Evaluation of Students’ and Teachers’ Experiences of Remote On-Screen GCSE English Assessment

Oct 20, 2026

This report evaluates a remote on-screen GCSE English assessment pilot delivered via Doublestruck’s Exampro platform, conducted with AQA’s research team between January and March 2021. The study captures Key Stage 4 students’ experiences of taking the on-screen paper and teachers’ experiences of marking it. Findings show varied student perceptions during Covid-19, with limited technical difficulties, a need for preparation, and teachers favoring a blended approach of on-screen plus paper-based assessment.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages49

Reading Time2 h 3 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Digital pedagogy and assessment in England

Remote on-screen GCSE English assessment pilot

Evaluation of students’ and teachers’ experiences of remote on-screen GCSE English assessment Research and Analysis Victoria Armstrong and Katy Finch Abstract This report focuses on a study that was carried out in collaboration with Doublestruck, an EdTech company that forms part of the AQA family. AQA’s research team was asked to provide an evaluation of an on-screen GCSE English assessment pilot, delivered remotely via Doublestruck’sonline platform Exampro between January and March 2021. The aim of the trial was to explore the experiences of Key Stage 4 students taking an on-screen paper and their teachers’ experiences of marking it. Our findings suggest that, although student experiences have been varied during the Covid-19 pandemic, the impact of school closures has undoubtedly influenced students’perceptions of on-screen assessment (OSA) . Students reported experiencing few technical difficulties during the assessments and the majority appear open to the concept of OSA in high-stakes contexts in the future. However, students could identify advantages and disadvantages with OSA and were also aware of some barriers that may prevent large-scale uptake of this mode of assessment. There was a strong theme within the data that preparation was key for a successful transition to OSA, with students asserting that this should involve gaining experience of OSA from the beginning of secondary school. As few students prior to the pandemic regularly used a laptop or computer, developing keyboard skills in order to improve typing speed, for example, was also cited as important. Similarly, teachers’ responses were largely positive but they also identified positive and negative aspects to this mode of assessment. Overall, they expressed a preference for a blended approach with a balance of onscreen and paper-based assessment. Introduction While on-screen assessment (OSA) has had a place in some educational contexts for decades, the transition to on-screen , high-stakes assessments in England has been constrained by a number of factors (Ofqual, 2020) . Government policy continues to promote the use of EdTech in schools (DfE, 2019), but access to appropriate resources, such as suitable devices and reliable wifi has often been posited as a barrier to digital pedagogy and OSA. However, the recent school closures, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, have led schools nationally and internationally to roll out digital teaching, learning and assessment on an unprecedented scale (Burgess & Siervertsen, 2020) . It is within this remote teaching and learning context that the current study is situated. The main aims of the project were: • to identify the advantages and disadvantages of on-screen English assessment from the students’ perspectives • to identify the extent to which a student’s digital exposure impacts their experience of on-screen English assessment • to capture teachers’ experiences of marking on-screen English assessments • to identify any particular factors that might help improve product design. It should be noted that, while the initial focus of the study was to measure the experiences of classroom-based OSA, the Covid-19 school closures in January 2021 in England led to a remote format being used. This has shaped the students’ experiences of this unfamiliar mode of assessment and should be considered when reviewing the findings. In addition, while it was never the focus of this project to make comparisons between the outcomes of the OSA and the paperbased mode of this assessment (PBA), the remote format meant no pupils or their peers sat a PBA. This should also be reflected upon when the findings are considered, as students are notable to make direct comparisons between papers across modes. The history of digital teaching, learning and assessment in England and the way in which the experience of schools in England relates to international settings provide the initial context for this report. The background of

FAQs

What was the focus of the study and who conducted it?

The study evaluated an on-screen GCSE English assessment pilot and gathered both student and teacher experiences. It was carried out by AQA’s research team in collaboration with Doublestruck, an EdTech company within the AQA family.

How did students experience the on-screen assessments during the trial?

Students generally reported few technical difficulties and showed openness to on-screen assessment in high-stakes contexts. They could also identify both advantages and disadvantages and noted barriers that could limit wider uptake.

What did teachers prefer regarding assessment format based on the findings?

Teachers’ responses were largely positive but highlighted both benefits and drawbacks of on-screen assessment. Overall, they expressed a preference for a blended approach combining on-screen and paper-based assessment.

Oct 20, 2026

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