GCSE Exam Specifications

GCSE

Most GCSE qualifications have been reformed over the last couple of years. The main features of the new qualifications are:

  1. Grades are awarded on a 9-1 scale. This permits more differentiation between results, particularly for students who would have previously been awarded Bs or Cs.
  2. Assessment is by exam. Coursework is no longer used, except in vocational qualifications such as BTEC.
  3. There is new, more demanding content, designed to bring our examination system into line with the very best in the world. 

Students currently in Years 10 and below will sit reformed GCSEs in all subjects. Students in Year 11 still take traditional GCSEs, graded A*-G, in subjects such as Business, Economics, Media Studies and Psychology.

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Further Information 

Top Facts

AS and A Level

A-level reforms were introduced over two years ago and the main changes were:

  1. Assessment is mainly by exam, with other types of assessment used only where they are needed to test essential skills.
  2. AS and A levels have been decoupled – AS results no longer count towards an A level. This means that many of our students need only take the A-level exams at the end of Year 13.
  3. Subject content was reviewed and updated, with universities having a greater say than they did previously.

All Year 12 students will take these reformed A-levels. Year 13 students in Classical Civilisation, Mathematics, Further Mathematics, Media Studies and Philosophy and Ethics take the older style of A-level.