Practical A-levels de-graded
Assessment reforms concern community
In April, the exams regulator Ofqual, following consultation at the end of last year on AS and A-level reforms in England, published its decision to separate the practical assessment grade from the overall A-level grade for biology, chemistry and physics.
For courses starting in September 2015 onwards, practical work will still be a requirement of A-level sciences – students will be expected to do a minimum of 12 practical activities, set by the exam boards, for which they will receive a ‘pass’ or a ‘fail’ grade. The written exams will include questions on practical activities, which Ofqual says will reflect what students have learnt as a result of doing the experiments. According to Ofqual, the reforms aim to address the flaws in the current assessments, which have led to a poor student experience and was open to malpractice. The announcement, however, sent shivers through the science community.
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