By Gavin Mackintosh-
Academic regulator, Ofqual, has announced flexibility in this year’s marking of both GCSE and A level approach to grading this summer to allow the pre-pandemic relationships between subjects to be re-established.
GCSE and A level results are published on the 17th and 24th of August respectively.
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National standard pass rates for GCSE are expected to be at 67%, and at 75.5% at A levels.
GCSE English language, modern foreign languages and computing will all require fewer students to achieve the top grades than did so last year in order to achieve the aim of the 2019 grade distribution
The regulator said students will get higher marks for slightly weaker quality than was available before the pandemic. It added that exam boards will award GCSE French and German more generously, following its announcement in 2019 to seek better alignment between these subjects and GCSE Spanish.
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Ofqual did not state how much more generously languages would be assessed, and how far grades will reflect the language skills of its pupils.
The Eye Of Media.Com has from French teachers through the tutoring network who says not enough effort is put into enhancing the commitment of students studying French at GCSE level to understanding the language well. The language is broad with many nuances to it which call for special focus and attention.
Grades that are too generous do not encourage younger students in the years below to work hard as they are generally not aware of adjustments to grade boundaries, but know when their older sibling or friend who hardly worked hard or knew much about subject comes out with a good grade.
The UK government says it is taking into account the effect of the pandemic on school pupils, but some critics have accused examining boards of being too soft with students, and for too long awarding grades that tell a false story.
Critics have accused the Department Of Education of compromising the standards to favour pupils in generals and give an inaccurate picture of performance on national statistics.
Ofqual explained that grade boundaries will be recommended by experienced senior examiners based on all the available evidence, including their expert judgement and data. Exam boards are responsible for setting grade boundaries, and Ofqual will monitor this. There is no cap on the number of students that can get a particular grade.
”Marking is happening as normal, and students’ work will be marked anonymously by expert examiners. Students’ grades will be determined only by the number of marks they achieve on the assessments. It doesn’t matter where in the country students are, or the type of school or college they attend. The same grade boundaries will apply to everyone taking the qualification.
Students will achieve marks in their exams in many different ways. The assessments are what’s known as compensatory”, Ofqual said in its published statement.
The pandemic has been over for two years now, but many pupils lost momentum during lockdown when no teaching was taking place,
School pupils were assigned work to do online during lockdown periods, but many reported increased levels of anxiety during the pandemic.
This year, millions of students will receive better grades than usual, meaning no student will be able to complain of receiving the wrong grade.
Examiners adjust grades every year in accordance with the standard of exam questions, a practise considered by many to be suited to students as a whole.
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