Assessments
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has had discussions with Ofqual on steps to improve transparency for students about the level of uncertainty associated with GCSE, AS and A level grades.
Answered by Department for Education
Ofqual, as the independent regulator of qualifications in England, is responsible for maintaining standards and public confidence in GCSE, AS and A level qualifications. Ofqual requires awarding organisations to have robust arrangements in place for examiner recruitment and training, standardisation, moderation, marking, grading and quality assurance, including processes to identify and address potential errors before results are issued.
Throughout each assessment cycle, Ofqual monitors awarding organisations' readiness and delivery, including their management of key risks such as marking and grading.
If students believe there were errors, they can access established post-results services, including reviews of marking and appeals. Ofqual regulates these arrangements, sets the requirements that awarding organisations must meet when delivering them and keeps them under review.
To support transparency, Ofqual publishes an annual Delivery Report on the awarding of qualifications. This sets out how examinations and assessments were delivered, including information on marking, grading, incidents, reviews of marking and the action taken to protect students where issues arise.
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