WJEC facing £350k fine for issuing hundreds of wrong GCSE results

WJEC facing £350k fine for issuing hundreds of wrong GCSE results

A significant penalty of £350,000 looms over an exam board following the issuance of incorrect GCSE results to hundreds of students. The blunder affected over 1,500 pupils in England who were provided with inaccurate grades for their food and nutrition qualification in 2024. This particular course is not available in Wales but is managed by the Cardiff-based WJEC, which stands as Wales’ largest qualifications awarding body and a prominent provider in England and Northern Ireland.

Ofqual, the examination regulator in England, emphasized that the fine imposed on WJEC reflects the severity of the errors and underscores their dedication to safeguarding students’ interests. The WJEC expressed deep regret for the mishap and revealed that they had compensated affected schools and colleges with credit notes totaling £219,000. The investigation by Ofqual revealed that WJEC neglected to adjust teachers’ assessment of coursework for the Eduqas GCSE food preparation and nutrition program. Consequently, 847 students received lower grades than they deserved, while 680 students were awarded higher grades.

The penalty imposed on WJEC comprises £175,000 for inaccuracies in the external moderation of teachers’ assessments and another £175,000 for violating rules related to the “reviews of marking”. Furthermore, it was discovered that from 2017 to 2023, WJEC permitted 3,926 exam papers to be reevaluated by the same assessors who had initially graded them. Amanda Swann, Ofqual’s executive director for general qualifications, stressed the importance of ensuring that students can have confidence in the accuracy of their results. In response, WJEC acknowledged their failure to meet the expected high standards and assured students and institutions of the implementation of corrective measures to prevent such incidents in the future

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