Exams and Assessments in 2023
Exams and Assessments in 2023
Posted on May 17, 2023 in

Arrangements for exams and grading in summer 2023

Exams and other formal assessments are returning to normal this year with protection in place for students.

Exam results 2023

Students will receive their results on:

  • 17 August for AS and A levels and T Levels – VTQs taken alongside or instead of A levels at Level 3 will be released on or before 17 August
  • 24 August for GCSEs – results for many Level 2 VTQs will also be available on or before this date

Support materials

Students will get formulae and equation sheets in some GCSEs so won’t have to memorise as much.

Grading protection

Protection in place for GCSE and A level student cohorts

Grading protection means that even with the disruption experienced by students, we expect national results in 2023 to be similar to those in pre-pandemic years, even where the quality of work is a little weaker.

There is no set number, or ‘cap’, on the number of students who can achieve each grade.

Spaced-out timetable

Exam papers in the same subject well spaced out in the timetable

Help with languages

Modern foreign language GCSE papers no longer have to test unfamiliar vocabulary

Arrangements for T Levels

For the Technical Qualification (TQ) element of T Levels, awarding organisations will be generous when grading to reflect the fact that they are new qualifications. 2023 is the first year that results for the TQs within T Levels will be based completely on formal assessments rather than teacher-assessed grades. This means results in some subjects may look different from last year, so it will be important not to compare them.

Arrangements for vocational and technical qualifications (VTQs)

VTQs are assessed by a range of methods so awarding organisations will use suitable grading approaches for their qualifications. Awarding organisations will take into account the grading approach used in GCSE and A level, where appropriate to the particular qualification, so that students are not advantaged or disadvantaged irrespective of the qualifications they take.

University and other higher education applications

The overall number of university places available isn’t decided by the number of top grades awarded. Universities take into account the grading approach when making offers. University admissions teams consider a range of information about students as well as their predicted grades when making offers, including the personal statement, teacher references, or other assessments (such as admissions tests, auditions, interviews or portfolios).

The Department for Education has a blog on UCAS applications and how universities make sure getting into higher education is a fair process, as well as alternative routes students can take such as degree apprenticeships.

Supporting students taking exams

There are resources for students and parents, such as:

Read the GOV.UK Factsheet