Updating our rules and guidance for project qualifications
Applies to England
Read the full outcome
Detail of outcome
This document sets out our decisions, and our reasons for them, in detail.
In line with our consultation proposals, we have decided we will:
- Withdraw all our existing qualification specific rules for project qualifications, including the ‘GCSE, GCE, Principal Learning and Project Code of Practice’ (the ‘Code’).
- Replace some parts of the Code for project qualifications with new rules and guidance covering just reviews and appeals, awarding and grading. These new rules and guidance mirror the equivalent rules and guidance for GCSEs, AS and A levels.
- Streamline our other existing rules covering content and assessment in project qualifications, consolidating them into a single document with our new rules on reviews and appeals, awarding and grading.
- Introduce the new rules and guidance for reviews and appeals, awarding and grading for this summer’s exams. This means awarding organisations will need to consider whether there has been a marking error or moderation error at review and appeal stages this summer.
- Phase in further changes to reviews and appeals in project qualifications (allowing students to request reviews of centre-marked scripts, making any exam-board marked scripts available to centres, and providing reasons for any review of marking decisions) alongside the equivalent changes for GCSEs, AS and A levels.
We have made changes to the detail of some of our proposals in response to consultation feedback. In particular, we have:
- altered the timing of some changes to address concerns about possible impact on qualifications which will be awarded this summer
- made clearer where rules only apply if the awarding organisation marks the assessment (which is not the case in any current qualification)
- made changes to our proposed content and assessment requirements so that they better reflect the difference between project qualifications at different levels
- removed requirements for students to apply and develop mathematics, English and ICT skills, as these are not needed now project qualifications no longer form part of the 14-19 Diploma
Feedback received
Detail of feedback received
There were 4 responses to the consultation, all from organisations.
In the main, respondents supported removing the ‘Code of Practice’ and aligning our rules for Project with the rest of our regulatory framework.
Views were more mixed on the best timing for implementation, and one respondent questioned whether it was really necessary to introduce such detailed rules for reviews and appeals, and whether rules for Project needed to replicate the rules for GCSEs, AS and A levels.
Respondents also raised some concerns about the detail of our proposals, including:
- the removal of grade descriptors
- allowing students to request a review of centre-marked assessments
- changes to the description of how students choose a project at level 1 and 2
Original consultation
Consultation description
We’re consulting on revised rules and guidance for project qualifications, which would replace existing regulations.
We are also consulting on withdrawing our rules for principal learning and Diploma qualifications. Taken together, these proposals mean we will withdraw all our current rules and guidance for principal learning, project and Diploma qualifications.
Our proposed new rules for project qualifications:
- incorporate the parts of our existing rules we still need, while removing those that are no longer necessary
- implement the approach to reviews and appeals we have introduced for GCSEs, AS and A levels
- replace existing rules for awarding and grading, again in line with the approach we have taken at GCSE, AS and A level
Documents
Updates to this page
Last updated 28 June 2017 + show all updates
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Published public feedback and consultation outcome.
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First published.