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It explains how senior examiners design questions that learners can access and that assess what students know and can apply, including scrutiny of language, command words, context, sentence structures, words, and syllables. It also presents reviewed 2024 examples from prior examination series, analysing performance and access across five assessment areas with commentary on demand, question clarity, and discrimination across grades.",{"@graph":69,"@context":122},[70,84,105],{"@type":71,"itemListElement":72},"BreadcrumbList",[73,77,79,82],{"item":74,"name":75,"@type":76,"position":8},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",{"item":78,"name":9,"@type":76,"position":14},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/",{"item":80,"name":20,"@type":76,"position":81},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/exam/",3,{"item":83,"name":65,"@type":76,"position":19},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/our-focus-on-accessible-exam-papers-gcse-9-1-sciences/622439/",{"url":83,"name":65,"@type":85,"image":86,"author":91,"headline":65,"publisher":94,"fileFormat":97,"inLanguage":63,"description":67,"dateModified":98,"datePublished":99,"encodingFormat":97,"isAccessibleForFree":100,"interactionStatistic":101},"DigitalDocument",{"url":87,"@type":88,"width":89,"height":90},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/our-focus-on-accessible-exam-papers-gcse-9-1-sciences/622439.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":92,"@type":93},"Đào","Person",{"url":74,"name":95,"@type":96},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-10-30","2026-10-20",true,{"@type":102,"interactionType":103,"userInteractionCount":14},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":104},"ViewAction",{"@type":106,"mainEntity":107},"FAQPage",[108,114,118],{"name":109,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":111},"How do examiners ensure GCSE science questions are accessible to learners?","Question",{"text":112,"@type":113},"Senior examiners design questions so students can access them and demonstrate what they know and can apply. Reviews focus on language, command words, contexts, and the appropriateness of sentence structures, words, and syllables.","Answer",{"name":115,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":116},"What quality checks are performed during exam paper development?",{"text":117,"@type":113},"Questions go through a rigorous process of quality checks at each development stage. Reviews assess language and demand, and Scrutineers review the papers and provide feedback for modifications.",{"name":119,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":120},"Which assessment areas are analysed in the report?",{"text":121,"@type":113},"The report analyses five key assessment areas: short open response questions, extended open response questions, questions including an element of maths, practically based questions, and data interpretation questions.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":83,"og:type":124,"og:title":65,"og:site_name":95,"og:description":67},"article",{"robots":126,"canonical":83},"index,follow",{"doc_id":128,"site_id":62},622439,1792525206,{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":131},{"doc_id":128,"user_id":132,"nickname":92,"user_avatar":133,"doc_module":4,"category_id":19,"category_name":20,"doc_title":65,"doc_description":67,"doc_content":134,"file_id":135,"file_url":136,"file_type":137,"file_size":138,"view_count":14,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":8,"is_downloadable":8,"audit_status":8,"page_count":139,"language":140,"language_code":63,"site_id":62,"html_lang":63,"table_of_contents":141,"faqs":142,"seo_title":143,"seo_description":67,"update_tm":144,"read_time":145,"preview_page_count":4},1374402968488,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_29158cc5080c5b710cf443261637dec0","Our focus on accessible exam papers  \nGCSE (9-1) Sciences  \nNigel English  \nOur focus on accessible exam paper  \nNigel English – Overarching Chair of Examiners  \nOur learners are at the heart of our assessments and the senior examiners are careful to develop questions that students can access and that will examine what students know and can apply.  \nOur papers go through a rigorous process of quality checks. At each stage of the development of a question paper, the review of the questions are undertaken to ensure careful consideration of the use of language, command words and contexts. Our quality review processes include the input from language modifiers who focus on the question design in terms of sentence structures, words and syllables, ensuring that the questions are appropriate for the learner. We also have Scrutineers who sit the papers and give feedback for any modifications.  \nIn this report, additionally reviewed in 2024, we will outline examples of a range of the type of questions asked, and some commentary from senior examiners from previous examination series. We will also look at how well students performed and how the question enabled students to access it. Specifically, we have analysed five key areas of the assessment:  \nShort open response questions (3 to 4 mark questions) 2  \nExtended open response questions 7  \nQuestions that include an element of maths 13  \nQuestions that are practically based (compulsory or otherwise) 20 Data interpretation questions 25  \nShort open response questions (3 to 4 mark questions)  \nPrior to the examination series, there was concern from schools that some questions of this style might be overly demanding. Of course such questions must test the grade range available in the paper (1–5 for foundation paper and 4–9 for higher paper), so some will be testing the most able. Equally the command word used had to clearly indicate to students the type of answer they must write.  \nThe following illustrate good examples of how examiners took these various factors into account.  \nBiology paper 1H Question 5c  \nThis question was about immunity, which is a topic that is often difficult for students (section 5.13 of the specification) . In question 5, students were applying their knowledge (AO2) and it was set at high demand. The simple structure of the question allowed students access and they performed well. The rest of the question had led up to 5c, so students were prepared.  \n\n| Mark | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |\n| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |\n| % of Candidates | 6.4 | 13.0 | 26.4 | 54.2 |\n| Cumulative % | 6.4 | 19.4 | 45.8 | 100.00 |\n\nBiology paper 2H question 9b  \nThis question was about the hormone adrenalin. It was a question requiring students to apply some knowledge (AO2) and assessed specification point 9.2. It was set at high demand. The question was both clear and very direct, enabling students to answer it well. Discrimination was good across the higher grades.  \n\n| Mark | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |\n| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |\n| % of Candidates | 18.6 | 11.0 | 15.9 | 20.7 | 33.9 |\n| Cumulative % | 18.6 | 29.6 | 45.5 | 66.2 | 100.00 |\n\nChemistry paper 1H Question 5c  \nIn this question students had to interpret a graph of temperature against time fora substance that was being heated. The graph was simple but the explanation was more difficult, so the question was set at a high demand and assessed AO3 and points 2. 1/2 .3 of the specification. The language used to introduce the question was both straightforward and brief. This enabled students to score relatively highly on a difficult topic.  \n\n| Mark | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |\n| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |\n| % of Candidates | 21.7 | 30.5 | 24.7 | 15.8 | 7.4 |\n| Cumulative % | 21.7 | 52.2 | 76.9 | 92.7 | 100.00 |\n\nPhysics paper 1H question 5c  \nThis question was about light refracting at a boundary. It assessed AO3 and specification point 5.13. It is a difficult concept, so was set as a high-demand question. The question was short and t","cbCaigaw70PWQTaR","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaigaw70PWQTaR","pdf",7006422,31,"English","# Question accessibility and design process\n## Quality checks and language review\n## Senior examiner commentary and review (2024)\n# Key assessment areas analyzed\n## Short open response questions (3 to 4 marks)\n## Extended open response questions\n## Maths-including questions\n## Practically based questions\n## Data interpretation questions\n# Example questions and learner access\n## Biology: immunity (Paper 1H, Question 5c)\n## Biology: hormone adrenalin (Paper 2H, Question 9b)\n## Chemistry: temperature-time graph interpretation (Paper 1H, Question 5c)\n## Physics: light refracting at a boundary (Paper 1H, Question 5c)\n## Chemistry: practical work and alkali metals (Paper 2F, Question 9cii)","[{\"question\":\"How do examiners ensure GCSE science questions are accessible to learners?\",\"answer\":\"Senior examiners design questions so students can access them and demonstrate what they know and can apply. Reviews focus on language, command words, contexts, and the appropriateness of sentence structures, words, and syllables.\"},{\"question\":\"What quality checks are performed during exam paper development?\",\"answer\":\"Questions go through a rigorous process of quality checks at each development stage. Reviews assess language and demand, and Scrutineers review the papers and provide feedback for modifications.\"},{\"question\":\"Which assessment areas are analysed in the report?\",\"answer\":\"The report analyses five key assessment areas: short open response questions, extended open response questions, questions including an element of maths, practically based questions, and data interpretation questions.\"}]","Our focus on accessible exam papers - GCSE (9-1) Sciences | PDF",1792466670,78]