Ofqual reports on the summer 2010 examinations
Monday, 01 November 2010 17:25
This summer’s examination season saw more than 16 million scripts and seven million pieces of coursework marked.
Ofqual, the regulator of qualifications, examinations and assessments in England, has today (Tuesday, November 2) published its report into the delivery of GCSE, A level, principal learning, project and the Diploma in summer 2010. The report explains how Ofqual has worked with awarding organisations and its regulatory partners to ensure the integrity of the awards.
The June 2010 examination series saw the first awards of the new A level specifications which were introduced for teaching in September 2008. The introduction of revised qualifications presented a number of challenges in ensuring appropriate A level standards were maintained.
In addition, the introduction of a new A* grade for A level required preparation to ensure the grade was awarded fairly and consistently across awarding organisations.
Isabel Nisbet, Ofqual Chief Executive, said: "The summer examination season was carried out effectively, professionally and fairly. It is a very complex and involved operation, and this year also involved some significant changes to the qualifications.
"This report explains how we worked with awarding organisations to ensure appropriate standards and sets out further measures we will be taking to ensure standards are maintained in GCSE, A level and the Diploma in 2011 and beyond.
"Ofqual's work provides an independent assurance that learners, parents, teachers, educational institutions and employers can have confidence in the outcomes of this summer's examinations."
She added that an inquiry was under way into the circumstances that resulted in incomplete marking of some examination papers this summer by AQA. The findings of the inquiry would be published in due course. Other awarding organisations had given assurances that similar problems had not occurred with their awards.
The report, Delivery of summer 2010 examinations of GCSE, A level, principal learning, project and the Diploma, is now available to download.
