Exam board faces £350,000 fine after students received wrong GCSE results
Ofqual, England's exams watchdog, found that exam board WJEC had failed to adjust teachers' marking of coursework – which made up 50% of the qualification – to ensure results were in line with national standards.
In total, 847 students received lower grades and 680 received higher grades than they should have.
The students who received the incorrect lower grades were eventually issued with the correct grade in October last year.
WJEC decided those who received the incorrect higher grades should keep them to avoid unfairly penalising students.
The exams regulator is set to fine the exam board £175,000 for the error in external moderation of teachers' marking.
Ofqual will also fine WJEC another £175,000 after it found it had breached its conditions concerning how it conducted 'reviews of marking'.
Between 2017 and 2023, WJEC allowed 3,926 exam papers to be reviewed by the same assessors who had originally marked at least part of them.
One student had their grade increased last year after an independent review of marking was conducted.
WJEC also issued credit notes as financial compensation to schools and colleges, for all affected reviews, totalling just in excess of £219,000.
In the announcement – which comes just weeks before A-level and GCSE students receive their results – Ofqual said it will work closely with WJEC to ensure the mitigations they have put in place for this summer are effective.
Amanda Swann, Ofqual's executive director for general qualifications, said: 'Students must be able to trust that their results accurately reflect their performance and what they know, understand and can do.
'These proposed fines reflect the serious nature of WJEC's failures and our commitment to protecting the interests of students, and maintaining the integrity of our qualifications system.
'This includes the requirement that GCSE, AS and A-level students are entitled to an independent review of their exam marks.'
A statement from WJEC said: 'We would like to sincerely apologise to the learners affected by these incidents.
'We take full responsibility and acknowledge that we did not meet the usual high standards expected of us.
'Having co-operated fully with Ofqual throughout the process, we want to reassure learners and centres that we have undertaken a thorough review of our processes and implemented appropriate measures to ensure such incidents do not occur again in the future.
'The measures we successfully introduced in 2024 have proven effective.
'In addition, as part of the corrective action taken to mitigate the issue, we can confirm that we have issued credit notes to all centres affected by the reviews of marking incident.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Powys County Times
14 hours ago
- Powys County Times
Top A-level grades may remain higher this year than pre-pandemic levels
The proportion of A-level entries scoring top grades this summer is likely to be higher than pre-Covid years, it has been suggested. An education expert has predicted that a higher percentage of UK A-level entries awarded an A or A* grade – compared to before the Covid-19 pandemic – may be the 'new normal'. Professor Alan Smithers, director of the Centre for Education and Employment Research (CEER) at the University of Buckingham, has raised concerns that grade inflation 'may be creeping back in again'. Last year, more than a quarter (27.8%) of UK A-level entries were awarded an A or A* grade, up from 27.2% in 2023. In a report, published ahead of A-level results day, Prof Smithers said he believes this year's results 'are likely to be close to what they were in 2024'. It was the highest proportion of entries scoring top grades outside the pandemic-affected years of 2020-22. In 2019 – the last year that summer exams were taken before the pandemic – 25.4% of entries were awarded A or A* grades. The Covid-19 pandemic led to an increase in top A-level and GCSE grades in 2020 and 2021, with results based on teacher assessments instead of exams. Ahead of A-level results day on Thursday next week, Prof Smithers said the grade pattern in 2024 'could be the start of a new normal'. He added that the proportion of UK A-level entries awarded A or A* grades – of between 27% and 28% – could be the 'new norm' for results. Figures covering A-level entries from students in England, Wales and Northern Ireland will be published by the Joint Council for Qualifications on Thursday. Ofqual brought A-level grading standards back in line with pre-Covid levels in England in 2023, and exam regulators in Wales and Northern Ireland aimed to return to pre-pandemic grading last summer. Prof Smithers said A-level grades should have been 'back to normal' last year, but he added that they rose to a level higher than pre-Covid years. He added: 'There has to be the suspicion that the inflation which bedevilled A-level grades in the days before the regulator, Ofqual, may be creeping back in again.' In his report, Prof Smithers also suggested that 'girls will do better than boys' once again at the top A-level grades. Last year, the proportion of girls' A-level entries awarded A or higher was 28.0%, which was 0.4 percentage points higher than the equivalent figure for boys' entries (27.6%). But the proportion of boys' entries awarded A* was 9.5% – which was 0.4 percentage points higher than girls (9.1%). Prof Smithers has suggested that the success for boys at A* will 'continue to be overshadowed in 2025 by the longstanding superior results of girls overall'. He said: 'Sadly, the under-performance of boys is no more likely than in previous years to receive the attention it deserves. 