GCE and GCSE exams - summer 2022 information and updates

On this page we will summarise information relating to this summer's national exams.

Advance Information

Advance information is intended to communicate, ahead of the examinations, the focus of the content of the examinations (or part of the examinations) that will be assessed in the examination papers. As stated by DfE, the purpose of advance information is to support revision. 

We are expecting to have subject specific advance information form exam boards by 7 February 2022.

JCQ (Joint Council for Qualifications) have prepared an FAQ document about Advance Information aimed at students, which is attached at the bottom of this page.

Contingency planning for Teacher Assessed Grades (TAGs)

The government’s clear policy decision is that GCSE and A level exams will go ahead in Summer 2022. However, Ofqual and Department for Education have published a Contingencies decisions document, which sets out the plans in the unlikely event that exams are unable to go ahead as planned in Summer 2022.

Colleges have been asked to assess students at appropriate times throughout year and keep these assessments as evidence in case exams are cancelled in the summer and centres need to determine TAGs.

The guidance for these assessments states:

Students taking GCSEs and A levels should be assessed under exam-like conditions wherever possible. For example, students:
• should not know the questions in the assessment beforehand
• should work independently and without assistance (other than as required for a reasonable adjustment)
• should not have access to books or revision notes and the assessment should be timed and supervised.

Wherever possible, a centre must either assess all students who are taking a particular qualification using the same material at the same time or using different materials at different times.

Informing students

Students must be told before they take each assessment that their performance in it would be used as part of the evidence to determine a TAG if exams are cancelled. They should be told which parts of the subject content will be covered by the assessment, but they should not be told the questions in advance or be able to predict the questions from information given to them. Students should not be given the opportunity to repeat an assessment, for example to improve their mark in response to feedback.

Malpractice
Student malpractice
If malpractice occurs during these assessments centres must report these incidents to the appropriate awarding organisation in the normal way.

As the grades from these assessments may be used to determine students’ grades if exams are cancelled, students attempting to gain an unfair advantage during the centre’s delivery of assessments by, for example, being in possession of/using a mobile phone or watches, submitting fabricated evidence or plagiarised work must be reported as these actions constitute malpractice.

Please read the official exam guidance for students on this page: Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ) documents and information for students