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Monitoring programmes

We make sure that the standards of qualifications are the same each year. We monitor the questions set and examiners’ marking as well as making sure that the awarding bodies carry out their roles correctly.

We run the following programmes:

  • the scrutiny programme
  • the code of practice monitoring programme, which includes speaking to representatives of the teacher associations
  • awarding body audits
  • comparability studies, reviewing the standards of general qualifications over time, across awarding bodies and between subjects.

A new monitoring and quality assurance programme focused on national curriculum tests is being developed and will form a substantial part of our work in the future. There is a new budget this year to commission work, so far unspecified, on the comparability of national curriculum tests.

We carry out comparability studies on the standards of general qualifications, over time, across awarding bodies and between subjects. There is an established programme of reviews of standards which look over time and across awarding bodies in the main GCSE and A level subjects with reports being published on our website. These studies are based on the materials stored in the national archive of examination materials, which we maintain.

We recently published a report comparing A level standards with those in the International Baccalaureate. Exploratory work continues in the difficult area of cross-subject comparability. There is a substantial programme of work in place dealing with the recommendations of the 2002 Baker report on A level standards. A new independent committee on examination standards has been established.

We carry out quality improvement activities such as:

  • holding seminars with the awarding bodies on issues concerning standards and technical matters
  • hosting conferences for senior examiners where there is an opportunity to update and to disseminate good practice
  • following up the action plans awarding bodies produce in response to our monitoring work
  • publishing materials for teachers illustrating grade standards
  • responding to queries and investigating complaints received from schools, colleges, parents, MPs and the public in connection with general qualifications.

We review and keep up to date the GCSE and A level code of practice, ensuring sufficient attention is being given to such key aspects as awarding and appeals.