21st May 2013 9:00
By Blue Tutors
The government has revealed plans to replace the top GCSE marks A* and A with a numerical scale ranging from one to four. The move was proposed by the education secretary to MPs this week, and presented as a means via which employers and universities could distinguish between high achieving candidates. The change, it was said, would help re-fix the level at which people could distinguish outstanding achievements. The plans are part of wider reform of the GCSE exams, which would see changes in the way all papers are marked.
The qualifications authority Ofqual is currently in consultation with the government on the marking of exams, and issued a statement to say that the new GCSEs will have clearer and more demanding assessment structures. They also said that the scale ranging from one to four was only one of the options under consideration. Statements made this week from both Ofqual and the education secretary indicate disagreement at the highest levels as to how to proceed with exam reform.
The education secretary’s announcement to MPs this week also included the information that some of his plans for exam reform would have to be scrapped or watered down after the barrage of criticism they received from the qualifications authority and education experts. In particular, the plan to scrap the tier system and replace it with one, tougher exam for all students, is likely to be shelved after heavy criticism from Ofqual. Education experts have consistently advised that retaining the two tier exam system is necessary in order to provide a reliable method of assessment. Ofqual said in a recent announcement that it was their decision, and not the government’s, as to whether to retain the two tier system, suggesting that there are fundamental disagreements between the government and the qualifications authority over the issue of exam reforms.