National GCSE and A-Level exams are due to undergo major changes this year, in an effort to help children affected by years of Covid-affected schooling.
Those in education have had one of the most disrupted rides through the pandemic, with traditions and institutions normally a consistent and unchanging part of being young all going out of the window with the arrival of coronavirus.
Now though, following the government's plans to ease the nation out of the grip of Covid amid the recession of the Omicron wave, efforts are being made to return the school experience back to something more like the pre-pandemic UK.
Naturally, though, the move to the 'new normal' will require efforts and guidance to help the transition, for the generation forced to live through the changes, as smooth and fair experiences as possible.
Will GCSE and A-Level exams be held in 2022?
The first, and perhaps most significant, change to exam structure this year will be that GCSE and A-Level exams themselves will once again be going ahead.
In 2020 and 2021, would-be exam sitters were instead given their results based on assessments made by their teachers, rather than the more traditional format of people flocking into exam halls to attempt papers under controlled conditions.
The pandemic-specific format of handing out grades, rather than sitting exams, was introduced to prevent school children from spreading Covid amongst themselves by attending the exam in person.
It was also due to the immense disruption caused by the pandemic, which led to children missing school if they tested positive, classes being online-only and teacher absences due to positive Covid tests.
Grade boundaries will be lower with more generous grading
Ofsted, England's exams regulator, has said that grade boundaries are likely to be lower this year than they have been in the past. This means that papers are likely to be given more generous grades than they have been in previous years.
The more lenient grade boundaries, which are due to come into play for children in Wales, Scotland and England, will aim to help soften the transition for children once again securing qualifications through the normal exam method.
The BBC report that there will be a 'mid-point' between the grade boundaries, seen in pre-2019 years and throughout the pandemic and teacher assessment era.
Dr Jo Saxton, the Ofsted chief regulator, said the aim was to give children a "safety net" when tackling a transitional period for the exams system.
GCSE and A-Level students will be getting advanced information
Teenagers set to take exams this year will now be able to get information on what will be inside the paper ahead of time.
News of the change appeared on the websites of exam boards on Febuary 7, 2022, and it is set to cover over 300 formats across a range of exam levels from A-Level, AS and GCSE.
The advanced information will aim to help children focus their revision, although it is reportedly unlikely to reduce the amount of content exam-takers will need to get their heads around.
Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi said: “Exams are the best and fairest form of assessment, and we firmly intend for them to take place this summer, giving students a fair chance to show what they know.
“We know students have faced challenges during the pandemic, which is why we’ve put fairness for them at the forefront of our plans.
“The information to help with their revision published today, as well as the range of other adaptations, will make sure they can do themselves justice in their exams this summer.”
In a statement regarding the extra information, the Department for Education said it: “Aims to focus students’ revision without providing exact questions that will appear”.
It added: “Advanced sight of the content is one part of the adaptations in place to help mitigate the impact of the pandemic on education, recognising this cohort of students were affected by school closures during periods of lockdown and disruption due to absences.
“Other adaptations include a choice of topics in some GCSEs like English literature and history, and support materials like formulae sheets in maths.”
