What changes are being made to A-Levels and GCSEs next year?
30 September 2021, 11:24
The Department of Education has said that 2022 will be a 'transition year' for school exams in England.
The government have announced that there will be changed to GCSE and A-Level exams next year to 'maximise fairness' after disruption caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
Formal exams were cancelled in England for the last two years, but they look set to return in 2022.
The exams will be adapted, however, with changes like topic choice and support materials set to be introduced in some tests.
The government has said that the "plans recognise the disruption caused to this year group’s education as a result of the pandemic, while balancing the need to return to exams as the fairest possible form of assessment".
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The choice of topics could be introduced in subjects like English Literature and History, and students may also be given advance warning about topics in other exams.
More student are also set to be given higher grades next year, in order to provide a "safety net" for those who have missed out on learning during the pandemic.
It is thought that exams will go back to normal in 2023, with the government saying that 2022 will be a "transition year to reflect the recovery period".
The Education Secretary, Nadhim Zahawi, said: "We’ve put fairness at the heart of our approach and listened to pupils, teachers and parents. The measures we’re putting in place will help reduce the impact of the significant disruption this group of young people have had to face – allowing them to move on to the next stage of their lives.
"We are committed to rigorous standards being fairly applied, and exams are the fairest way to assess students, which is why they will take place next year."
