An inquiry into exams for 15-to 19-year-olds in England found that competition between exam boards creates “significant pressure” to drive down standards, with exam boards “fighting” to offer the easiest exam.
To overcome this issue, the committee recommends that a single national syllabus should be implemented for each subject, accredited by regulator Ofqual.
“National syllabuses would remove the incentive for exam boards to compete on content and the associated downward pressure on standards, but would retain the benefits of competition on quality and the incentive for exam boards to innovate,” the committee’s report states.
The group of MPs is also calling for a “stronger” Ofqual and recommending that the regulator scrutinises the "market share" that exam boards have in particular subjects, and whether this has any bearing on standards.
Register Now to Continue Reading
Thank you for visiting Children & Young People Now and making use of our archive of more than 60,000 expert features, topics hubs, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:
What's Included
-
Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month
-
Email newsletter providing advice and guidance across the sector
Already have an account? Sign in here
