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GCSE students will continue to receive help with some exams next year, as officials say children still need extra support because of the pandemic.
The Department for Education has confirmed that teenagers taking maths and science exams in 2023 will be given equation sheets so they don’t have to memorize formulas.
The decision came after teachers said retaining extra exam support would help prevent disruptions to education during the pandemic.
Respondents to an official consultation “considered that providing these students with this support would be fair compared to their previous peers and that it would make the experience of taking the exam less stressful for students and boost their confidence,” the government said.
The exam ends in the fourth year. In 2020 and 2021, students were given marks based on their assessments by their teachers to reduce the spread of Covid, instead of sitting exams, leading to higher grade inflation.
When exams returned last academic year, grades were set at a “midway” point to reflect the disruption to student learning caused by pandemic restrictions. In some exams, students were given advance information and formulas and equation sheets for some exams.
Foreign language tests do not cover unfamiliar vocabulary
In September, the government confirmed that exam grade boundaries for GCSEs and A-levels in 2023 would return to similar levels seen in 2019, but they said some exam support for GCSE students would be retained.
The Department for Education has announced that GCSE modern foreign language exams will be made easier by removing unfamiliar vocabulary from the exams.
From next year, examination boards will have to provide the meaning of unfamiliar vocabulary if they deem it necessary.
Teachers said the move would offer greater parity with other GCSEs, which do not assess students on unfamiliar subjects. She said it would make modern foreign language subjects “more accessible and therefore increase the number of students who choose to study them”.
Chris McGovern, of the Real Education Campaign, accused the government of “dumbing down” exams. He said: “Young people want to do well, but they prefer something more honest.” He said the policy was also unfair on previous year groups who were taking tougher exams before the pandemic.
He added: “These young people are going to be our doctors, nurses, engineers, politicians and bankers and we are going to worry why bridges are collapsing in England because the engineers are not qualified.”
Govt ‘cautiously’
Prof Alan Smithers, director of the Education and Employment Research Centre, said: “I think the Government is being cautious. Knowing key formulas is a part of fully understanding science and math, and we’ve been learning to deal with covid for over a year now, so I think they should be brave and expect students to learn these. Key Formulas.”
Ofqual chief regulator Dr Jo Saxton said: “In 2023 students will once again have the chance to show what they know and can do in exams. We’ve listened to feedback, and today’s decisions, along with some protections in grading, offer students the support they need as we move toward normalcy, while protecting against excessive testing.
A spokesman for the Department for Education said: “Ofqual has confirmed it will return to pre-pandemic grading in 2023, with in-built safeguards against disruptions in recent years.
“There are some exceptions in GCSE subjects, who will continue to receive formulas and equation sheets to recognize the disruptions they have experienced during the pandemic. These exemptions will expire in 2024.
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