Regulations common to all general qualifications

Monday, 08 March 2010 13:21

Content of General Certificates of Secondary Education (GCSEs)

The titles of GCSEs must:

a) correspond to the titles used in the relevant subject criteria published by the regulatory authorities, where such criteria exist;

b) be sufficiently broad to cover different specifications in the same subject area, where relevant subject criteria are not published by the regulatory authorities;

c) use the words ‘GCSE (short course)’, if based on a short-course specification;

d) use the words ‘GCSE (double award)’, if equivalent to two separate GCSEs.

The subject matter of GCSEs must:

a) meet the GCSE subject criteria published by the regulatory authorities for the subject title, where they exist;

b) compare in substance and range to the GCSE subject criteria published by the regulatory authorities for other subjects, where relevant subject criteria do not exist;

c) be consistent with the statutory programmes of study within the national curriculum where they exist;

d) state which aspects/options must be taken by candidates to meet the requirements of their respective countries, where statutory requirements differ in England, Wales and Northern Ireland;

e) for short-course specifications, include half of the content of a single award GCSE and cover the full range of grades;

f) for double award specifications, demand a range of knowledge, understanding and other abilities equivalent to two separate GCSEs;

g) for double award specifications in applied subjects, normally comprise three equally sized and equally weighted units;

h) identify opportunities for the assessment of the nationally specified wider key skills of improving own learning and performance, problem solving, and working with others, cross-referencing those opportunities with the criteria in part B of the key skills specifications where appropriate;

i) require candidates to make effective use of ICT as appropriate to the subject and provide, where appropriate, assessment opportunities for ICT.

Assessment in GCSEs

The assessment arrangements for GCSEs must:

a) set out the relationship between the assessment objectives and the assessment components;

b) show the proportion of marks allocated to each assessment objective (or group of assessment objectives) and to each assessment component;

c) include question papers targeted at two tiers of grades, A*–D and C–G, unless subject criteria or the regulatory authorities indicate otherwise;

d) where candidates are required to produce extended written material in English, Welsh or Irish (Gaelige), require that candidates:

i) ensure that text is legible and that spelling, punctuation and grammar are accurate so that meaning is clear;

ii) present information in a form that suits its purpose;

iii) use a suitable structure and style of writing;

e) comply with subject criteria relating to the balance between external and internal assessment, where such criteria exist;

f) for double award GCSEs in applied subjects, require one third external assessment;

g) where subject criteria are not published, be agreed individually with the regulatory authorities as to the balance between external and internal assessment and to the contribution made by external assessment to the terminal examination;

h) allow only one retake of assessment units with staged assessments with the better result counting towards the qualification;

i) ensure results for a unit have a shelf-life limited only by the shelf-life of the relevant specification.

Back To Top

Reporting of GCSEs

There must be arrangements for grading and reporting of GCSEs so that:

a) attainment that is sufficient to lead to the award of a certificate is reported on an eight-grade scale from A* to G, where A* is the highest;

b) attainment that is insufficient to lead to the award of a certificate is reported as Unclassified or U;

c) the grades awarded match the grade descriptions in relevant subject criteria published by the regulatory authorities, where these exist;

d) the grades awarded match descriptions for grades A, C and F submitted by the awarding body and approved by the regulatory authorities, in those subjects for which the regulatory authorities have not published subject criteria;

e) the grade for double award GCSEs is reported in the format AA, BB, CC, DD, EE, FF, GG;

g) the grade/s on short-course and double award GCSE certificates are accompanied by explanatory notes on the nature of these types of GCSE.

Content of General Certificates of Education (GCEs)

The titles of GCEs must:

a) correspond to the titles used in the relevant subject criteria published by the regulatory authorities, where such criteria exist;

b) be sufficiently broad to cover different specifications in the same subject area, if relevant subject criteria are not published by the regulatory authorities.

