This year’s ‘external’ examinations

I don’t envy those who had the responsibility of deciding what should be done about GCSE and A-level examinations in England and Wales this year. After last summer they faced a difficult choice – impose a regime based on algorithms again or risk a system of school-based assessments that could result in grade inflation rendering the results meaningless. 

What has been done makes a great deal of sense, in that schools can use materials of the right standard but choose to examine their students on topics exclusively on topics they have studied. To some extent this accepts that provision from schools during the lockdown has been patchy but doesn’t victimise the students, recognising that they are not necessarily at fault.

Of course, some schools will take liberties, and I’m aware from my tutees of some who have hardly watered down the content at all, and their exams will be just as demanding as the Board-set papers have been, but others have removed many of the more challenging topics, almost guaranteeing top grades to their better students. After all, no matter how straightforward the paper, one can hardly deny an A* to a student topping 90%. This, though, must be evaluated against an examination system that also had its faults and is a small price to pay. 

More to the point, what has been arranged this year has motivated students to work, given them a target, and allowed a sense of achievement that wasn’t possible last year. At GCSE it has also given students and schools a very good indication of how to proceed to sixth form education. 

So let’s not be too keen to criticise, and be happy that so much has been achieved by schools, pupils and those who make decisions in such a chaotic year.