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UPDATED: GCSE and A-Level Exams Cancelled Due to Coronavirus

The Government have announced A-Level, GCSE and other exams are to be postponed, as schools shut their doors to all but the most vulnerable…

Michelle Roberts
by Michelle Roberts
Last Updated:
06 May 2020

Update – 22nd May 2020: Ofqual Confirms Appeals Process for A-Level students


Following a public consultation period, Ofqual have outlined the appeals process for students studying A-Levels, GCSEs, an EPQ or an Advanced Extension Award in Maths.

Appeals can only be made by the school or college in one of the following circumstances:

  1. When they believe they have made an error in submitting their grades and student rankings to the exam board.
  2. When they believe the exam board has made a mistake when moderating or communicating the grades to students.

Students can only appeal if they have evidence of malpractice, not simply because they are unhappy with their grades.

Speaking about the decision, Ofqual stated: “We have given serious consideration as to whether a student could challenge their centre assessment grades and position in their centre’s rank order…. We recognise the strength of feeling amongst students, and have weighed carefully whether such an appeal could work fairly. On balance, we have decided it would not be in the interests of all students or the fairness of the arrangements overall.”

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Update – 4th May 2020: Government Release 'Support Package for Universities and Students'


The government have released details of a Government Support Package for Universities and Students. The plans are designed to “protect students and the higher education sector from the impact of Coronavirus” and to “stabilise university admissions in the Autumn”.

Here are the key highlights of the plans that could affect your university application:

  • There will be temporary controls on new student numbers for the coming academic year 2020/21, to “ensure a fair, structured distribution across providers”. This means that universities will only be able to recruit a set number of new students this year.
  • The Education Secretary will have the discretion to allocate an additional 10,000 places on top of the controls, of which 5,000 will be allocated to students studying nursing or allied health courses.
  • If provider does not abide by its student number controls, the Government will “reduce the sums available to the provider through the student finance system in the subsequent academic year”.
  • The Government also stated that “…providers will need to act in the best interests of students in making offers, including refraining from large-scale use of unconditional offers and other practices which might induce a student to make a decision against their own interests. If a provider breaches the condition, the OfS will be able to apply their usual sanctions, including monetary penalties, suspension of registration or de-registration.”
     
  • A new service, Clearing Plus, will be launched by UCAS to help support students to review their choices. The service serves to match students going through Clearing or Adjustment to alternative courses and can help put students in contact with universities courses students are interested in.

Note: The above student number caps will only apply to full-time, undergraduate, UK/EU domiciled students, with certain specified exemptions. These controls will not apply to international (non-EU) students.

Any students worried about the implications of student number caps on their university application, especially if they are still waiting on a decision from their chosen universities, should contact the universities they have applied to for more information.

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Update – 30th April 2020: Update to Independent Students' Assessment Grading


The cancellation of A-Levels has affected thousands of students studying their A-Levels independently, including young students being home-schooled or mature students studying online.

For students in this position, Ofqual have released updated guidance, which states that the Head of the Centre (school/college) that the student has been studying through and is registered for exams with can provide the student with an assessment grade.

If you have recently moved from one centre to another, you may need to be assessed by the centre where you have done most of your studying.

Full guidance can be seen on the Ofqual website.

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Update – 23rd April 2020: Update to BTEC Grading Details  


Ofqual have released further information on how BTEC qualifications will be graded and awarded in 2020.

They have stated that they will “provide those students who had planned to take exams and assessments this summer for progression with a grade calculated by awarding organisations, as long as we can be assured that those awards are sufficiently valid and reliable.”

This will cover the majority of BTEC and other Vocational Courses. However there are some courses - those used for occupational competence or licence to practice - where a calculated grade is not possible.

In these cases, Ofqual are working with providers to see if assessments can be done safely this summer. If not, then they concede there will be no option but to delay assessments and awarding grades until the Autumn.

