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21 April 2026

Tag: exam boards

Exams 2021: AQA to return 26% of fees paid by schools

Exam board AQA has confirmed it will once again return just 26 per cent of entry fees paid this year after saving £45 million. In a statement today the board said it was returning all of the money it saved to schools “because, as we’ve always said, we’d never want to benefit financially from the […]

Exam boards ask schools for staff contacts available ‘throughout the summer’

Exam boards have asked schools to identify staff who will be available “throughout the summer”, fuelling fears leaders won’t get a proper break during the holiday. If the exams officer…will not be available throughout the summer, we’d be grateful if you could provide details for additional contacts In a recent email to schools, OCR, which […]

WJEC grades portal goes down as exam board scrambles to fix issues

Exam board WJEC Eduqas has been forced to temporarily take down its portal for submitting teacher assessed grades just hours before the deadline for schools, after problems displaying data. It is the third exam board to face issues with its website during the past two days. This morning, WJEC, which has entries from over 3,800 […]

Exam boards to use one-seventh of usual examiner workforce this summer

Exam boards will save millions by using only one-seventh of the examiners they would usually need in a normal year, while teachers spend their spare time marking assessment papers for GCSEs and A-levels. It comes as 10,000 educators signed a National Education Union letter requesting £500 compensation for teachers involved in deciding grades this year. […]

Ofqual predicts more technology in exams after pandemic ‘catalyst’

Ofqual’s chief regulator said they anticipate more tech-driven changes in the qualifications market due to the “catalyst” impact of the pandemic. In the regulator’s 2021 to 2022 corporate plan, published today,  interim chief Simon Lebus said he was “pleased” awarding organisations have “embraced” greater use of technology this year. He said: “Covid-19 has acted as […]

Boards back down on exam fees demand

Schools can now delay paying exam fees after boards offered concessions following a backlash about their plans to raise prices in a year when exams will not be held. A Schools Week investigation revealed last week that boards had increased their fees across GCSEs and A-levels between 2 and 5 per cent. They had pledged […]

‘Ridiculous’: Boards slammed for raising exam fees at a time of crisis

Schools will pay millions of pounds more in exam fees this year after prices were increased – despite exams not going ahead and teachers being expected to mark any assessments that might be set. However, boards have said fees had to be published now so that schools could set budgets. They pledged to return any […]