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| A-level overhaul: Fewer re-sits and shift to summer-only exams | A-level overhaul: Fewer re-sits and shift to summer-only exams |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| By Angela Harrison Education correspondent, BBC News | By Angela Harrison Education correspondent, BBC News |
| England's exams watchdog Ofqual has announced a shift to summer-only exams and fewer re-sits for A-Level students in England. | |
| The watchdog has been consulting on plans to change A-Levels from 2014 onwards. | The watchdog has been consulting on plans to change A-Levels from 2014 onwards. |
| It has published its results and announced imminent changes which will stop exams being taken in January. | It has published its results and announced imminent changes which will stop exams being taken in January. |
| Further changes to the content and structure of A-Levels are being considered. | Further changes to the content and structure of A-Levels are being considered. |
| Ofqual canvassed opinion on proposals to bring in the first new A-Level courses in 2014 in some "priority subjects", with other courses introduced between 2015 and 2018. | Ofqual canvassed opinion on proposals to bring in the first new A-Level courses in 2014 in some "priority subjects", with other courses introduced between 2015 and 2018. |
| Ministers have previously criticised the modular nature of A-Levels, calling for a move towards the exams being taken at the end of two years of study and more in-put from universities. | Ministers have previously criticised the modular nature of A-Levels, calling for a move towards the exams being taken at the end of two years of study and more in-put from universities. |
| At the moment, students take AS-Levels after one year of study and then an exam called the A2 a year later - and these together make up the A-Level. | At the moment, students take AS-Levels after one year of study and then an exam called the A2 a year later - and these together make up the A-Level. |
| The Department for Education has previously said there are "serious problems" with A-levels and that they are not "preparing pupils properly for rigorous degrees". | |
| Head teachers have described the proposals a "recipe for disaster", saying they could lead to a "two-tier system". | |
| Ofqual describes its announcement as "the first phase of proposed wider A-Level reforms". | |
| Although it did not announce a cap on the number of re-sits, by stopping the January exams, the opportunities for re-sits are reduced. | |
| The watchdog said there had been concerns that allowing repeated re-sits was leading to grade-inflation and over-burdening schools. | |
| Wales and Northern Ireland are conducting their own separate reviews into the future of exams for 14 to 18 year olds. |