A message for all Summer 2020 GCSE, AS, A level and Skills Challenge Certificate learners.
Download the letter – Letter to learners 2020
I appreciate the announcement to cancel exams this summer will have been unsettling for you as learners, and that you are urgently waiting for news. To keep you informed, I wanted to let you know what we are doing to provide you with grades that you can use to progress to sixth form, college, university, training or work.
Our aim is to treat you as fairly as possible this summer.
How will grades be calculated?
Most GCSEs, AS and A Levels that learners in Wales have been entered for will be awarded by WJEC. The Skills Challenge Certificate is only awarded by WJEC. If you are entered for a GCSE, AS or A Level offered by a different exam boards, the same principles will apply. Your schools, colleges and other exam centres will be asked to send exam boards two pieces of information for each of your qualifications, based on what they know about your work and performance:
•the grade they believe you were most likely to get if teaching, learning and exams had happened as planned •the order of learners, by performance, within those grades.
Your centre will consider a range of evidence like your class and homework; your results in assignments and any mock exams; any non-exam assessment you might have done; and your general progress during your course.
This information will allow WJEC and other exam boards to gather and compare grades across centres. Together, we want to make sure that results are fair and that, as far as possible, learners are not advantaged or disadvantaged because their centres are more generous or harsh than others when making those judgements. That means the final grade you get could be different from the one your centre sends to WJEC or other exam boards.
What do I need to do?
Nothing. Your teachers will review all the work you have done so far, any new work set will not influence this summer’s results. Teachers may continue to set work to ensure that all teaching and learning has been completed and help prepare you for next year. The data (grades and rank order) that will be provided is confidential and cannot be shared with you as learners, your parents or carers. Please don’t ask your teachers, or anyone else at your centre, to tell you the grades they will be sending to exam boards or where they have placed you in the order of learners. This is to help ensure the information submitted by schools and colleges is as fair as possible.
When will I get my results?
We’re working hard to make sure you get results as soon as possible – and no later than the published dates of 13 August (AS and A level) and 20 August (GCSE). We will confirm dates as soon as we can.
Can I take my exams another time?
There are already exams available in GCSE English Language, Mathematics, Mathematics-Numeracy and Welsh Language in November each year. You can enter for these exams in November 2020. Other exams will be available, as usual, in summer 2021.
Keep informed
We’ve published a set of FAQs here that you and your parents or carers might find useful. There are also regular updates on our website (www.qualificationswales.org) and social media (@quals_wales on twitter and @qualswalescymcymru on facebook) that you might want to follow.
We’ll keep you updated.