GCSE and A-level formula being inflated

By Graeme Paton, Education Editor 442PM GMT twenty-six March 2010

Tim Oates, head of investigate at Cambridge Assessment, pronounced that examination play had bent to domestic vigour by creation questions some-more permitted for students and giving schools superintendence about the approach tests were marked.

He referred to that changes to GCSEs and A-levels could be heading to a climb in the series of students gaining the tip grades.

Commentary A-levels "have spin usually easier" A-level imprinting might be tougher subsequent year Schools apropos "exam factories" Universities foster deprived students Medical propagandize offers students 3,000 opening year A-levels examination retakes to double

Last year, a little seventeen per cent of students scored 3 A grades at A-level, compared with usually 7 per cent in the mid-90s.

Mr Oates pronounced publicly revelation the probability of "subtle drift" in standards sounded similar to a "Ratner moment" for examination play - a anxiety to Gerald Ratner whose barbarous faux pas about the peculiarity of his trinket wiped an estimated 500m from the worth of his company.

But he pronounced it would be "profoundly dysfunctional" for examiners not to critically consider the reasons for rising results.

Writing in an essay published by Cambridge Assessment, he pronounced "Giving the good of the disbelief to pupils… can outcome in pointed class inflation.

"Constantly enhancing the accessibility of questions, the clarity of symbol schemes and the pointing of superintendence can ease up the numbers gaining the tip grades.

"Changing the calm to be some-more permitted to a wider assembly than the prior tutorial chosen can in spin move the calm standards afar from the accurate mandate of chosen higher education."

The comments were done in an essay written to flog begin a discuss on because the series of tip grades rises year-on-year.

Results published last summer showed the series of A-level writings graded A to E increasing for the 27th year in a row.

More than a entertain of entries in England, Wales and Northern Ireland was awarded an A class stand in the series twenty years ago.

Critics have claimed that examinations have been "dumbed down" to have them simpler to pass.

Mr Oates pronounced examination play eccentric organisations with contracts to run GCSEs and A-levels were underneath domestic vigour to have tests some-more permitted to students. This enclosed relocating to "modular" courses, that are damaged up in to bite-sized chunks that students can re-take to progress altogether grades.

"Increasing access, updating content, switching to modular [tests] and being as pure as probable over symbol schemes, class criteria and superintendence have all been romantic pre-occupations of process makers and the preparation establishment," he said. "Awarding bodies have delivered on that agenda."