'They and the country would benefit considerably if ways could be found of ensuring that the potential of many boys is not wasted.' Reflecting on provisional exam entries data for England, Prof Smithers said a decline in the social sciences this summer 'could be an early sign that they have been rumbled' in promising more than they deliver. A-level entries for psychology and sociology are down, but entries for mathematics, physics and chemistry are up, according to provisional figures from Ofqual in June. Prof Smithers said: 'The swing towards maths and the physical sciences could be a response to the former government's promotion of them.' He added: 'I wonder if there is growing recognition that these social sciences promise more than they deliver, whereas the quantitative may be hard but they are meaningful.' A Department for Education spokesperson said: 'These claims are completely false. 'It is vital that qualifications are rigorous, and we are confident in Ofqual's work, as the independent regulator, to manage the risk of grade inflation and ensure this is not impacting standards. 'This suggestion demonstrates a lack of understanding of Ofqual's role and the work they do every year to ensure fairness, with this year being no different.'
South Wales Guardian
16 hours ago
- South Wales Guardian
Top A-level grades may remain higher this year than pre-pandemic levels
An education expert has predicted that a higher percentage of UK A-level entries awarded an A or A* grade – compared to before the Covid-19 pandemic – may be the 'new normal'. Professor Alan Smithers, director of the Centre for Education and Employment Research (CEER) at the University of Buckingham, has raised concerns that grade inflation 'may be creeping back in again'. Last year, more than a quarter (27.8%) of UK A-level entries were awarded an A or A* grade, up from 27.2% in 2023. In a report, published ahead of A-level results day, Prof Smithers said he believes this year's results 'are likely to be close to what they were in 2024'. It was the highest proportion of entries scoring top grades outside the pandemic-affected years of 2020-22. In 2019 – the last year that summer exams were taken before the pandemic – 25.4% of entries were awarded A or A* grades. The Covid-19 pandemic led to an increase in top A-level and GCSE grades in 2020 and 2021, with results based on teacher assessments instead of exams. Ahead of A-level results day on Thursday next week, Prof Smithers said the grade pattern in 2024 'could be the start of a new normal'. He added that the proportion of UK A-level entries awarded A or A* grades – of between 27% and 28% – could be the 'new norm' for results. Figures covering A-level entries from students in England, Wales and Northern Ireland will be published by the Joint Council for Qualifications on Thursday. Ofqual brought A-level grading standards back in line with pre-Covid levels in England in 2023, and exam regulators in Wales and Northern Ireland aimed to return to pre-pandemic grading last summer. Prof Smithers said A-level grades should have been 'back to normal' last year, but he added that they rose to a level higher than pre-Covid years. He added: 'There has to be the suspicion that the inflation which bedevilled A-level grades in the days before the regulator, Ofqual, may be creeping back in again.' In his report, Prof Smithers also suggested that 'girls will do better than boys' once again at the top A-level grades. Last year, the proportion of girls' A-level entries awarded A or higher was 28.0%, which was 0.4 percentage points higher than the equivalent figure for boys' entries (27.6%). But the proportion of boys' entries awarded A* was 9.5% – which was 0.4 percentage points higher than girls (9.1%). Prof Smithers has suggested that the success for boys at A* will 'continue to be overshadowed in 2025 by the longstanding superior results of girls overall'. He said: 'Sadly, the under-performance of boys is no more likely than in previous years to receive the attention it deserves. 'They and the country would benefit considerably if ways could be found of ensuring that the potential of many boys is not wasted.' Reflecting on provisional exam entries data for England, Prof Smithers said a decline in the social sciences this summer 'could be an early sign that they have been rumbled' in promising more than they deliver. A-level entries for psychology and sociology are down, but entries for mathematics, physics and chemistry are up, according to provisional figures from Ofqual in June. Prof Smithers said: 'The swing towards maths and the physical sciences could be a response to the former government's promotion of them.' He added: 'I wonder if there is growing recognition that these social sciences promise more than they deliver, whereas the quantitative may be hard but they are meaningful.' A Department for Education spokesperson said: 'These claims are completely false. 'It is vital that qualifications are rigorous, and we are confident in Ofqual's work, as the independent regulator, to manage the risk of grade inflation and ensure this is not impacting standards. 'This suggestion demonstrates a lack of understanding of Ofqual's role and the work they do every year to ensure fairness, with this year being no different.'
