4 Major exam boards have recently received warnings from Ofqual, an independent exams regulation board, for writing papers this summer that were either too hard, or too easy for students. Many who sat the GCSE Mathematics exam were left throughly flummoxed by several very difficult questions. However, the AQA board was in fact told off for producing a test that was too easy?

 

This isn't the first commotion over GCSEs exams, and certainly won't be the last. Massive reforms by 2017 will see a whole new grading system, and a complete change in not only the difficulty of exams, but also on what students actually learn. For example, the History GCSE Course, instead of solely focussing on 20th century history, will be changed to focus on medieval and ancient history too.

 

There is also uncertainty surrounding A-level qualifications, where AS level exams, sat before the A-level exams, in the first year of the two year course, will be dramatically altered by 2017. Such uncertainty has arguably made the International Baccalaureate (IB) and more desirable qualification, despite the fact only a small portion of schools in fact offer the qualification.

So what do all these reforms and changes in exams, courses, and difficulties of papers mean for students?

Well, we'll have to wait and see.

Ross Lloyd