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GCSE from 2012



GCSE from 2012

FAQs about GCSE reforms

Read the FAQs below, or to see all the questions and anwers download the FAQs as a PDF.


Linear GCSEs from September 2012 (two-year courses)

expand 1. What are the proposed specification changes for GCSEs when they go linear?

We have no plans to change the subject content of our specifications as a result of the introduction of linear assessment announced by Ofqual*. These GCSE reforms will affect the way external assessment is taken rather than changing actual external assessments.
 
However, the regulator has also announced additional reviews of the specifications and assessments for GCSEs in English Literature, Geography and History from all awarding organisations.
 
There may be additional changes to the subject content and assessment as a result of these reviews. This applies to Geography for first teaching from September 2012 and for English Literature and History for first teaching from September 2013. An update from Ofqual on their review of these subjects is expected shortly.
 
*This is based on our draft specifications submitted to Ofqual and will be subject to change in the final accredited qualification.
expand 2. How do the changes affect candidates who started GCSEs in English Literature, Geography, History and Religious Studies for certification in 2013?

For candidates who have already embarked on these courses for certification in 2013, there will be no additional changes to the subject content or assessments apart from the introduction of spelling, punctuation and grammar (SPaG) assessment in examination papers from January 2013.
 
 
Examinations at the end of the course
 
expand 1. The Secretary of State’s announcement stated that courses starting in September 2012 would be linear (all exams sat at the end of the course). Will this affect the new specifications for sciences?

Yes. All specifications will be affected by the change to linear assessment.
expand 2. Does the new 100% terminal requirement apply from the date a student starts the course, the date of first examination entry or the certification date?

The changes will apply to the certification date. Candidates who apply for certification in summer 2013 (or earlier) will be permitted to enter in a modular way.
 
Additionally, GCSE units in English, English Language and Mathematics will be assessed in November 2013, but only for candidates certificating in these series.
 
Candidates who apply for certification from summer 2014 onwards will be required to sit all their examinations at the end of the course.  This means that course leaders and examinations officers will need to consider carefully at the start of the course when students will wish to claim their grade. 
expand 3. Will it still be possible for students to enter early for a GCSE providing they sit all the units for the qualification in the same examination series?

Yes, although the first assessment window for the linear qualifications is June 2014.
expand 4. How do these changes affect students in Year 9 who started three-year GCSE courses in September 2011?

The changes will mean that candidates who will be applying for GCSE subject awards in 2014 will be required to sit all their examinations at the end of the course. Students who started three-year courses in September 2011 will be expecting to apply for certification in summer 2014 and therefore will need to enter for all units in May/June 2014.
expand 5. Will candidates be allowed to sit all units and apply for certification in the January series (as well as June)?

No. The January series will no longer be used for GCSEs.
expand 6. Will the changes mean there are more examinations in the summer examination series?

No. All units are currently offered in the summer series so there will be no additions to the summer examinations timetable.
 
 
Retake opportunities 
 
expand 1. Once the changes come into effect, if a student is awarded a GCSE in a particular subject, can that student retake the whole qualification?

Yes. Candidates will only be able to retake whole qualifications. Linear GCSEs will be available in the summer and there will also be an opportunity to retake in November for GCSEs in English, English Language and Mathematics.
expand 2. If students sit modular exams in 2013 will there be a retake opportunity for them?

Students who sit their GCSEs in summer 2013 (and who may have entered for one or more units in previous series), and who subsequently wish to retake, will need to retake the qualification in a linear way. They will have to sit all the external assessments (examination papers) at the same sitting. However, they will be able to carry forward their result(s) from any controlled assessment unit(s).
 
The exceptions to this are GCSE units in English, English Language and Mathematics, which will also be available in November 2013, but only to those candidates certificating in that series. The 40% terminal assessment rule must also be met for this November examination series. This is a change from the original proposals in the Ofqual consultation.
 
From summer 2014, candidates will have to sit all the external assessments (examination papers) at the same sitting.
 
However, they will be able to carry forward their result(s) from any controlled assessment unit(s).
 
