, remote data collection eg online questionnaires etc) . ii. Question level optionality (pp. 12-4) 6. To what extent do you agree or disagree that the 2021 exams should not include more optional questions than usual? Agree 7. Do you have any comments on the use of optional exam questions in the 2021 exams? We agree that the 2021 exams should not include more optional questions than usual, that the number of exams taken for each subject in 2021 should be the same as usual and that the exams taken in 2021 should not be longer than usual. While many teachers and students have called for optional exam questions as away of adapting next year’s specifications, including on the grounds of stress and mental health, adding more, optional questions for students to read though and choose from, while they are sitting the exam, can in itself be stressful. Students can find optional questions confusing and may mistakenly answer too much or too little, particularly when the paper structure is not familiar. Increasing the number of optional questions also poses challenges to maintaining consistent standards and reliable marking. These challenges influenced the design of our qualifications and so simply adding more questions for students to choose from should not be a change that is introduced in isolation. Choosing not to alter the externally-assessed written element of assessments offers a point of stability for students. We are concerned that any amendments bring consequences which cannot be fully evaluated in advance, but could damage the int

FAQs

Do centres agree or disagree with having a choice of topics for GCSE History and GCSE Ancient History in 2021?

The response agrees that centres should have a choice of topics for 2021 exams.

Should GCSE geography students in 2021 be required to undertake or be assessed on fieldwork?

The response disagrees that fieldwork should be removed from assessment in 2021, while noting the need to consider public health constraints.

What concerns are raised about adding more optional exam questions in 2021?

The response agrees 2021 should not include more optional questions than usual, highlighting risks of stress, confusion, inconsistent standards, reliable marking challenges, and unintended consequences for teaching and exam preparation.

Oct 20, 2026

Uploaded by Patrick