A level, AS, GCSE, Skills Challenge Certificate and Welsh
Baccalaureate grades in Wales will now be awarded on the basis
of Centre Assessment Grades, Education Minister confirmed today.
The Minister said: “Working with Qualifications Wales and WJEC
we have sought an approach which provides fairness and balances
out differences in the standards applied to judgments in
schools.
“Given decisions elsewhere, the balance of fairness now lies
with awarding Centre Assessment grades to students, despite the
strengths of the system in Wales.
“I am taking this decision now ahead of results being released
this week, so that there is time for the necessary work to take
place.
“For grades issued last week, I have decided that all awards in
Wales, will also be made on the basis of teacher assessment.
“For those young people, for whom our system produced higher
grades than those predicted by teachers, the higher grades will
stand.
“Maintaining standards is not new for 2020, it is a feature of
awarding qualifications every year in Wales, and across the UK.
“However, it is clear that maintaining confidence in our
qualifications whilst being fair to students requires this
difficult decision.
“These have been exceptional circumstances, and in due course I
will be making a further statement on an independent review of
events following the cancellation of this year’s exams.
“Other Awarding Bodies across the UK are involved in
determining the approach to vocational qualifications. This
continues to be the case but it is important that I give
assurance to GCSE, AS and A level student at the earliest
opportunity.”
