It is time to radically change exams

It is time to radically change exams

The list of exam boards in the UK which amount to around 4 for most of the UK schools. Shows how narrow the choices schools and parents have. The narrowness of choice is also compounded by the lack of competition between them.

It is of course not their fault. They take their guidance from Ofqual, who in turn take their guidance from the Privy council. So they really do not have a choice to how the exams look and feel . Throw in the fact the organisations have long term legacy challenges and protocol, change makes it hard. There was an amalgamation of exam boards such as AQA in the 70s. So all of the different processes and supply chains where added together making the settlement we have today.

The large halls, the exam paper storage, the exam officers all of this is a legacy of the 20th century.

The 20the century without the technology advances and the bio security threat we have today . The Exam blog has long argued that it is time to change exams. Now is more pressing than ever.

We must make this opportunity of transforming exams. Driving harder to make exams as candidate focussed, pupil orientated as possible. Avoiding the top down bureaucracy that it has become. Including sitting exams throughout the year. Allowing for a large proportion of exams to be computer based with immediate marking and removing schools from the exam service.

The time has come to radically transform the exam experience for pupils. Have a read of why we have exams to see where we should be heading.