Consultation outcome

AS and A level reform: regulations for modern foreign languages

From:
Ofqual
Published
26 February 2015
Last updated
7 July 2015 — See all updates

Applies to England

This consultation has concluded

Read the full outcome

AS and A Level Modern Foreign Languages: Decisions on Conditions and Guidance

Ref: Ofqual/15/5731

PDF, 306 KB, 4 pages

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Analysis of Responses to our Consultation on Conditions and Guidance for AS and A Level Modern Foreign Languages (French, German, Spanish)

Ref: Ofqual/15/5730

PDF, 516 KB, 13 pages

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Detail of outcome

We have made minor drafting changes to clarify some of our expectations, but have otherwise decided to adopt our consultation proposals in full.

We have now published final versions of our:

Our new rules require all reformed AS and A level qualifications in French, German and Spanish to:

  • comply with the Department for Education’s AS and A level subject content for modern foreign languages, and with our assessment objectives
  • assess spoken language skills through non-exam assessment which is taken during April or May, and set and marked by the awarding organisation (weighted at 30% of the total qualification)
    • at A level, this will last between and 21 and 23 minutes, and comprise a presentation of the students’ independent research, followed by questions on the presentation and a discussion based on an unseen scenario
    • at AS, this will last between 12 and 15 minutes, and comprise two discussion based on unseen scenarios
  • comply with our rules around vocabulary lists and access to texts in exams
  • prohibit access to dictionaries in assessments or formal preparation periods before them

Our guidance explains:

  • our approach to the use of vocabulary lists
  • the appropriate length for translation exercises
  • when non-exam assessment can take place
  • how to interpret our assessment objectives.

Original consultation

Summary

This consultation is about the rules and guidance we need to put in place for new AS and A levels in modern foreign languages.

This consultation ran from
to

Consultation description

This consultation is about the rules and guidance we plan to put in place for new AS and A levels in modern foreign languages (French, German and Spanish). These rules will apply to the exam boards that want to offer new French, German and Spanish AS and A levels from September 2016.

This consultation takes forward decisions made following our earlier consultation ‘Developing new GCSE, A level and AS qualifications for first teaching in 2016’, and is part of Ofqual’s work supporting the government’s changes to GCSEs, AS and A levels.

Documents

AS and A level Modern Foreign Languages Consultation on Conditions and Guidance

Ref: Ofqual/15/5622

PDF, 440 KB, 45 pages

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Updates to this page

Published 26 February 2015
Last updated 7 July 2015 + show all updates

  1. Published consultation outcome, conditions and guidance for AS and A level modern foreign languages

  2. First published.

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