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Update – 16th April 2020: GCSE and A-Level Results Days 2020 Revealed


The Department of Education has today announced that students studying GCSEs and A-Levels will recieve their results in August as planned. In a statement on Twitter, the stated:

"Young people will receive their exam results in August, as agreed at the start of this academic year"

Here are the key dates:

A-Levels: Thursday 13th August 2020

GCSEs: Thursday 20th August 2020

Up until now the Department for Education and Ofqual have both stated that their aim was to release results earlier than normal - before the end of July - to give students more time to consider their options.

UCAS Clearing is still scheduled to open as normal on July 6th, so you'll have time before results are published to search Whatuni for alternative options should you not get the results you need in August. 

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Update – 15th April 2020: BTEC Grading Details Released


Ofqual, the qualifications and exam regulator in England, have revealed how BTEC qualifications will be graded and awarded in 2020.

Due to the impacts of COVID-19, many students have been unable to complete work to the standard they might have done or sit any final year exams. To take this into account, students this year will receive results for their final qualification grades that have been calculated by their teachers, based on an analysis of all assessments completed before the COVID-19 restrictions came into force.

Ofqual will be working alongside institutions who deliver BTEC courses to finalise what qualifications will be eligible to be given a calculated final grade. Students can expect to receive their results earlier than expected, to give them more time to assess their future study options.

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Update – 3rd April 2020: Ofqual Release A-Level Grading Details


The qualifications and exam regulator in England, Ofqual, has released details on how GCSEs, A-Levels, and EPQs will be graded and awarded in 2020.

As predicted, the process will involve teachers combining a number of factors to come up with a grade they believe a student would have got had they completed the year and sat their exams as normal.

This includes:

  • performance on mock exams and other non-exam assessments 
     
  • attainment at previous education levels  
     
  • performance in any mock exams

Once submitted, all teachers grades will be moderated by Ofqual before a final grade is decided.

Ofqual have published guidance for teachers on when submission deadlines will be and a letter to students explaining how this affects them.

Scottish Higher Grading Details Released


The Scottish Qualifications Agency (SQA) has also confirmed that teachers will be grading all Higher, Advanced Higher, Scottish Baccalaureate, National Certificates, National Progression Awards, Skills for Work courses and Awards.

Like their English and Welsh counterparts, teachers will use a number of factors to determine the best grade for students based on work completed before the COVID-19 impacts began to be fetl.

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Update - 23rd March 2020: Government tell universities not to alter applicants' offers


Universities Minister Michelle Donelan has asked UK universities to not alter the offers they've made to applicants for the next two weeks. Altering offers could mean changing conditional offers to unconditional offers.

This comes after it was revealed some universities had started doing this - in a move to secure admissions for 2020 entry.

The Minister stated: "No student should feel pressured into making a quick decision which may end up not being in their best interest." - a view supported by the Office for Students.

 In response, Universities UK stated that universities would stop this and "ensure that no student feels rushed into a decision at what is already a difficult time." 

Students who may have already accepted one of these altered offers and want to change their mind can release themselves from this offer during Clearing and make an application to their preferred university.

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Update - 20th March 2020: Further Details on Exams and Grades Announced


The Deparment for Education have announced today their plans for "ensuring GCSE, AS-Level and A-Level students are awarded a grade which fairly reflects the work they have put in." 

They have been working with exams regulator Ofqual, on a process that they deem is fair to all. This process will involve teachers being asked to submit the grade they believe - taking in to acount a range of factors - the student would have recieved if the exams had gone ahead.

The factors they will need to assess includes a student's performance on mock exams and other non-exam assessments (e.g. coursework). This grade will then be combined with other information such as prior attainment and used to calculate the final grade.

Teachers will be sent detailed guidance on how to assess their students grades fairly. The Education Secretary said "I have asked exam boards to work closely with the teachers who know their pupils best to ensure their hard work and dedication is rewarded".

They aim to release all grades to student by the end of July, rather than the normal results days which would have been 12th August for BTEC students and 13th August for A-Level students. It's still unsure at this time what will happen with Clearing this year. 