Rhyl Journal
16 hours ago
- Rhyl Journal
Top A-level grades may remain higher this year than pre-pandemic levels
An education expert has predicted that a higher percentage of UK A-level entries awarded an A or A* grade – compared to before the Covid-19 pandemic – may be the 'new normal'. Professor Alan Smithers, director of the Centre for Education and Employment Research (CEER) at the University of Buckingham, has raised concerns that grade inflation 'may be creeping back in again'. Last year, more than a quarter (27.8%) of UK A-level entries were awarded an A or A* grade, up from 27.2% in 2023. In a report, published ahead of A-level results day, Prof Smithers said he believes this year's results 'are likely to be close to what they were in 2024'. It was the highest proportion of entries scoring top grades outside the pandemic-affected years of 2020-22. In 2019 – the last year that summer exams were taken before the pandemic – 25.4% of entries were awarded A or A* grades. The Covid-19 pandemic led to an increase in top A-level and GCSE grades in 2020 and 2021, with results based on teacher assessments instead of exams. Ahead of A-level results day on Thursday next week, Prof Smithers said the grade pattern in 2024 'could be the start of a new normal'. He added that the proportion of UK A-level entries awarded A or A* grades – of between 27% and 28% – could be the 'new norm' for results. Figures covering A-level entries from students in England, Wales and Northern Ireland will be published by the Joint Council for Qualifications on Thursday. Ofqual brought A-level grading standards back in line with pre-Covid levels in England in 2023, and exam regulators in Wales and Northern Ireland aimed to return to pre-pandemic grading last summer. Prof Smithers said A-level grades should have been 'back to normal' last year, but he added that they rose to a level higher than pre-Covid years. He added: 'There has to be the suspicion that the inflation which bedevilled A-level grades in the days before the regulator, Ofqual, may be creeping back in again.' In his report, Prof Smithers also suggested that 'girls will do better than boys' once again at the top A-level grades. Last year, the proportion of girls' A-level entries awarded A or higher was 28.0%, which was 0.4 percentage points higher than the equivalent figure for boys' entries (27.6%). But the proportion of boys' entries awarded A* was 9.5% – which was 0.4 percentage points higher than girls (9.1%). Prof Smithers has suggested that the success for boys at A* will 'continue to be overshadowed in 2025 by the longstanding superior results of girls overall'. He said: 'Sadly, the under-performance of boys is no more likely than in previous years to receive the attention it deserves. 'They and the country would benefit considerably if ways could be found of ensuring that the potential of many boys is not wasted.' Reflecting on provisional exam entries data for England, Prof Smithers said a decline in the social sciences this summer 'could be an early sign that they have been rumbled' in promising more than they deliver. A-level entries for psychology and sociology are down, but entries for mathematics, physics and chemistry are up, according to provisional figures from Ofqual in June. Prof Smithers said: 'The swing towards maths and the physical sciences could be a response to the former government's promotion of them.' He added: 'I wonder if there is growing recognition that these social sciences promise more than they deliver, whereas the quantitative may be hard but they are meaningful.' A Department for Education spokesperson said: 'These claims are completely false. 'It is vital that qualifications are rigorous, and we are confident in Ofqual's work, as the independent regulator, to manage the risk of grade inflation and ensure this is not impacting standards. 'This suggestion demonstrates a lack of understanding of Ofqual's role and the work they do every year to ensure fairness, with this year being no different.'
