Government Changes to GCSE & A Level Exams in 2021
On 5th August, the government has released changes to exams in summer 2021 for GCSE, AS Level and A Level.
We will be working hard to make sure all the changes are reflected in our free Seneca courses.
See the full document from government here.
Scroll down to take a look into how your subject is affected.
Ancient History
GCSE
There will be choices given to students so they can decide which questions to answer in the exam. This gives schools choice over the topics that will be taught to students.
AS Level & A Level
There is no change in how exams will be conducted.
Art & Design
GCSE, AS Level & A Level
100% of the assessment will be submitted by portfolio. Exam boards will also be able to complete their moderation process remotely by photographing work of via a video conference.
Biology
GCSE & AS Level
Delivery of content on the required apparatus and techniques will be allowed to be delivered using demonstrations or simulations.
A Level
The Practical Endorsements will be changed so that students can demonstrate the Common Practical Assessment Criteria through the minimum amount of practicals in order to show competence.
Exam boards will be able to assess the Common Practical Assessment Criteria remotely.
Business
GCSE, AS Level & A Level
There is no change in how exams will be conducted.
Chemistry
GCSE & AS Level
Delivery of content on the required apparatus and techniques will be allowed to be delivered using demonstrations simulations.
A Level
The Practical Endorsements will be changed so that students can demonstrate the Common Practical Assessment Criteria through the minimum amount of practicals in order to show competence.
Exam boards will be able to assess the Common Practical Assessment Criteria remotely.
Citizenship Studies
GCSE
Exam boards will need to give guidance on citizenship in the post-COVID world. This will include citizenship within the current public health guidance.
Classical Civilisation
GCSE, AS Level & A Level
There is no change in how exams will be conducted.
Classical Greek
GCSE, AS Level & A Level
There is no change in how exams will be conducted.
Combined Science
GCSE
Delivery of content on the required apparatus and techniques will be allowed to be delivered using demonstrations or simulations.
Classical Greek
GCSE
There is no change in how exams will be conducted.
Computer Science
GCSE
Students' programming project no longer needs to be supervised.
AS Level & A Level
There is no change in how exams will be conducted.
Dance
GCSE
Performance assessment:
For solo performances: each student will need to complete at least 1 dance with an overall duration of 90 seconds.
For performances as part of a group: each student will need to complete at least 1 dance with an overall duration of 120 seconds.
Students do not need to perform as part of a group.
Solo performances should assess the complete range of content apart from ‘sensitivity/physical relationship to other dancers’.
Each exam board will give more guidance on their requirements.
Video footage will need to be provided from the perspective of the audience. The video footage should be unaltered.
Choreography assessment:
For solo dances: each student will need to choreograph at least 1 dance with an overall duration of 90 seconds.
For group dances: each student will need to choreograph at least 1 dance with an overall duration of 120 seconds.
Exam boards will be able to accept evidence other than the 'portfolio of evidence' if this cannot be provided. This could be video recordings of performances, images, drawings, sketches, written accounts.
Students do not need to perform their choreographed dances or do any demonstration of dances.
Each exam board will give more guidance on their requirements.
Both NEA components:
Both NEA components can be assessed by the teacher. These will be moderated by the exam board or given to the exam board for marking.
Each exam board will give more guidance on their requirements.
AS Level
Performance assessment:
Each student will need to complete a solo dance that they have choreographed. The dance should last between 90 seconds and 3 minutes.
Each student will need to complete a second dance. The dance should last between 90 seconds and 3 minutes if the dance is completed solo. The dance should last between 2 and 3 minutes if the dance is completed as a group (maximum of 3 dancers).
Video footage will need to be provided from the perspective of the audience. The video footage should be unaltered.
Choreography assessment:
Each student will need to choreograph a dance that lasts between 90 seconds and 3 minutes. Exam boards will be able to accept alternative evidence to illustrate choreography and how the choreography was developed. Evidence can include video recordings with demonstrations/explanations, photographs, sketches, etc.
Each exam board will give more guidance on their requirements.
Both NEA components:
Both NEA components can be assessed by the teacher. These will be moderated by the exam board or given to the exam board for marking.
Each exam board will give more guidance on their requirements.
A Level
Performance assessment:
Each student will need to complete a solo dance that they have choreographed. The dance should last between 90 seconds and 3 minutes.
Each student will need to complete a second dance. The dance should last between 90 seconds and 4 minutes if the dance is completed solo. The dance should last between 2 and 4 minutes if the dance is completed as a group (maximum of 4 dancers).
Video footage will need to be provided from the perspective of the audience. The video footage should be unaltered.
Choreography assessment:
Each student will need to choreograph a dance for 1 to 5 dancers that lasts between 2 and 4 minutes. Exam boards will be able to accept alternative evidence to illustrate choreography and how the choreography was developed. Evidence can include video recordings with demonstrations/explanations, photographs, sketches, etc.
