How are GCSE exams changing in 2023?

Following the go-ahead for GCSEs exams to change in 2023, what do staff and students need to know ahead of the upcoming exam period?

Following two Ofqual public consultations, proposals to support students taking exams in some GCSE subjects in summer 2023 have been given the go-ahead. 

The consultations addressed proposed changes to the assessment of mathematics, physics and combined science, and proposed changes to the assessment of modern foreign languages (MFL). The consultations found that:

• more than 90% of respondents – including teachers and students – supported proposals to continue to require exam boards to provide formulae and revised equation sheets for GCSE mathematics, physics and combined science exams in 2023;
• more than 95% strongly agreed, or agreed, with proposals in MFL to permanently remove the requirement for exam boards to include unfamiliar vocabulary that is not on vocabulary lists. This will take effect for assessments from 2023 onwards.

Grading 

Ofqual has confirmed a return to pre-pandemic grading in 2023 to protect students against the disruption of recent years. Senior examiners will use the grades achieved by previous cohorts of pupils, along with prior attainment data, to inform their decisions about where to set grade boundaries. The Ofqual blog about grading is available here.

Support for students

The government has confirmed that there will be no advance information in summer 2023, but students should still get support in GCSE mathematics, physics and combined science with formulae and equation sheets.