Ofqual clamps down on exam errors
Thursday, 09 June 2011 09:20
Following a series of high profile errors in recent examination papers, Glenys Stacey, on behalf of the regulators in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, has written to awarding organisations. Ofqual's Chief Executive has demanded that additional checks are implemented and that measures are in place to deal with any errors that occur.
Awarding organisations offering GCSE and A level qualifications for the summer 2011 examinations have been contacted following a number of instances where question papers have included errors.
Ofqual Chief Executive, Glenys Stacey said, "The recent run of exam errors are disappointing and unacceptable. While the vast majority of question papers taken so far have been free from error, there have been a number of question papers that have included errors. We take instances like this very seriously. I am calling on awarding organisations to take steps now to protect students from further disruption and anxiety."
The regulators are asking the awarding organisations to give assurance that additional checks will be implemented as part of their quality processes. Where any further errors are identified, steps must be taken to ensure that students take question papers free from error and fit for purpose.
Download the letter: Letter to Awarding Organisations Regarding Errors in Summer 2011 Exam Papers (9th June 2011).
Ends
Notes to editors
Up to one million candidates this summer will sit GCSE, AS and A level examinations. At this time, Ofqual is aware of problems with individual questions within six of approximately 5,000 different GCSE, AS and A level exam papers scheduled during this summer series. While this is a small proportion of the total number of papers any errors of this nature are unacceptable.
For information the errors identified are in the following papers:
- AQA - AS level in Business Studies entered by 41,612 candidates
- AQA - AS level in Geography entered by 19,000 candidates
- AQA - AS level in Computing entered by 3,651 candidates
- Edexcel - AS level in Biology entered by 17,003 candidates
- OCR - AS level in Decision Mathematics entered 6,790 candidates
- CCEA - GCSE level in Business Studies entered by 3,440 candidates (549 in England)
The letter is published by Ofqual and its regulatory partners in Wales (DfES) and Northern Ireland (CCEA).
