Ofqual: rolling update

New VTQ information hub to support schools and colleges

Ofqual has launched a new information hub for exams officers and subject teachers. The hub brings into one place the key dates awarding organisations set to ensure the timely delivery of level 3 vocational and technical qualification (VTQ) results used for progression to further study. It is the latest in Ofqual’s package of measures to create parity for VTQ students in summer 2023.

Ofqual is asking exams officers and teachers in schools and colleges to work together earlier, during term time, to support students expecting to receive results in August. Awarding organisations have introduced earlier term-time checkpoints to make sure they can identify and track students’ progress. Using the information hub will help exams officers to work effectively with awarding organisations during term time to ensure these students get their results when they need them.

Level 3 VTQ results Action Plan: measures for 2023

Ofqual has announced 3 new deadlines to ensure that awarding organisations issue complete and correct Level 3 vocational and technical qualifications (VTQ) results to students in summer 2023 . This includes a deadline for the issue of results by awarding organisations to schools and colleges of Monday 14 August. The vast majority of Level 3 results used for progression to further or higher education will be released to students by Thursday 17 August, which is also A level results day.

These and other measures form the latest phase in Ofqual’s Action Plan for successful VTQ results delivery in 2023. They apply to students taking VTQs who intend to use their qualification to progress to further or higher education.

Read the statement setting out these deadlines and other measures we are introducing for summer 2023 VTQ results.

Industrial action

The Department for Education has issued guidance that recommends that schools should prioritise the running of examinations and assessments on any strike days, and should review their contingency plans to enable this to happen.

Schools, colleges and other exam centres should speak to the relevant awarding organisations if they are expecting any disruption that might affect the sitting of exams and assessments.

Support for students: summer 2023

Decisions for GCSE maths, physics, combined science and modern foreign languages

Ofqual confirmed that exams boards will continue to require exam boards to provide formulae and revised equations sheets for GCSE mathematics, physics and combined science exams in 2023.

Ofqual also confirmed permanent changes to assessment requirements in modern foreign language (MFL) GCSEs in its consultation outcome published in November.

2023 grading

Our Chief Regulator published plans for 2023 grading in September. We will return to pre-pandemic grading, but with protection for students. This means that, broadly speaking, a typical student who would have achieved an A grade in their A level geography before the pandemic will be just as likely to get an A next summer, even if their performance in the assessments is a little weaker in 2023 than it would have been before the pandemic.

For 2023, we recommend that teachers use the familiar pre-pandemic standard as the basis for predicting their students’ grades be that for use internally or for external use such as UCAS predictions.

Resilience in the exam system

Ofqual and DfE published the outcome to their joint consultation on arrangements which will build resilience in the exam system for the unlikely event that exams cannot be held in 2023. Ofqual published guidance for schools, colleges and other exam centres on gathering evidence of student performance.

Level 2 and Level 3 results

It is important that, as regulator, we review what has happened to make sure that students in future years receive results when they expect them, so they can progress in their education, apprenticeship or employment. We will continue to work across the sector, in addition to using our regulatory relationship with awarding organisations, to this end.

It is important that, as regulator, we review what happened with some delayed and inaccurate Level 2 and Level 3 results, which students had expected on GCSE and A level results days on 18 and 25 August. This review will inform our recommendations to prevent delays and incorrect issuing of results happening again. We will continue to work with stakeholders and awarding organisations, and ensure that everyone plays their part to ensure mistakes aren’t made again.

We have written to schools and colleges to ask for evidence, and continue to request feedback from all impacted parties to inform our review.

Subject content and assessment arrangements: 2022 to 2023

Ofqual and the Department for Education have confirmed the arrangements for subject content in GCSEs, AS and A levels and non-exam assessment in qualifications taking place in the academic year 2022 to 2023.

This means that the assessment arrangements for GCSE, AS and A level qualifications being awarded in 2023 will be as follows:

• for GCSEs in English literature, history, ancient history and geography, students will study and be assessed on all the usual topics and content
• for dance, design and technology, drama (and theatre), food preparation and nutrition, film studies, media studies, music, music technology, physical education (PE), students will carry out the usual non-exam assessment activities
• for art and design, students will be assessed by an exam board set task and a portfolio as usual
• for geography, geology, and science subjects, students will carry out the usual fieldwork and practical science activities
• for GCSEs in English language, students will carry out spoken language assessments as usual and some of these will be recorded by their teachers
• for GCSEs in modern foreign languages, students will take formal speaking tests as usual

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