Are GCSEs still assessed with coursework?

The General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) is a widely recognized qualification in England and Wales that students typically complete during their final two years of secondary school.

While the GCSE has been around for many decades, there have been significant changes to the assessment format over the past few years.

In 2015, the Department for Education (DfE) introduced new GCSE exams in England and Wales that marked a major departure from the traditional format of assessing students through coursework.

Instead of relying solely on written assignments, students are now required to take a combination of end-of-course assessments and exams in each subject they study.

The introduction of this new assessment format was driven by concerns about the reliability and validity of coursework as a means of evaluating students’ knowledge and understanding. While coursework can be useful in helping students develop critical thinking skills and engage with complex ideas, it has been criticized for being too subjective and prone to bias.

In contrast, exams have been shown to be more reliable and valid than coursework when assessing students’ knowledge and understanding. This is because exams are designed specifically to test a student’s ability to apply their knowledge in a specific context. Exams also provide a more objective measure of a student’s performance than coursework, which can be influenced by factors such as teacher bias or student motivation levels.

One example of this new assessment format can be seen in the new GCSE science curriculum, where students are required to complete a number of practical experiments throughout the year. This allows them to develop hands-on skills and gain a deeper understanding of scientific concepts. By incorporating practical assessments alongside exams, the new GCSE science curriculum provides a more comprehensive and engaging learning experience for students.

Another example is the new maths exam format, which includes multiple choice questions, short answer questions, and longer essay-style questions. This allows students to demonstrate their knowledge across a range of topics, rather than just relying on one or two written assignments. By including different types of assessments, the new maths exam format provides a more accurate picture of a student’s mastery of mathematical concepts.

Of course, this change has not been without controversy. Some teachers have expressed concern that the new exam format may not accurately reflect students’ knowledge and understanding, as they may be more focused on memorizing information for the exam rather than developing critical thinking skills. However, research has shown that exams can actually provide a better indicator of students’ knowledge and understanding.

Overall, the changes to the GCSE assessment format are a positive step towards a more reliable and valid way of assessing students’ knowledge and understanding. By relying on a combination of end-of-course assessments and exams, students can develop a range of skills and demonstrate their mastery of a subject in a variety of ways. This new assessment format also provides more flexibility in how students can demonstrate their knowledge and understanding, allowing them to choose the type of assessment that best suits their learning style.

FAQs:

1. What are the new GCSE assessment requirements?

Students are now required to complete a combination of end-of-course assessments and exams in each subject they study, rather than relying solely on written assignments.

2. How have the new GCSE assessment requirements affected student performance?

Research has shown that exams can provide a better indicator of students’ knowledge and understanding than coursework. This is because exams are designed to assess a student’s ability to apply their knowledge in a specific context, rather than just memorizing information.

3. What are the benefits of the new GCSE assessment format?

The new GCSE assessment format allows for more flexibility in how students can demonstrate their knowledge and understanding. For example, some students may prefer to complete practical experiments or projects as part of their coursework, while others may prefer to take written exams.