By Vanessa Clarke
Education reporter, BBC News
Exam season is beginning for GCSE and other students across the UK.
It is the second year of formal exams since the pandemic and there are still some changes to how things will work, depending on where you live.
When does school exam season start and finish?
Most GCSE exams begin on Monday, 15 May, and finish at the end of June, in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Vocational technical qualifications (VTQs), such as BTec (Business and Technology Education Council) courses, are mostly assessed through practical learning but there are some exams and assessments throughout the year.
In Scotland, National 5s started at the end of April and finish on 31 May. National 4s rely on continuous assessment rather than exams at the end of the course.
Are exams and results still different because of Covid?
As usual, senior examiners will decide the minimum marks needed for each grade.
However, because of the disruption caused by Covid, exam boards in England will be “slightly” more lenient than before the pandemic when deciding grade boundaries.
This will protect students who perform slightly less well in these exams than expected.
Results are expected to drop down much closer to pre-pandemic levels this year, after three years of higher grades.
Ofqual, England’s exam regulator, has said GSCE exams are going ahead as normal this year, with the following support:
- Students in maths, physics, and combined-science exams will be given formulae and equation sheets
- Exams are spaced out so students are less likely to miss all exams in a subject if ill
- Modern-foreign-language papers no longer have to test unfamiliar vocabulary
The Welsh Joint Education Committee (WJEC) exam board has also provided advance information for its papers across a range of subjects, revealing the focus of some of the questions, to help pupils revise.
There is no advance information for vocational qualifications regulated by Ofqual or other exam-board papers, however.
And unlike last year, Qualification Wales, which oversees Welsh exams, said, there had been no changes to the content of courses.
The Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) said its grading would be “sensitive” because of the continuing impact of the pandemic.
It has taken similar steps to last year to help students, such as removing or reducing exams or elements of coursework, but plans for exams to go fully back to normal next year.
The Council for the Curriculum, Examinations & Assessment (CCEA) exam board, which covers most pupils in Northern Ireland, has provided advance information for most subjects and says examiners will take Covid disruption into account.
Image source, Getty Images
Students have received less additional help this year, as exams return to normal following the pandemic
What happens if I am ill for my exam?
If you are unwell and have a high temperature on the day of your exam, the advice from the UK Health Security Agency is to stay at home.
In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, you will be asked to fill out a form for your school or college to request “special consideration” from your exam board.
In Scotland, if you are ill, your school, college or training provider can submit an “exceptional circumstance” request.
When is GCSE results day 2023?
SQA results will be published on 8 August.
GCSE results will come out on 24 August.
VTQ students will receive results on or before 24 August.
Image source, Getty Images
Results this year are expected to drop back to almost pre-Covid levels
How can I appeal against exam results?
If you’re unhappy with your GCSE or BTec grade, you should first talk to your school or college.
In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, your school will contact the exam board on your behalf and ask for your marks to be reviewed.
If you still think you’ve been unfairly graded after a review, you can ask your school or college to appeal.
The exam board will consider correcting your mark.
BTec students can also appeal directly to their exam board.
If you’re still not satisfied, you can request a review from Ofqual.
In Scotland, the process is slightly different.
If your final grade is lower than your grade estimate, you can appeal directly to the SQA. Speak to your school or college first.
If your appeal is accepted, the exam board will look at the marks you received.
The charity YoungMinds points out results are not the only measure of success – and if things do not turn out how you had hoped, there are lots of ways to get you to where you want to go.
Can I retake an exam?
Yes, you can resit any GCSE or National 5 exam the following year. GCSE maths and English exams take place in November.
If you want to explore this option, you should speak to your school about the best course of action.
What happens next?
Many pupils go on to study A-levels in England, Wales and Northern Ireland or Advanced Highers in Scotland.
International Baccalaureate (IB) and Cambridge Pre-Us are also options, as are vocational courses such as National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs), BTecs, TechBacs, Cambridge Technicals and (in England only) T-levels.
You could also consider an apprenticeship. Apprentices get paid a salary as they spend 80% of their time in the workplace, while being trained.
Other options include going straight into full-time work or an internship.
The National Careers Service has more information.
