Exceptional arrangements for assessment and grading in 2020
Consultation on the assessment and grading of vocational, technical and other general qualifications.
The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has led to a range of exams and assessments in vocational and technical qualifications being cancelled as result of schools, colleges and training providers closing.
We have set out our proposals for awarding other general, vocational and technical qualifications in Summer 2020 and are now consulting on what we have outlined.
In our consultation we are seeking views on a number of features of the exceptional arrangements for awarding vocational and technical qualifications in 2020.
Our proposed approach will also cover any general qualification not covered by the approach we are (separately) consulting on in relation to GCSEs, AS and A levels.
We are introducing these exceptional arrangements at speed to:
- provide a framework for qualifications that, depending on their purpose, sets out how an awarding organisation should calculate results or adapt or delay assessments
- allow awarding organisations to provide clarity to schools, colleges and training providers about what evidence they should gather and consider, and what evidence they will submit to the awarding organisations, where required to calculate a grade
- allow awarding organisations to make clear which learners should receive a calculated result (and how it will be awarded), or be required to complete an assessment
- enable awarding organisations to access, adapt, or build the systems needed to issue results this summer and adapt assessments where this is necessary
We are hopeful that, through these arrangements, the majority of learners who planned to take exams and assessments this summer, for progression to either further or higher education or employment, will receive a result calculated by awarding organisations or be able to take an adapted assessment. Where it is not possible to receive a calculated result, or to undertake an adapted assessment, assessment opportunities and results might need to be delayed.
The consultation will run for 2 weeks from 24 April 2020 to 8 May 2020.