Consultation outcome

GCSE reform: regulations for English language

• From: Ofqual
• Published: 4 June 2015
• Last updated: 17 July 2015 — See all updates

Applies to England

This consultation has concluded

Read the full outcome

GCSE English Language: Decisions on Requirements and Guidance

Ref: Ofqual/15/5745

PDF, 224 KB, 4 pages

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Analysis of Responses to our Consultation on Requirements and Guidance for GCSE English Language – Spoken Language

Ref: Ofqual/15/5744

PDF, 441 KB, 17 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 updated versions of our:

• GCSE Subject Level Conditions and Requirements for English Language
• GCSE Subject Level Guidance for English Language

Our rules require all reformed GCSE qualifications in English Language to:

• comply with the Department for Education’s GCSE English language subject content and assessment objectives and with our rules around the interpretation of subject content
• assess spoken language skills through non-exam assessment, and comply with our rules around the form, marking, specified levels of attainment and monitoring of the spoken language assessments
• comply with our rules around marking and results, and with our certificate requirements

Our guidance explains:

• the appropriate length of assessment time for exam assessments
• our expected approach to spoken language assessments, including the format of the presentation, audience size and monitoring
• how to interpret our assessment objectives

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Original consultation

Summary

Proposed regulations and guidance for the design, delivery and award of new English language GCSEs.

This consultation ran from
9:30am on 4 June 2015 to 11:45pm on 2 July 2015

Consultation description

We are seeking views on additional rules and guidance we propose to put in place for the new English language GCSEs which are being taught in England from September 2015.

Most of these new rules relate to the spoken language assessment, but we are also proposing some rules around marking, results and certificate requirements which would apply to the qualification more generally.

We have already accredited all the new English language GCSEs which will be taught from September 2015. The specifications for these new qualifications currently include provisional information about spoken language assessments. This has enabled exam boards to trial different approaches to the spoken language assessment. Those trials are complete and we have considered their outcomes. We are now consulting on the detailed rules and guidance we propose to put in place for spoken language assessments.

After this consultation, when we have put in place the final rules and guidance, exam boards will make appropriate changes to their specifications (as needed). The exam boards will not need to resubmit their amended specifications for accreditation.

This consultation follows on from our earlier consultations:

• GCSE Reform Consultation - June 2013
• GCSE Reform Technical Consultation - December 2013
• Consultation on the Conduct, Marking and Grading of Spoken Language Skills in GCSE English Language

We do not repeat the policy proposals we consulted on in those earlier consultations or the options we considered when we did so.

Documents

GCSE English Language - Consultation on Conditions and Guidance

Ref: Ofqual/15/5710

PDF, 661 KB, 39 pages

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Published 4 June 2015
Last updated 17 July 2015 + show all updates

1. 17 July 2015

   Outcomes and decisions published

2. 4 June 2015

   First published.