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The government has published new details on their plans for handling GCSEs and A-levels this summer.

The release states:

“[…] exam boards will ask teachers to submit their judgement about the grade that they believe the student would have received if exams had gone ahead. […] To produce this, teachers will take into account a range of evidence and data including performance on mock exams and non-exam assessment – clear guidance on how to do this fairly and robustly this will be provided to schools and colleges.

“The exam boards will then combine this information with other relevant data, including prior attainment, and use this information to produce a calculated grade for each student, which will be a best assessment of the work they have put in.”

Ofqual and exam boards “will be discussing with teachers’ representatives before finalising an approach, to ensure that it is as fair as possible. More information will be provided as soon as possible.”

“We will also aim to ensure that the distribution of grades follows a similar pattern to that in other years, so that this year’s students do not face a systematic disadvantage as a consequence of these extraordinary circumstances.”

The guidance also reads that The aim is to provide these calculated grades to students before the end of July and that there will also be an option to sit an exam early in the next academic year. If they “do not believe the correct process has been followed” then pupils can appeal. If they don’t feel their calculated grade reflects performance they can resit an exam “at the earliest reasonable opportunity, once schools are open again. Students will also have the option to sit their exams in summer 2021.”

More as we have it.