 
November examinations for certain subjects
 
expand 1. Will learners be able to sit exams in November for all subjects included in the English Baccalaureate, such as GCSE sciences?

Pupils will be able to enter for English, English Language and Mathematics in November. These are the most critical GCSE subjects for all progression paths and therefore it is expected that there will be demand for this additional opportunity to sit exams.
 
 
Controlled assessment
 
expand 1. How will the changes affect controlled assessment?

The substance of controlled assessments will not change. Centres will still schedule the controlled assessments as appropriate, but the controlled assessment unit(s) will need to be entered at the same time as the student is sitting the GCSE. Where controlled assessment tasks are changed regularly, centres will need to make sure they are using the appropriate task(s) for the year of GCSE entry.
 
 
Additional marks for spelling, punctuation and grammar (SPaG)
 
expand 1. Why are spelling, punctuation and grammar (SPaG) only to be assessed in English Literature, History, Religious Studies and Geography?

These four subjects have large entries and contain questions that require extended answers. This enables a learner to be assessed on these skills without assessment of these skills overshadowing their subject knowledge.
expand 2. How will SPaG be implemented for GCSEs in English Literature, Geography, History and Religious Studies?

The awarding of additional marks for SPaG will affect some written and externally assessed units taken from January 2013. The additional marks for SPaG will be worth 5% of the total marks for the qualification.
 
Further information about how SPaG will be implemented for GCSEs in English Literature, Geography, History and Religious Studies will be included in the revised specifications for these subjects. Also, we will be providing sample assessment materials (SAMs) to show how the marks will be allocated.
expand 3. How will question papers indicate to candidates which questions will involve the assessment of accurate SPaG?

This information will be included in the information given on the front of the question papers.
expand 4. Why is a weighting of 5% for SPaG considered appropriate?

A weighting of 5% is considered appropriate as it signifies the importance of these skills but does not assign them so much value that they overshadow subject knowledge. Over half of the responses to the consultation supported or strongly supported this weighting with a further 20% being neutral to the proposal.
expand 5. Will the new requirements for SPaG apply to candidates with special educational needs, dyslexia, or disabilities such as a visual or hearing impairment?

The new requirements will apply to all candidates. Access Arrangements to allow such candidates appropriate opportunities to demonstrate their abilities are administered by the Joint Council for Qualifications.
 
Find out more in this JCQ document.
expand 6. Will there be any specific accommodation arrangements put in place for EAL learners in relation to SPaG requirements?

No. Learners who speak English as an Additional Language will not be offered additional accommodation arrangements beyond those administered by the Joint Council for Qualifications.
 
 
Short courses
 
expand 1. Will candidates who take a short course GCSE still be able to carry that over to a full GCSE?

No. Schools will still be able to enter pupils for a short course but all the necessary assessments for a full GCSE will have to be completed within a single examination series.
 
 
Single and double awards
 
expand 1. Can a candidate who has certificated a Single Award in Year 10, carry forward the results and enter for a Double Award in Year 11?

Yes. The candidate can carry forward the results from the units of the Single Award and will only need to take the additional units required for the Double Award.

A candidate who takes all units in the same series can certificate both the Single Award and the Double Award.

expand 2. Will GCSE Double Awards count as two GCSEs in school performance tables?

No. The DfE has confirmed that GCSE Double Awards will only count as one GCSE in school performance tables. However, Additional Science is not affected by this rule.

 

 

 
 
A levels
 
expand 1. Will these changes affect A level arrangements?

No. These changes only apply to GCSEs.
 
Uniform Mark Scale system
 
expand 1. How will these changes affect the UMS (Uniform Mark Scale) system used for the current specifications?

There will be no change to the UMS conversions as stated in the current specifications.
 

 
 
Outside England
 
expand 1. Will Edexcel be offering modular GCSEs for certification beyond summer 2013 for centres in Wales and Northern Ireland?

No. We’ve been required by the regulator in England to make our GCSEs linear in structure for students certificating after 2013.
expand 2. Will independent schools/part-time learners in England be able to use unitised specifications (such as those available in Wales) instead of the new linear specifications?

No. Centres in England will only be able to use GCSE specifications accredited for use in England. All learners in England will work to the new linear specifications.
 
 
Access arrangements
 
expand 1. Is the move to linear assessment likely to impact on procedures for learner access arrangements/special consideration procedures?

The new assessment arrangements will not affect Access Arrangements Online, the system administered by the Joint Council for Qualifications.
 
Find out more in this JCQ document.
 
Policy review
 
expand 1. Will the potential equality impact of the implementation of this policy change remain under review?

Yes, it will remain under review and any outcomes will feed into the future revision of GCSE qualifications to include the new National Curriculum Programmes of Study for England.
 
 
Performance tables
 
expand 1. For school performance tables, can you explain what happens to GCSEs that Year 10s complete in 2013?

The DfE has confirmed that GCSE results awarded in 2013, for Year 10 students, will be held over and included in the 2014 tables.
expand 2. Can you enter current Year 9s early for GCSE certification in 2013 and count their results for 2014 league tables?

Yes. However, only full GCSE qualifications (120 GLH in size) will be counted. Short-course GCSEs (60 GLH in size) will not be recognised in the headline measures from 2014.
expand 3. When you refer to ‘2014 league tables’, do you mean two-year courses starting in 2012?

Yes. The results for two-year courses starting in 2012 are published by awarding bodies in 2014; however, the ‘2014 tables’ are actually published by the DfE in Jan 2015.
expand 4. If a pupil does separate sciences e.g. a Chemistry GCSE and a Biology GCSE, will they continue to count in their own right as GCSEs in school headline measures?

Yes.
 
expand 5. Will GCSEs in English Language and English Literature continue to count as individual GCSEs in school headline measures?

Yes.
 
Pilot specifications
 
expand 1. Which Edexcel pilot specifications are exempt from the GCSE 2012 linear reforms?

Our GCSE in Digital Communications will not be exempt from the GCSE reforms and will become linear in line with other GCSEs. We are waiting for confirmation about our pilot GCSE Mathematics specification.
 
 
GCSE ICT reforms
 
expand 1. Will Edexcel be offering a GCSE in Computer Science?

We are developing a new ‘next generation’ GCSE specification which will be available for first teaching - subject to Ofqual accreditation - in September 2012.
 
The new specification will be called Computing Science to underline the fact that learners will be expected to apply their knowledge of computing and programming to solve problems and engineer solutions.
expand 2. How can I find out more about Edexcel’s GCSE in Computing Science?

Complete the expression of interest form. This will ensure you are kept fully informed and are sent materials as they become available.
expand 3. Will GCSE Computing Science be part of the English Baccalaureate?

In his recent speech at BETT 2012, Michael Gove stated: “If new Computer Science GCSEs are developed that meet high standards of intellectual depth and practical value, we will certainly consider including Computer Science as an option in the English Baccalaureate.”
expand 4. Will GCSE Computing Science replace GCSE ICT?

ICT and Computing Science are two distinct subjects, with different aims and objectives. The new GCSE in Computing Science is an addition to our portfolio of Key Stage 4 qualifications, not a replacement for GCSE ICT.
 
We are confident that young people find our GCSE ICT, with its focus on personal digital devices and internet-based services, both interesting and relevant. However, we will be reviewing its content and are considering changing its name to Information Technology in the light of the Royal Society’s recommendations.
expand 5. My students have started GCSE ICT. Can they swap to GCSE Computing Science?

Given that ICT and Computing Science are two discrete subjects, it would be not be appropriate swap students from one to the other half way through the course. However, there’s nothing to stop you putting on an after-school club to introduce them to aspects of computing or to offer GCSE Computing as an enrichment subject in the Sixth Form.
expand 6. One of the criticisms of GCSEs in ICT is that the specifications become obsolete very quickly. What is Edexcel doing to prevent this happening?

If you are familiar with our GCSE ICT specification, you’ll know about the Technology Update. Published annually, the Technology Update provides us with a mechanism to
keep the content of the specification up to date and relevant.

expand 7. Will Edexcel be developing A levels in IT and Computing Science?

No decisions have been taken yet but we will be exploring the possibility with centres and other stakeholders.

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