Decisions on GCSE computer science assessments regulated by Ofqual - Impact and regulatory changes

Sep 5, 2026

Decisions on GCSE computer science assessment arrangements regulated by Ofqual for students taking exams in 2018 and 2019. It explains the background for shifting grading so that qualification outcomes are determined solely by exam performance, following evidence that non-exam assessment rules were not consistently met. The document sets out the reasoning, options considered, additional efforts planned by exam boards to deter malpractice, and the expected impact on students and regulatory and equality outcomes.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages14

Reading Time35 min

AccessFree to download

Contents

Introduction

Background

Our decision

The options we considered

The extra efforts exam boards plan to make to spot and detect malpractice

The impact on students of making changes towards the end of their two-year programme of study

The importance of programming skills

The limited impact of the non-exam assessment on the overall qualification outcome

Assessing the equality impact of the changes

Assessing the regulatory impact of the changes

Next steps

Decisions on GCSE computer science assessments regulated by Ofqual 􀂄 􀂄 􀂄 􀂄 􀂄 􀂄 􀂄 􀂄 􀂄 􀂄 􀂄 􀂄 􀂄 􀂄 􀂄 􀂄 􀂄 􀂄 􀂄 􀂄 􀂄 􀂄 􀂄 􀂄 􀂄 􀂄 􀂄 􀂄 􀂄 􀂄 􀂄 􀂄 􀂄 􀂄 􀂄 􀂄 􀂄 January 2018 Ofqual/18/6339 Contents Introduction .....................................................................................................................2 Background .....................................................................................................................3 Our decision ....................................................................................................................5 The options we considered .........................................................................................5 The extra efforts exam boards plan to make to spot and detect malpractice............6 The impact on students of making changes towards the end of their two-year programme of study ....................................................................................................7 The importance of programming skills ........................................................................8 The limited impact of the non-exam assessment (20% of the marks) on the overall qualification outcome...................................................................................................9 Assessing the equality impact of the changes ............................................................. 11 Assessing the regulatory impact of the changes ......................................................... 11 Next steps ..................................................................................................................... 12 This document relates to GCSE computer science qualifications regulated by Ofqualand taken primarily in England. It does not include those GCSEs that may be taken in schools and colleges in other parts of the UK and that are regulated by either CCEA or Qualifications Wales. Introduction In this document we set out our decision to change the assessment arrangements for GCSE computer science to address evidence that the rules for the non-exam assessment are not in all cases being met. Our decision was informed by the responses to the consultation that we ran from 27 November to 22 December 2017. We have decided that all students taking their GCSE computer science exams in 2018 and 2019 should continue to complete one of the tasks set by their exam board for the qualification. Their grades for the qualification will, however, be determined by their performance in their exams alone. Background GCSE (9 to1) computer science will be awarded for the first time in summer 2018. The qualifications were designed so that 80 per cent of the marks for the qualifications were allocated to exams and 20 per cent to a non-exam assessment. For their non-exam assessment students would complete under controlled conditions a task set by their exam board. The exam boards, which set the rules for the conduct of the task, each required that the task is completed in no more than a total of 20 hours. We were aware of the potential for malpractice in the qualification and the importance of maintaining confidence in the qualification, which counts as a science in the government’s accountability measures. Our decision, taken in 2014, to allow nonexam assessment in the qualification was finely balanced. We required the exam boards to take extra steps to deter and detect malpractice in the new qualification. They believed the steps they had put in place would allow them to protect the integrity of the qualification and confidence in it. During 2017, incidents of detected malpractice in the legacy GCSEs in the subject 1 rose sharply. 2 During autumn 2017, we saw evidence that the rules for the GCSE (9 to1) computer science non-exam assessment tasks were being broken. The tasks had been released by the exam boards on 1 September 2017, for completion by students taking their exams in summer 2018. The tasks sho

FAQs

What assessment arrangements change for GCSE computer science in 2018 and 2019?

Students still complete one task set by their exam board, but the qualification grade is determined by exam performance alone.

Why did Ofqual decide to consult and change the assessment arrangements?

Evidence showed that rules for non-exam assessment were not being met, including tasks being discussed outside controlled conditions and appearing online.

How will exam boards respond to reduce and detect malpractice?

The document sets out that exam boards were required to take extra steps to deter and detect malpractice in the new qualification.

Sep 5, 2026

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