What if students are unhappy with their grades? Well, the government have said that they will offer an appeals process for any student who "do not feel their calculated grade reflects their performance".

Students will also have the opportunity to sit their exams "at the earliest reasonable opportunity, once schools are open again", or can take a gap year and wait until next summer (2021) to sit them.

UK Universities React to Exam Cancellations


A joint statement has been issued by the heads of the Russel Group, GuildHE, MillionPlus and University Alliance - in response to the current situation:

"We know many students are anxious about what the cancellation of exams and assessments might mean. Our message to students is: we understand and universities are here for you.

Universities are commited to doing all they can to support students and applicants and ensure they can progress to university. This will involve being flexible and responsive in their admissions processes.

We want to reassure students who have applied to university, or are thinking of doing so via Clearing that every effort will be made to ensure they are not disadvantaged in any way by the decision not to go ahead with exams this summer."

What Can Students Do Next?


The advice remains the same. If you have applied to university and have either recieved offers or are awaiting them, the best thing you can do is wait to hear from UCAS. They will email you with any updates that affect you. 

More advice and guidance on what will happen next, with results and Clearing will be announced over the coming days and weeks, so try not to panic yet. Try to remember that this is an unprecedented situation and things are moving so fast. 

Share Your Opinions!


Have you been personally affected by Coronavirus, or know anyone who has? Have strong opinions on the Government's announcement today? Or finding unusual ways to cope with being in isolation? Then Whatuni wants to hear from you!

If you want to share your opinions or experiences with fellow students on Whatuni, please get in touch with us on editor@whatuni.com

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18th March - Government Announce School Closure and Exam Cancellations


On Wednesday 18th March, Prime Minister Boris Johnston did what the Government had resisted for so long and announced the closure of all schools in England and Northern Ireland, to all but the most vulnerable children. The closure will come in effect from Friday 20th March.

This follows announcements from the Welsh and Scottish governments that schools will close there until further notice.

Education Secretary Gavin Williamson then told the House of Commons: "After schools shut their gates on Friday afternoon, they will remain closed until further notice. This will be for all children except those of key workers and children who are most vulnerable."

Not only that, but due to uncertainty around how long schools will need to be closed for, the Government has announced that all exams – including GCSEs, A-Levels and their Scottish equivalents – will be postponed.

In his daily briefings to the nation, Boris Johnston confirmed the closures and the exam cancellations, stating: “I understand frustrations, we will make sure their progress isn’t impeded and that in time they will get the qualifications needed”.

The Education Secretary later said: "We will not go ahead with assessments or exams and that we will not be publishing performance tables for this academic year. We will work with the sector and Ofqual to ensure that children get the qualifications that they need.”

The Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual), which regulates qualifications, examinations and assessments in England responded by saying: “We welcome the certainty that the Secretary of State’s decision not to hold exams this summer provides in these challenging circumstances. We will now work urgently with the Department for Education to work through the detail of this decision and to provide more information as soon as possible.”

Getting Students the Qualifications They Need


Its unsure what decisions the government and Ofqual will take next. There is a possibility that exams will be taken later in the summer and results rushed out for the Autumn, however there is the risk that students will be made to retake Year 13 again and take exams in spring next year. The third option is that Ofqual will award qualifications based on students’ predicted grades in August as usual.

Today, the Education Secretary said that they “would work towards providing students with their grades in August as usual”. So, it looks likely that they’ll use predicted grades. But more information will be released soon.

So, what should students do?

First, don’t panic. It’s likely that your school or college have been discussing what their plan of action would be if this happened. They will likely be in touch with plans for any distance learning they may be providing and advice.

You can keep checking the Ofqual website for any updates from them and regularly check your UCAS Track account for any updates there, though UCAS have said that they will email students if there are any significant changes affecting their application.

We’ll also keep you updated here with the latest news as and when it happens.

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