A new approach to GCSE science practical assessment

Ofqual announces a new approach for GCSE science practical assessment that will best balance our aims to encourage good scientific teaching.

Ofqual is today announcing the adoption of a new approach for GCSE science practical assessment that will best balance our aims to encourage good scientific teaching.

Chief Regulator Glenys Stacey said: “There is unanimous agreement among scientists that practical work is central to good science qualifications. We have consulted widely and have identified a new approach to the assessment of practical science that will liberate teachers to offer a wider variety of classroom experimentation and promote effective student progression to further study or employment.”

The new approach to assessing practical work will use written exam questions in place of controlled assessment. Each exam board will have to specify a minimum number of practical activities that students must complete, set no lower than 8 in each individual science and 16 for combined science.

Each school will be required to confirm that they have enabled their students to do the full range of practical work. Each student is required to have kept a record of their work.

The new approach received broad support in a recent consultation:

• Eighty per cent of respondents agreed with our proposal to assess practical work via written exam questions
• Over 60 per cent agreed with the minimum numbers of practical activities that were proposed
• Three-quarters of respondents supported our proposal that at least 15 per cent of the total mark for each qualification should be for exam questions addressing students’ practical work
• Nearly 70 per cent said students would be more likely to be given opportunities to undertake a wide and varied range of practical work if such work was focused on teaching and learning and was not itself assessed (see Chart 1)
• Around two-thirds agreed that the approach we proposed would provide the best balance between our different aims to encourage good scientific teaching (see Chart 2)
• Over two-thirds did not believe there was a better option for achieving those aims than that we proposed

All of our consultation proposals were supported by in excess of 50% of respondents, with the exception of the weighting of mathematical skills in each subject and between them. As a result of the responses we are committing to look further at this issue

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