Give students the option to take exams or receive assessed grades for 2020/21

The Government should allow private candidates and current students the option to take exams in Summer 2021, if they choose to do so.

Meanwhile, others who opt out should be given fairly assessed grades based off classroom results, teacher predictions etc. Such results must also be standardised.

Recently, Wales announced that the Summer 2021 GCSE, AS and A-Level exams will be scrapped. This decision has been made in light of the pandemic and the effects it's had on this year's cohort of students. There is speculation that the rest of the UK will follow suit.

However, such decisions do not take into account private candidates who planned on re-sitting exams nor students whose efforts may not, for various reasons, be as fairly represented by predicted grades being awarded.

While the Department continues to believe that exams are the fairest way of judging students’ performance, we cannot guarantee all students will be in a position to fairly sit their exams this summer. We have therefore confirmed that GCSEs, A and AS level exams will not go ahead this summer as planned.

The department and Ofqual have now concluded a joint, two-week consultation that seeks views on proposals that enable all candidates to receive a grade fairly. We are working at pace to provide clarity to the sector and will publish the outcome of the consultation by the end of February.

We have already confirmed our proposals that in summer 2021, students taking GCSE, AS and A levels regulated by Ofqual should be awarded grades based on an assessment by their teachers. We recognise that it is important that a breadth of evidence should inform a teacher’s assessment of their student’s deserved grade.

The consultation proposed that teachers should assess their students objectively. To support them we proposed that the exam boards could provide guidance and training. We also proposed that the exam boards should provide support and information for schools and colleges on the requirements for assessing their students. The boards will undertake checks to ensure all schools and colleges take an appropriate approach.

We understand that private candidates and home educated students may have some questions about the decision to move to a form of teacher assessment. We also know of some private candidates who were unable to receive a grade in summer 2020 and who did not take the exams in the autumn who are particularly concerned about how the arrangements will work for them.