Ofqual’s director of standards and comparability has stated that exam boards would request samples of work from every school for quality assurance. Some of the requirements include:
Schools Will Need to Provide Samples of GCSE and A-Level Work
Once schools submit grades, exam boards will request evidence from no less than five each of A-level and GCSE students. The requirements will be at least one A-level as well as two GCSE subjects, one of which will be English language or maths. Schools that only offer A-levels or GCSEs will be asked to submit work for only those qualifications.
Schools Will Be Given 48 Hours to Submit Evidence
Exam boards will select both the students and subjects required for the sample. Students will be chosen across the grade range and may also include private candidates. Boards will inform schools of which sampled work is required by 21st June. Schools must then submit all grade evidence for these students within 48 hours.
Comparisons Will Be Made Across the Qualification with Previous Years
Where the proportion of grades in 2021 appears much higher or lower than in previous years, exams boards will compare and select schools based on these results. Results for individual subjects can vary each year, especially for smaller cohorts. Therefore, comparisons for a school will be made at qualification level for all GCSE subjects combined and all A-level subjects combined.
Exam Boards Will Prioritise Schools Where Results Are Disproportionate to Previous Performances
Where results are significantly disproportionate to their historical results, exam boards will prioritise quality assurance checks for those schools. However, this is not to suggest that schools should award grades to match those in previous years. Instead, schools should record the possible reasons for these discrepancies.
More Evidence May Be Required if Exam Boards Have Any Serious Concerns
Upon review, schools will be contacted if exam boards have concerns about a school’s grading decisions, in which case more work may need to be provided. Furthermore, if the evidence does not support the grades that are submitted, schools will be asked to reconsider their grades. Exam boards can withhold results if they disagree with the school’s grades entirely.