GCSE, AS and A level subjects accredited to be taught from 2016
Updated 15 July 2016
Applies to England
© Crown copyright 2016
This publication is licensed under the terms of the Open Government Licence v3.0 except where otherwise stated. To view this licence, visit nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3 or write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gov.uk.
Where we have identified any third party copyright information you will need to obtain permission from the copyright holders concerned.
This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/accreditation-of-gcses-as-a-levels-for-teaching-from-2016/gcse-as-and-a-level-subjects-accredited-to-be-taught-from-2016
This page shows the status of specifications submitted to Ofqual to be taught as GCSEs, AS and A levels from September 2016.
Exam boards take these subject content and requirements documents and use them to produce a specification and sample assessment materials for any subject they wish to offer. The specification is submitted to Ofqual for consideration. Ofqual convenes a panel of subject and assessment experts to scrutinise the specification and make a decision on whether it meets all the requirements for that subject. If it does, it will be accredited and teachers will be able to use it. If it does not, it will be sent back to the exam board and they will have to change their specification based on the feedback given by Ofqual. When they have made the amendments they will submit the new specification.
We have produced a diagram of the accreditation process.
1. Number of qualifications accredited
All GCSE subjects are fully accredited.
All AS and A level subjects are fully accredited.
2. Number of specifications accredited
2.1 For teaching from 2016
All submitted specifications have been accredited.
All GCSE specifications have been accredited.
All 64 AS and A level specifications have been accredited.
3. Key information
| Entry | Meaning |
|---|---|
| ✓ | Specification accredited |
| - | Exam board is not submitting a specification for this subject |
| ‘submission due’ | The date the exam board is aiming to submit for accreditation |
| ‘awaiting submission’ | We are awaiting a submission from the exam board but they have not indicated when we will receive it or the date they indicated has passed |
| ‘submission received’ | We have received a specification from the exam board and it is awaiting an accreditation decision |
4. GCSEs
| - | AQA | OCR | Pearson (Edexcel) | WJEC Eduqas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Art and design | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Biology | ✓ | Spec A: ✓ Spec B: ✓ |
✓ | ✓ |
| Chemistry | ✓ | Spec A: ✓ Spec B: ✓ |
✓ | ✓ |
| Citizenship | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | - |
| Classical Greek | - | ✓ | - | - |
| Combined science | Spec ‘Synergy’: ✓ Spec ‘Trilogy’: ✓ |
Spec A: ✓ Spec B: ✓ |
✓ | ✓ |
| Computer science | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Dance | ✓ | - | - | - |
| Drama | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Food preparation and nutrition | ✓ | ✓ | - | ✓ |
| French | ✓ | - | ✓ | ✓ |
| Geography | ✓ | Spec A: ✓ Spec B: ✓ |
Spec A: ✓ Spec B: ✓ |
Spec A: ✓ Spec B: ✓ |
| German | ✓ | - | ✓ | ✓ |
| History | ✓ | Spec A: ✓ Spec B: ✓ |
✓ | ✓ |
| Latin | - | ✓ | - | ✓ |
| Music | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Physical education | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Physics | ✓ | Spec A: ✓ Spec B: ✓ |
✓ | ✓ |
| Religious studies | Spec A: ✓ Spec B: ✓ Spec ‘SC’: ✓ |
Spec: ✓ Spec ‘SC’: ✓ |
Spec A: ✓ Spec B: ✓ Spec ‘SC A’: ✓ Spec ‘SC B’: ✓ |
Spec: ✓ Spec ‘SC’: ✓ |
| Spanish | ✓ | - | ✓ | ✓ |
5. AS and A levels
| - | AQA | OCR | Pearson (Edexcel) | WJEC Eduqas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Classical Greek: A level | - | ✓ | - | - |
| Classical Greek: AS level | - | ✓ | - | - |
| Dance: A level | ✓ | - | - | - |
| Dance: AS level | ✓ | - | - | - |
| Drama and theatre: A level | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Drama and theatre: AS level | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| French: A level | ✓ | - | ✓ | ✓ |
| French: AS level | ✓ | - | ✓ | ✓ |
| Geography: A level | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Geography: AS level | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| German: A level | ✓ | - | ✓ | ✓ |
| German: AS level | ✓ | - | ✓ | ✓ |
| Latin: A level | - | ✓ | - | - |
| Latin: AS level | - | ✓ | - | - |
| Music: A level | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Music: AS level | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Physical education: A level | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Physical education: AS level | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Religious studies: A level | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Religious studies: AS level | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Spanish: A level | ✓ | - | ✓ | ✓ |
| Spanish: AS level | ✓ | - | ✓ | ✓ |