Each exam board will give more guidance on their requirements.
Both NEA components:
Both NEA components can be assessed by the teacher. These will be moderated by the exam board or given to the exam board for marking.
Each exam board will give more guidance on their requirements.
Design Technology
GCSE, AS Level & A Level
Exam boards will be able to accept mock-ups and information showing the intentions of students' prototypes.
Each exam board will give more guidance on their requirements.
Demonstrations of machinery, processes and tools will be permitted in class.
Economics
GCSE, AS Level & A Level
There is no change in how exams will be conducted.
Electronics
GCSE, AS Level & A Level
There is no change in how exams will be conducted.
Engineering
GCSE
Exam boards will be able to accept information showing the intentions of students' prototypes.
Each exam board will give more guidance on their requirements.
Demonstrations of machinery, processes and tools will be permitted in class.
English Language
GCSE
Teachers will not need to provide exam boards with video recordings of the spoken language assessment.
Spoken language assessments can be completed in front of an audience of only one teacher.
Spoken language assessments can be completed at any time and can be completed virtually.
AS Level & A Level
There is no change in how exams will be conducted.
English Literature
GCSE
Students will be given choices of topics they answer during the exam. This will give schools freedom to decide what they will teach students.
There will be a play by Shakespeare that every student will have to answer questions on in the exam.
Schools will be able to choose from questions covering 2 of 3 categories: poetry; fiction/drama from Britain from 1914; 19th century novels.
AS Level & A Level
There is no change in how exams will be conducted.
Food Prep & Nutrition
GCSE
NEA1 will be removed. NEA2 will be released earlier.
NEA2 will be reduced to complete 2 dishes within a 3 hour time limit. This is to provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate more complex skills in NEA2 and to allow students to follow public health guidance.
Further Maths
AS Level & A Level
There is no change in how exams will be conducted.
Geography
GCSE
Schools will no longer need to provide written statements saying students have completed 2 days of fieldwork.
Students will no longer need to complete exam questions based on their fieldwork.
AS Level
Schools will no longer need to provide written statements saying students have completed 2 days of fieldwork.
Students will still be asked questions on fieldwork in the exams. The examined fieldworks questions will be in the human exam content or the physical exam content, not both.
A Level
Schools will no longer need to provide written statements saying students have completed 4 days of fieldwork.
Exam boards will look into whether their guidance on primary data collection in the non-exam assessment to see if it needs to be adapted.
Geology
GCSE
Schools will no longer need to provide written statements saying students have completed 2 days of fieldwork.
AS Level
Delivery of content on the required apparatus and techniques will be allowed to be delivered using demonstrations or simulations for fieldwork and practical skills.
Schools will no longer need to provide written statements saying students have completed 2 days of fieldwork.
A Level
The Practical Endorsements will be changed so that students can demonstrate the Common Practical Assessment Criteria through the minimum amount of practicals in order to show competence.
Exam boards will be able to assess the Common Practical Assessment Criteria remotely.
Schools will no longer need to provide written statements saying students have completed 4 days of fieldwork.
History
GCSE
Schools will be given more flexibility in the content taught to students.
A choice of topics outside of the scope of the core content can be made so that all students will have to answer questions on that topic in the exam.
AS Level & A Level
There is no change in how exams will be conducted.
Latin
GCSE, AS Level & A Level
There is no change in how exams will be conducted.
Law
AS Level & A Level
There is no change in how exams will be conducted.
Maths
GCSE, AS Level & A Level
There is no change in how exams will be conducted.
Media Studies
GCSE, AS Level & A Level
Exam boards will be able to accept mock-ups and information showing the intentions of students' prototypes. Supporting evidence can be provided as necessary. Student mock-ups will need to form a single product and meet the brief set out by the exam board.
Each exam board will give more guidance on their requirements for supporting evidence.
AS Level
Exam boards will be able to accept mock-ups and information showing the intentions of an individual media production (one product). Supporting evidence can be provided as necessary. Student mock-ups will need to form a single product and meet the brief set out by the exam board.
Each exam board will give more guidance on their requirements for supporting evidence.
A Level
Exam boards will be able to accept mock-ups and information showing the intentions of an individual cross-media production (one product). Supporting evidence can be provided as necessary. Student mock-ups will need to form a single product and meet the brief set out by the exam board.
Each exam board will give more guidance on their requirements for supporting evidence.
MFL - French, Spanish, German, Italian, Urdu, etc.
GCSE
Assessments will no longer use words that are not contained on the vocabulary lists.
Glossing will be permitted as required but the highest grades will require the same level of knowledge and accuracy as in previous years.
The spoken language assessment will be scored as either fail, pass, merit or distinction. Assessment criteria for each descriptor will be provided by the exam board. Teachers will assess spoken language in class.
