Pupils taking three key GCSEs over the coming months will have a little extra help, in the form of a lingering pandemic-era support measure.
The 2024/25 summer exam season is just around the corner, with GCSEs beginning the week of May 5, and running through to June 20. Candidates will then face a tense two-month wait until GCSE results day, which falls on Thursday, August 21 this year.
For quite some time, secondary school pupils were given a lot of extra support in their exams to make up for the impact that the Covid-19 pandemic had on their education. This came in the form of more generous grading, advance notice of what topics might be covered in their exams, and more topics to choose from.
These have since gradually phased out. But late last year, education secretary Bridget Phillipson wrote to the head of government exam regulator Ofqual to request that one Covid-era measure be allowed to stick around. After a public consultation, this was approved, exam boards say.
The 2024/25 summer exam season is just around the corner, with GCSEs beginning the week of May 5, and running through to June 20. Candidates will then face a tense two-month wait until GCSE results day, which falls on Thursday, August 21 this year.
For quite some time, secondary school pupils were given a lot of extra support in their exams to make up for the impact that the Covid-19 pandemic had on their education. This came in the form of more generous grading, advance notice of what topics might be covered in their exams, and more topics to choose from.
These have since gradually phased out. But late last year, education secretary Bridget Phillipson wrote to the head of government exam regulator Ofqual to request that one Covid-era measure be allowed to stick around. After a public consultation, this was approved, exam boards say.