GCSE reform: regulations for food preparation and nutrition
Applies to England
Read the full outcome
Detail of outcome
We have decided to adopt some of our proposed rules and guidance for reformed GCSEs in food preparation and nutrition.
We have also made a number of changes to reflect concerns raised in response to our consultation. In particular, we have reduced the length of the assessment testing preparation and cooking skills from 4 hours to 3 hours, and brought forward the date on which exam boards can release tasks for that assessment. We have already published our:
- GCSE (9 to 1) Subject Level Conditions and Requirements for Food Preparation and Nutrition
- GCSE (9 to 1) Subject Level Guidance for Food Preparation and Nutrition
Our new rules will require reformed GCSEs in food preparation and nutrition to:
- comply with the Department for Education’s subject content for GCSE food preparation and nutrition, and with our assessment objectives
- allocate 50% of total marks to non-exam assessment, which will separately test:
- students’ food preparation and cooking skills (35% of total marks), which must be assessed through a single 3-hour task which requires students to prepare, cook and present a menu of 3 dishes
- students’ ability to investigate and evaluate the working characteristics, functional and chemical properties of ingredients (15% of total marks), which must be evidenced through a report produced by the student
Our guidance explains how awarding organisations should interpret our assessment objectives, and sets out the expected length of the report students should produce.
Original consultation
Consultation description
This consultation is about the rules and guidance we need to put in place for new GCSEs in food preparation and nutrition. These rules will apply to the exam boards that want to offer new food preparation and nutrition GCSEs from September 2016.
This consultation takes forward decisions made following our earlier consultation Developing new GCSE, A level and AS qualifications for first teaching in 2016 - Part 2, and is part of Ofqual’s work supporting the government’s changes to GCSEs, AS and A levels.
Documents
Updates to this page
Published 26 March 2015Last updated 21 August 2015 + show all updates
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Published consultation outcome
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First published.