Ofqual: rolling update

Results for vocational and technical qualifications in 2022 will be based on the outcome of exams and assessments. Awarding organisations will be allowed to make adaptations to assessments and qualifications, where they need to, due to the pandemic.

In early December we updated our guidance on the awarding of vocational and technical qualifications in the academic year 2021 to 2022. The guidance is for schools, colleges and training providers, and includes information on T Levels, Functional Skills Qualifications and Apprenticeship end-point assessments.

Special consideration for Applied Generals, Tech Awards, Tech Certs and Tech Levels

We’ve compiled information on policies for special consideration for awarding organisations that have delivered January assessments for Applied Generals, Tech Awards, Tech Certs and Tech Levels. Special consideration is used where a student has temporarily experienced an illness or injury, or other event outside their control, which is likely to have adversely affected their ability to demonstrate their knowledge and skills during assessment.

Contingency plans in case exams cannot go ahead as planned

The government intends that exams will go ahead in 2022. If exams cannot go ahead as planned, students will receive grades determined by their teachers, using teacher-assessed grades (TAGs) similar to those used in summer 2021. TAGs are based on teachers’ assessment of their students’ work.

For GCSEs, AS and A levels, we have published guidance for schools and colleges on how to collect evidence from their students in the remainder of the academic year, so that this evidence is available in case TAGs are needed. 

Our guidance encourages schools to use their existing assessment plans and not to over-assess students. In many cases, the necessary assessments will already be planned to support students’ learning and help them prepare for summer exams.

Private candidates

As we expect exams to take place in 2022, we are encouraging schools, colleges and other exam centres to allow private candidates to register with them in the usual way.

If exams cannot go ahead as planned, private candidates will need to work with a school, college or other exam centre to generate evidence for a teacher-assessed grade. A private candidate could take assessments through the year to produce this evidence. Alternatively, a private candidate could choose to be assessed only if it is decided that exams cannot take place. They would then need to find a school, college or other exam centre to work with, and would be assessed in a more compressed period of time.

The Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ) has published a list of schools, colleges and other exam centres that make exam entries for private candidate for GCSEs, AS and A levels in summer 2022. Schools, colleges and other exam centres that are not in the JCQ list might still make entries for private candidates – they do not need to be included in the list in order to do so.

For vocational and technical qualifications, the Department for Education has published guidance on contingency measures. The contingency arrangements would include:

• using TAGs for those qualifications most similar to GCSEs and A levels
• delaying the awarding of qualifications that require students to demonstrate occupational or professional competence

Autumn 2021 exams

GCSEs, AS and A levels

There were AS and A level exams in October and GCSE exams in November and December.

Art and design was assessed by a task set and marked by the exam board. Your grade will be determined by your performance on this task.

Results days

Qualification	Results day
AS and A level	16 December 2021
GCSE maths and English language	13 January 2022
GCSEs in all other subjects	24 February 2022

Special consideration for Applied Generals, Tech Awards, Tech Certs and Tech Levels taken in January

We’ve compiled information on policies for special consideration for awarding organisations that delivered January assessments for Applied Generals, Tech Awards, Tech Certs and Tech Levels. Special consideration is used where a student has temporarily experienced an illness or injury, or other event outside their control, which is likely to have adversely affected their ability to demonstrate their knowledge and skills during assessment.

Replacement certificates

Ofqual does not hold copies of your certificates – we can’t tell you your grade or provide replacements. Certificates are held by the exam board you sat your qualification with. If you don’t know which exam board you took your qualification with, ask your school. If your school don’t know you will need to ask each exam board to do a search for you – they will charge you for this.

Contact your exam board

• AQA
• Pearson
• OCR
• WJEC Eduqas

Anxiety and mental health support

We understand that this has been a difficult time for students and you have shown great resilience in the face of the challenges presented by the pandemic. Always make sure you speak to somebody if you are feeling anxious or struggling with your mental health. This might be a parent, carer or someone else you trust.

You can also contact:

• Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS)
• Mind
• Young Minds
• NHS 111 – they can assist in providing the mental health support you may need