Exam boards will be able to include extra optional questions in writing exams to allow students to cover fewer themes.
AS Level & A Level
There is no change in how exams will be conducted.
Music
GCSE
Performance assessment:
For solo performances: each student will need to complete at least 1 performance with an overall duration of 90 seconds.
For performances as part of a group: each student will need to complete at least 1 performance with an overall duration of 120 seconds.
Students do not need to perform as part of an ensemble.
Schools will need to submit unedited recordings of live performances and written music for the performances.
Composition assessment:
Each student will need to compose at least 1 piece of music with an overall duration of at least 120 seconds.
Compositions can meet the brief set out by the exam board or can be composed freely.
Each exam board will give more guidance on their requirements when students compose more than 1 piece of music.
Schools will need to submit unedited recordings of the composition produced by the student. Students do not need to perform their own compositions. Recordings can be produced by a computer.
Both NEA components:
Both NEA components can be assessed by the teacher. These will be moderated by the exam board or given to the exam board for marking.
Each exam board will give more guidance on their requirements.
AS Level
Performance assessment:
Each student will need to perform at least 1 piece of music with an overall duration of at least 150 seconds.
Schools will need to submit unedited recordings of live performances and written music for the performances and a score/lead sheet where this is available.
Composition assessment:
Each student will need to compose at least 1 piece of music with an overall duration of at least 150 seconds.
Compositions can meet the brief set out by the exam board or can be composed freely.
Each exam board will give more guidance on their requirements when students compose more than 1 piece of music.
Schools will need to submit unedited recordings of the composition produced by the student with a score, lead sheet and a written account of the composition.
Students do not need to perform their own compositions. Recordings can be produced by a computer.
Both NEA components:
Both NEA components can be assessed by the teacher. These will be moderated by the exam board or given to the exam board for marking.
Exam boards can review the requirement for Performance Assessments to be completed within a year of certification.
Each exam board will give more guidance on their requirements.
A Level
Performance assessment:
Each student will need to perform at least 1 piece of music with an overall duration of at least 150 seconds (for a 25% weighting), 180 seconds (for a 30% weighting) or 210 seconds (for a 35% weighting).
Schools will need to submit unedited recordings of live performances and written music for the performances and a score/lead sheet where this is available.
Composition assessment:
Each student will need to compose at least 1 piece of music with an overall duration of at least 120 seconds (for a 25% weighting), 180 seconds (for a 30% weighting) or at least 2 pieces of music with an overall duration of at least 240 seconds (for a 35% weighting).
Compositions can meet the brief set out by the exam board or can be composed freely.
Each exam board will give more guidance on their requirements when students compose more than 1 piece of music.
Schools will need to submit unedited recordings of the composition produced by the student with a score, lead sheet and a written account of the composition.
Students do not need to perform their own compositions. Recordings can be produced by a computer.
Both NEA components:
Both NEA components can be assessed by the teacher. These will be moderated by the exam board or given to the exam board for marking.
Exam boards can review the requirement for Performance Assessments to be completed within a year of certification.
Each exam board will give more guidance on their requirements.
Philosophy
AS Level & A Level
There is no change in how exams will be conducted.
Physical Education
GCSE
Exam boards can reduce the number of activities students need to complete 2 activities. Both the activities can be performed individually.
Moderation will be able to be completed remotely using video evidence for any activity.
Exam boards are allowed to lower the requirements for evidence provided, e.g. quality of video evidence, type of video evidence.
AS Level & A Level
Moderation will be able to be completed remotely using video evidence for any activity.
Exam boards are allowed to lower the requirements for evidence provided, e.g. quality of video evidence, type of video evidence.
Physical Education (short course)
GCSE
Exam boards can reduce the number of activities students need to complete 1 activity. The activity can be performed individually.
Moderation will be able to be completed remotely using video evidence for any activity.
Exam boards are allowed to lower the requirements for evidence provided, e.g. quality of video evidence, type of video evidence.
Physics
GCSE & AS Level
Delivery of content on the required apparatus and techniques will be allowed to be delivered using demonstrations or simulations.
A Level
The Practical Endorsements will be changed so that students can demonstrate the Common Practical Assessment Criteria through the minimum amount of practicals in order to show competence.
Exam boards will be able to assess the Common Practical Assessment Criteria remotely.
Politics
AS Level & A Level
There is no change in how exams will be conducted.
Psychology
GCSE, AS Level & A Level
There is no change in how exams will be conducted.
Religious Studies
GCSE, AS Level & A Level
There is no change in how exams will be conducted.
Religious Studies (short course)
GCSE
There is no change in how exams will be conducted.
Sociology
GCSE, AS Level & A Level
There is no change in how exams will be conducted.
Statistics
GCSE, AS Level & A Level
There is no change in how exams will be conducted.