The subject matter of GCEs must:

a) meet the GCE subject criteria published by the regulatory authorities for the subject title, where they exist;

c) compare in substance and range to the GCE subject criteria published by the regulatory authorities for other subjects, if relevant subject criteria do not exist;

d) for AS qualifications:

i) provide an appropriate balance of knowledge, skills and understanding to match the first half of a full A level course of study;

ii) enable candidates to be assessed normally, by means of three assessment units, which, taken together, will have a total weight of 50 per cent of the A level;

ii) include assessment units that will normally be weighted within the range of 15–20 per cent of the full A level. For applied subjects, assessment units should normally be equally sized and equally weighted;

iii) for double award specifications, enable candidates to be assessed normally by means of six assessment units, which, taken together, will have a total weight of 50 per cent of the A level double award;

e) for A2 assessments that will be combined with AS assessments to lead to the award of a full A level:

i) provide an appropriate balance of knowledge, skills and understanding to match the second half of a full A level course of study;

ii) normally enable candidates to be assessed, by means of three assessment units, which, taken together, will have a total weight of 50 per cent of the A level;

iii) include assessment units that will normally be weighted within the range of 15–20 per cent of the full A level. For applied subjects, assessment units should normally be equally sized and equally weighted;

iv) for double award specifications, normally enable candidates to be assessed, by means of six assessment units, which, taken together, will have a total weight of 50 per cent of the A level double award;

f) include optional units, if these:

i) demand additional skills, knowledge and/or understanding;

ii) extend the core content within a specialist context and/or introduce links to another subject area;

iii) identify opportunities to generate evidence for the assessment of the nationally specified wider key skills of improving own learning and performance, problem solving, and working with others.

Back To Top

Assessment in GCEs

The assessment arrangements in GCEs must:

a) offer candidates the opportunity to be assessed either (in stages) during the course or at the end of the course;

b) include an explanation of the relationship between the assessment objectives and the assessment units;

c) show the proportion of marks allocated to each assessment objective (or group of assessment objectives) and to each assessment unit;

d) show which assessment objectives will include the assessment of written communication;

e) include synoptic assessment at A2, to test the candidates’ understanding of the connections between the different elements of the subject;

f) be comparable for all candidates, even where there are optional assessment units or optional examination questions;

g) where candidates are required to produce written material in English, Welsh and Irish (Gaelige), require that candidates:

i) ensure that text is legible and that spelling, punctuation and grammar are accurate so that meaning is clear;

ii) select and use a form and style of writing appropriate to purpose and to complex subject matter;

iii) organise information clearly and coherently, using specialist vocabulary when appropriate;

h) comply with subject criteria relating to the balance between external and internal assessment, including synoptic assessment where such criteria exist;

i) where subject criteria are not published, be agreed individually with the regulatory authorities, as to the balance between external and internal assessment, including synoptic assessment;

j) allow re-sits of an assessment unit with the best result counting towards the qualification;

k) stipulate that results for a unit have a shelf-life limited only by the shelf-life of the relevant specification.

Reporting of GCEs

The qualification must specify arrangements for grading and reporting of GCEs so that:

a) attainment that is sufficient to lead to the award of a certificate is reported on a five-grade scale from A to E, where A is the highest;

b) attainment that is insufficient to lead to the award of a certificate is reported as Unclassified or U;

c) the grades awarded match performance descriptions published by the regulatory authorities, if available;

d) if relevant performance descriptions published by the regulatory authorities are not available, the grades awarded match performance descriptions for AS and A2 levels at the grade boundaries A/B and E/U submitted by the awarding body and approved by the regulatory authorities.

AS double award and A level double award are reported on the following grading scale: AA, AB, BB, BC, CC, CD, DD, DE, EE, EU.

Content of Advanced Extension Awards (AEAs)

AEAs must be accessible to any candidate who has studied any awarding body’s corresponding GCE specification, without their having to undertake extra study or learning.

AEAs must normally be based on the Advanced GCE subject criteria, where they exist, and not on individual specifications. AEAs must be designed to be more demanding than the corresponding A level by requiring a greater depth of understanding and by requiring, in particular, the use of the skills of critical analysis, evaluation and synthesis.

Assessment in AEAs

The assessment arrangements for AEAs must comprise 100 per cent external assessment, unless another arrangement is agreed with the regulatory authorities.

Reporting of AEAs

There must be arrangements for grading of AEAs so that:

a) attainment that is sufficient to lead to the award of a certificate is reported on a two-grade scale comprising Distinction and Merit, where Distinction is the higher;

b) attainment that is insufficient to lead to the award of a certificate is reported as Unclassified or U;

c) the grades awarded match the performance level descriptions in the relevant regulatory authorities’ test specifications.

Back to Top

Last Updated on Thursday, 18 March 2010 14:53 Tags: Ofqual, education, examination regulation, qualifications, assessments