15th August 2013 9:00
By Blue Tutors
Exams regulator Ofqual has announced that many more students are taking GCSEs a year early. Statistics for Maths show that nearly a quarter of pupils taking the GCSE this year are under 16. Ofqual also released figures which show that tens of thousands of students have taken GCSE Maths several times, using different exam boards each time. The exam regulator warned that using such tactics should not be encouraged by schools, and that taking more exams than necessary would not benefit students.
The figures show that the number of students taking GCSE Maths a year early have risen from 18% last to 23%. Taking GCSE early is considered to be a good option for gifted students to get exams out of the way early, but the statistics show that some students are taking the exam early to ensure that they get a second chance at it the following year. Ofqual also warned that they expected similar statistics to emerge for sciences, where a new, tougher exam has been introduced. Where students are unsure whether they will be able to get the all important C grade, schools are entering them for exams with several different boards.
Last year, 15% of students taking GCSE Maths had been entered multiple times for the same subject, some using different exams boards or taking different units from different courses. Ofqual expressed concerns that schools are encouraging this amongst students due to the fact that achieving at least a C grade is very important for school rankings. Although there are no official statistics as yet, it appears that a large number of students who have opted to take IGCSE exams are also taking standards GCSEs in the same subjects as well. While Ofqual has suggested that schools should take the responsibility for entering students for multiple exams, the National Union of Teachers has pointed out that schools watchdog Ofsted puts an enormous amount of pressure on schools and students to achieve C grades. In addition, grade boundaries for exams are changing without consultation with schools, meaning that both students and teachers are left trying to ensure that they are not left at a disadvantage.