Report published on perception of reliability

The report is the result of a small research study conducted by Ipsos MORI on behalf of Ofqual.

Workshops were held with parents, students, employers, examiners, teachers and the general public.  The study suggested a number of points, including:

• People accept that human error occurs in the examination, test and assessment system
• Students would like to see professional examiners, as opposed to teachers who are also part-time examiners
• People, including students, believe learners should be accountable for how they perform on the day (regardless if they feel stressed or unwell)

The work was carried out as part of Ofqual's reliability programme, a two-year study exploring the reliability of the results of examinations, tests and assessments. The programme is made up of three strands: strand one concentrates on generating estimates of the reliability of results; strand two on interpreting these results and results from other studies and strand three on developing a policy on reliability. 

The reliability programme is due to run until December 2010, after which Ofqual will release a report into the findings.

Ofqual Chair Kathleen Tattersall said:

"The Ipsos MORI report gave us some very interesting insights into the public perception of reliability. The Reliability Programme promises to be a fascinating study and this report marks the programme's first milestone."

Ofqual intends to commission further research projects later this year.

-ends-