GCSE English language: assessment of spoken language skills

From September 2015, students in England will start studying for new GCSE English language qualifications, graded 9 to 1. We have already announced that the outcomes of the assessment of students’ speaking skills will not contribute to the 9 to 1 grade for the subject. This grade will be based on students’ performance in their written exams only. Students’ performance in their spoken language assessment will instead be reported in a separate grade. We are now seeking views on how the spoken language assessment should be conducted, marked and graded.