Skip navigation

Comparability study of GCSE French and citizenship studies

Last updated on: 08/04/2008

Comparability studies are one of the principal means to ensure that standards of achievement required for a GCSE or A level award meet the regulatory requirements for quality, rigour, fairness and consistency within and across qualifications, across awarding bodies and over time.

In 2004, a comparability study was conducted for GCSE French, which was repeated in 2005 encompassing wider parameters, looking at all four skills from all five mainstream syllabuses. This report focuses mainly on the 2005 work.

Following the introduction of citizenship into the national curriculum with effect from August 2002 and the first award of the GCSE (short course) in the summer of 2003, a review of the short course was commissioned to evaluate its impact on the provision for citizenship and on teaching and learning.

These documents were published by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA). The regulatory function of QCA is now the responsibility of the Office of the Qualifications and Examinations Regulator (Ofqual). Ofqual regulates qualifications and monitors national curriculum assessments in England.