Students are assured that their grades will be protected from Covid disruptions, as exams are getting on the way.
To help students, extra measures are in place for different parts of the UK. In 2020 and 2021, increase in top grades were observed as Covid led the result, based on teacher assessment rather than exams. This year however England’s exam regulator, called for a “step back to normal” approach.
There has been no advance information given to students regarding the areas they are likely to be tested on, unlike last year. This will help the grades fall back in to line, with results in 2019. However certain measures that was adjusted last year remains in place.
Allowing for rest and revision, exams will be spaced further apart than they were before the pandemic. Certain subjects will be provided with formulae and equations, and unfamiliar wards will not be expected to confront in language exams. Expectations are that grades to remain higher outside England, than they were in 2019.
Vocational technical qualifications, such as BTec courses are mostly assessed through practical learning, however some exams and assessments are in place.
Exam board have warned students on study leave, not to turn to social media, clamming to sell exam papers. As in most cases the information for sale is fake. BBC news has been informed, that students are willing to pay up to 4,000 pounds to get hold of them.
Further disruption was observed in the form of industrial actions this year. Although, schools have tried to prioritise exam year groups on days were strike action has occurred.
Examiners would use information to set grades thresholds that were “fair to students” expecting results to be more similar to pre-pandemic levels this year. Dr Jo Saxton, head of England’s exam regulatory, Ofqual said.
She said, the pandemic no dough has cast a dark shadow, and that’s the reason why certain protections are in place. She went on saying, students should be able to maintain a grade that they would have got, if there was no pandemic, even if quality is a little bit weaker.
She informed Ofqual, had placed check points and deadlines to avoid the delay that affected BTec and other results in the previous year, would not repeat.
