Pearson Guidance on the determination of grades for International A/AS Levels and International GCSEs for May/June 2021

Oct 20, 2026

Uploaded by Muffet

Guidance for Pearson International Qualifications outlines the approach to determining teacher-assessed grades for International A/AS Levels and International GCSEs for the May/June 2021 series. It explains Pearson, British Council, and centre responsibilities, timelines and key dates, and the multi-stage quality assurance process including internal checks, virtual centre visits, and post-submission sampling. It details creating and using centre policies, evidence requirements, grade descriptor use, tracking and predicted grades, access arrangements, special consideration, malpractice handling, appeals, and record retention.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages84

Reading Time3 h 32 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Other relevant documentation

Pearson’s approach to unitised International A level

Terminology

What will Pearson do?

What will the British Council do?

What will centres do?

Timelines and key dates

Where to get further information support and guidance

The quality assurance process

Centre policy guidance

Access Arrangements and Special Consideration

Recording decisions and retention of evidence and data

Determining teacher assessed grades

Results

Appeals

Guidance on grading for teachers

Pearson Guidance on the determination of grades for International A/AS Levels and International GCSEs for May/June 2021 Contents Introduction 4 Other relevant documentation 5 Pearson’s approach to unitised International A level 6 Terminology 7 What will Pearson do? 8 What will the British Council do? 8 What will centres do? 9 Timelines and key dates 11 Where to get further information support and guidance 12 The quality assurance process 13 Internal quality assurance process 13 The Centre Policy will: 13 STAGE 1 – Centre Policy review 14 STAGE 2 – Virtual centre visits 15 STAGE 3 – Post-submission sampling 15 Centre policy guidance 17 Creating the Centre Policy 17 Summary of the Centre Policy 17 Content of the Centre Policy 18 Statement of intent 18 Roles and responsibilities 18 Training, support and guidance 18 The use of appropriate evidence 19 Determining teacher assessed grades 19 Internal and external quality assurance 19 Comparison of grades to results for previous cohorts 19 Access Arrangements and Special Consideration 20 Addressing disruption 20 Recording decisions and retention of evidence and data 21 Authenticating evidence 21 Confidentiality, Malpractice and Maladministration, and conflicts of interest. 21 Private Candidates 21 Results 22 Appeals 22 Guidance on grading for teachers 23 Using grade descriptors and exemplification 28 The grade descriptors 28 Using the descriptors and exemplification 28 Using the grade descriptors 28 Reaching a grade judgement 29 The use of tracking data and predicted grades in reaching grading decisions 30 Using data to support the grading process 31 Introduction 31 The use of data in reviewing overall centre outcomes 31 What data needs to be considered? 32 Internal quality assurance: using the data to inform the overall review of outcomes 33 Once the review is complete 34 Guidance on the use of additional assessment support and unseen materials for 2021 35 Using the additional assessment support and unseen materials 35 Unseen assessments 36 Key dates 36 Using the unseen assessments 36 Unseen materials mark schemes for centre who are self-marking 37 What will Pearson do? 39 Additional assessment materials 41 Key dates 41 Using the additional assessment materials 41 How and when should the mapping grids be used? 42 How should the extra assessment materials be administered? 42 Understanding the outcomes from extra assessment materials 43 Reasonable adjustments, access arrangements and special consideration 45 Reasonable adjustments and access arrangements 45 Special consideration 46 Appropriate adjustments for students with visual impairments 47 Advice on providing written or verbal descriptions of images 47 Advice on creating sets of questions from Pearson’s past papers 47 The mark scheme 48 Support from Pearson 48 Submission of grades 49 What to consider when submitting grades 49 Head of Centre declaration 49 Guidance for exam centres accepting Private Candidates 51 Malpractice 52 Centres/centre staff 52 Students 53 Results 55 International AS and A-Level qualifications 55 International GCSE qualifications 55 Appeals 56 Maintaining Records 57 Disclosing Information to Students 57 May/June 2021 appeals process 59 Student appeals 59 Centre appeals 60 Centre requirements 60 Appeal Outcomes 61 Appendix A 62 This document outlines the approach for Pearson International Qualifications for summer 2021. Pearson, as a member of The Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ), have assured parity between this approach and that for UK General Qualifications, which is reflected in the JCQ Guidance on the determination of Grades for AS/A Levels and GCSE for Summer 2021 Introduction On 4 January 2021 the UK Secretary of State for Education announced the decision to replace GCSE and A level examinations with teacher-b

FAQs

What is the overall purpose of this guidance for the May/June 2021 series?

It provides an approach for Pearson International Qualifications for summer 2021, describing how grades should be determined through teacher-based assessment and supported processes.

What quality assurance steps are included in the process?

The document describes internal quality assurance, centre policy review, virtual centre visits, and post-submission sampling, followed by post-review outcomes and continued controls.

How are grade judgements reached and what evidence is expected?

Teachers use grade descriptors and exemplification, supported by tracking data and predicted grades, while centres determine teacher assessed grades using appropriate evidence and documented decisions.

Oct 20, 2026

Uploaded by Muffet