Few exams likely in Autumn 2020

Few exams likely in Autumn 2020

Exam candidates in the summer of 2020 who have had their exams cancelled were promised the opportunity to sit the exam at a reasonable time in the future after the summer holidays. This would be some time in September after schools go back. The promise to put on exam in Sept. by Gavin williamson the Education Secretary has been rebutted by those who put on the actual exams, the exam boards.

UPDATE: As of the week 12th July 2020. Autumn 2020 exam are on. With a full suite offered.

While we predict a rise in the number of Autumn Exams in 2021

The reluctance to put on exams is fuelled by few pupils wanting to sit the exams while schools undermine the desire for pupils to sit them. Especially from the smaller subjects like Arabic or Japanese A level that would only see just a dozen or so pupils who want to take them in Autumn throughout the UK.

Some head teachers have come forward opposing sixth college pupils taking their GCSEs in September. The heads say it would be impractical and interfering with what they are studying in their first term at sixth form. The heads say a full set of exams would be disruptive of school life. Taking teachers, assessors and examiners away from the year at hand and deploying them in the exams for the previous summer.

The head teachers are opposed to having pupils sit GCSE exams in their first term as sixth formers, arguing that this is “totally impractical” and would interfere with pupils learning the A-level or BTec subjects they had just begun to study.

Ofqaul the regulator makes it clear that it is up to the individual exam boards who will decide what exams are available in the Autumn series. “Accordingly, I hereby direct Ofqual to take account of this policy and work with the exam boards and others to plan to enable this group of students to sit exams as soon as reasonably possible after schools and colleges are open again.”

However, some head teachers are opposed to having pupils sit GCSE exams in their first term as sixth formers, arguing that this is “totally impractical” and would interfere with pupils learning the A-level or BTec subjects they had just begun to study.

The rebel heads also say that a full suite of exams in October or November would further disrupt school life, taking teachers out to act as assessors and examiners, or forcing them to oversee revision.

The Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), which mainly represents secondary school heads, said it favoured only GCSE maths and English exams and those for major A-level subjects being offered before Christmas. Geoff Barton, the ASCL’s general secretary, goes on to say 'Other GCSEs are very important for progression but they are superseded by other qualifications taken later down the line, while English and Maths GCSE and A-levels, have an enduring significance for the individual.It would, therefore, seem reasonable that in the current circumstances an opportunity is provided to sit these exams in the event that a student is unhappy with the grade awarded in the summer.”

Failing to put on the exams in the autumn just goes to show how inflexible exam boards are. They could of course put them on in the summer, just a little later perhaps closer to the end of June or even July. There are all the children currently cooped up at home. Not having exams to aim for has provided very little incentive for them to trust whatever authority says in the future. Exam boards too big to fail!