Kirsty William, AS for Education
This was published under the 2016 to 2021 administration of the Welsh Government
It is my intention to direct Qualifications Wales that there should be no end of year exams for Qualifications Wales approved GCSE, AS and A level qualifications in 2021.
This is in line with the recommendations of both Qualifications Wales and the Independent Review.
The primary reason for my decision is down to fairness; the time learners will spend in schools and colleges will vary hugely and, in this situation, it is impossible to guarantee a level playing field for exams to take place.
- Instead of exams, we intend to work with teachers to take forward teacher-managed assessments.
- These should include assessments that will be externally set and marked, but delivered within a classroom environment under teacher supervision.
- My expectation is that these will form the basis for centre-based outcomes, which will be linked to an agreed national approach to provide consistency across Wales.
I will be delivering an Oral Statement to members later today, where I will provide more details and give Members of the Senedd the opportunity to ask questions.
I have also sent a letter to all secondary schools and colleges informing them of my decision.