GCSE exams season is underway for hundreds of thousands of students in England, Northern Ireland, and Wales. The summer GCSE exam period starts on Thursday 9 May and ends at the end of June, although the exact dates vary depending on the company used by each school, which can be AQA, Pearson, OCR, WJEC, or CCEA. If a student misses an exam due to illness, they should contact the school or college as soon as possible and fill out a special form to request “special consideration” from their exam board.
GCSE results for 2024 in England are now graded using a numerical system from 9-1, with students needing a 4 for a “standard pass” and 5 for a “strong pass”. In Wales and Northern Ireland, GCSEs are graded using letters, unless taken under an English exam board. The minimum number of marks required for each grade, called grade boundaries, is decided by examiners and published on results day.
Qualification Wales, which oversees Welsh exams, has said it will use statistics to help set the grade boundaries, to prevent marks dropping below 2019 levels since the pandemic. In England and Northern Ireland, the way boundaries are decided has returned to normal, except in maths, physics, and combined-science exams. Students can use formulae and equation sheets for the final time this year, which will not be allowed in 2025.
If a student is unhappy with their GCSE grade, they should first talk to their school or college about having it remarked. If they still think their grade is unfair, they can ask their school or college to appeal. If they are still not satisfied, they can request a review from Ofqual. However, charity YoungMinds has said that results are not the only measure of success, and there are many other ways for students to achieve their goals.
Under-18s must remain in official education or training. This could mean staying in full-time education, starting an apprenticeship, or working while studying part-time. Many pupils go on to study A-levels, while the International Baccalaureate is also an option. Alternatively, students could consider vocational courses such as National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs), BTec Level 3s, TechBacs, Cambridge Technicals, and T-levels (in England only), or an apprenticeship, which combines workplace training with a salary. Scotland has a different qualification system, with Nationals and Highers, but GCSE-equivalent National 5 exams finish at the end of May and results are out on Tuesday 6 August
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More