Only use exam board websites to access advance information, students told 

GCSE and A-level students should only access advance information about exam topics on official websites, exam boards have said, amid fears misinformation could spread online.

Exam boards are due to publish advance information for most GCSE and A-level topics throughout today. It is one of several mitigations aimed at helping students in the first exam year since the pandemic began. 

But the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ), which represents exam boards, has urged people to only access the content on the relevant board’s website for their subject, “to minimise any chance of misinformation”. 

Ministers have repeatedly insisted that exams will go ahead as planned this summer, with certain adaptations proposed including more generous grading.

Today’s information is aimed at helping students focus their revision ahead of the summer exams series. It is being made available for most subjects, including maths, biology, chemistry and languages. 

A “common set of principles” has been developed for the information. For example, they will avoid providing so much detail that answers could be “pre-prepared and memorised”. 

But the information will look different for each subject and exam board to reflect “the nature of those subjects and their assessments”.

Ofquals jigsaw on exam adaptations

Sarah Hannafin, senior policy advisor at schools leaders’ union NAHT, said the information is “new to teachers” so it will “only be over the coming days that we learn whether they believe it will be sufficient to counter the levels of disruption which students have faced due to Covid”. 

Other adaptations include a choice of topics in some GCSEs like English literature and history and support materials like formulae sheets in maths. 

The DfE said that because about 500,000 exams took place as planned in January for vocational and technical qualifications (VTQs), this would give “confidence” in the exams system. 

Ministers were urged last month to review their exams plan amid Covid disruption, but government has said they will proceed as planned.

Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi said: “Exams are the best and fairest form of assessment, and we firmly intend for them to take place this summer, giving students a fair chance to show what they know.”

Ofqual chief regulator Dr Jo Saxton said last month that they would research the impact of advance information to inform “future years”.

Latest education roles from

Principal & Chief Executive – Bath College

Principal & Chief Executive – Bath College

Dodd Partners

IT Technician

IT Technician

Harris Academy Morden

Teacher of Geography

Teacher of Geography

Harris Academy Orpington

Lecturer/Assessor in Electrical

Lecturer/Assessor in Electrical

South Gloucestershire and Stroud College

Director of Management Information Systems (MIS)

Director of Management Information Systems (MIS)

South Gloucestershire and Stroud College

Exams Assistant

Exams Assistant

Richmond and Hillcroft Adult & Community College

Sponsored posts

Sponsored post

Apprenticeships are for life, not just National Apprenticeship Week

National Apprenticeship Week is one of the awareness events that we all mark in our calendars. It’s a hive...

Advertorial
Sponsored post

Functional Skills reimagined: Drive success in English & Mathematics with modern qualifications.

In today’s educational landscape, supporting learners with essential English and maths skills goes beyond traditional teaching. It’s about providing...

Advertorial
Sponsored post

Do you want to be part of The Bedford College Group’s next chapter?

At The Bedford College Group, we are passionate about transforming lives and communities through education. As one of the...

Advertorial
Sponsored post

It’s Education’s Time to Shine: Celebrate your Education Community in 2025!

The deadline is approaching to nominate a colleague, team, whole school or college for the 2025 Pearson National Teaching...

Advertorial

More from this theme

Assessment

Ofqual demands ‘honesty’ in new rules for awarding organisations

Proposals include 'principles' that could see sanctions on organisations that undermine public confidence in qualifications

Shane Chowen
Assessment

AI can pass almost all level 3 assessments, study finds

OU recommends that institutions should focus on question design rather than detecting AI misuse

Josh Mellor
Assessment, Curriculum

Revealed: Two college principals appointed to Labour’s curriculum review

Academy trust leaders, a SEND consultant and exam experts among those appointed to work with Professor Becky Francis

Freddie Whittaker
Assessment, Long read

AI’s threat to the essence of learning is far bigger than we realise

FE Week has uncovered significant evidence of the harm that generative AI is doing to the integrity of assessment,...

Jessica Hill

Your thoughts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *