Today, Friday 3 April, Ofqual (Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation) have set out details for schools, colleges, students, parents and carers on how GCSEs and A Levels will be awarded following the cancellation of this year’s exams.

You can read the Ofqual statement in full on the government website and also read the letter written by Ofqual directly to students by downloading the PDF file below.

Letter from Ofqual to students – summer 2020 grading

How will grades be awarded?

Exam boards will be contacting schools, colleges and other exam centres after Easter asking them to submit, by a deadline that will be no earlier than 29 May 2020, the following:

  • a centre assessment grade for every student in each of their subjects – that is, the grade they would be most likely to have achieved if they had sat their exams and completed any non-exam assessment. Judgements should balance different sources of evidence such as:
    • classwork
    • bookwork
    • any participation in performances in subjects such as music, drama or PE
    • any non-exam assessment – whether or not complete
    • the results of any assignments or mock exams
    • previous examination results – for example, for any re-sitting students or those with relevant AS qualifications
    • any other records of student performance over the course of study
  • the rank order of students within each grade for each subject – for example, for all those students with a centre assessment grade of 5 in GCSE maths, a rank order where 1 is the most secure/highest attaining student, and so on. This information will be used in the statistical standardisation of centres’ judgements – allowing fine tuning of the standard applied across all schools and colleges
  • a declaration from the Head of Centre making the submission

Further information

Ofqual summer 2020 grades – guidance for teachers, students and parents