November GCSE exams to go ahead

NOVEMBER GCSE exams will go ahead in Wales this year, First Minister Mark Drakeford has confirmed.

All this summer’s exams were cancelled due to Covid-19 and students will get grades awarded based on teacher assessment and previous work.

First Minister Mark Drakeford confirmed November exams will take place in answer to questions from members of Wales Youth Parliament during a virtual session yesterday.

Qualifications Wales, the independent regulator, confirmed that English and Welsh language and maths and maths numeracy GCSEs will take place in November.

No details were given on how they will be held in relation to guidance around Covid-19 precautions.

Asked if exams would be deferred “to give pupils a fair chance” with education disrupted and schools shut, Mark Drakeford told the meeting with the Wales Youth Parliament: “The intention is to proceed with the exams in November. But, as we have done over the past years, just to focus on those pupils re-sitting, not to just draw others in.

“We have not yet made a decision on January yet but Qualifications Wales is still working with the Education Minister to prepare for January and they will be taking decisions on what they intend to do about January.”

The First Minister added that he recognised young people have been doing school work in”very difficult circumstances” during school closures and are concerned about exams and what happens next.

November GCSEs are now usually sat by pupils as re-sits if they aren’t happy with summer grades.

In the past schools often entered larger numbers of pupils for early entry in November, rather than re-sits.

The Welsh Government discouraged this by ruling that the first grade awarded was the one used to judge school performance.