Exam boards’ warning comes amid concerns about private tutors’ input and parental pressure on teachers
Examination boards are urging teachers to check the authenticity of their pupils’ work before awarding their GCSE and A-level grades this summer amid concerns that some may award higher grades as a result of “inappropriate” support from private tutors or pressure from parents.
The boards warned that students seeking to “gain an unfair advantage” by submitting fabricated evidence or plagiarised work, or putting undue pressure on their teachers, would count as malpractice and lead to their results being voided.
The guidance from the Joint Council on Qualifications (JCQ) applies to all qualifications regulated by England’s examinations watchdog, Ofqual, and sets out how teachers and exam centres should assess GCSE, AS and A-level qualifications this summer after exams were cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
