Proposed changes to the assessment of Modern Foreign Language GCSEs from 2023

Ofqual invites your views on a proposed adaptation to the assessment of GCSE modern foreign languages (MFL) qualifications for students in England taking exams from summer 2023.

We propose carrying forward to future assessments the changes we made to last year’s qualifications in respect of the use of vocabulary. In summer 2022, these changes allowed the exam boards greater flexibility by:

• removing the specific requirement that existed in previous years for the assessments to use vocabulary that is not on the vocabulary lists
• permitting exam boards to give the meaning of (gloss) unfamiliar vocabulary if they consider this necessary

Our proposals are in response to a separate consultation launched by the Department for Education (DfE). DfE is consulting on a minor amendment to their published subject content to make this change on an ongoing basis for all GCSE modern foreign languages.