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Written question asked by Alicia Kearns (Conservative) on Friday, 28 August 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 2 September 2026. It was answered by Georgia Gould (Labour) on Tuesday, 8 September 2026 on behalf of the Department for Education.

Assessments

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has had discussions with Ofqual on the merits of reinstating the system in place before 2016 for reviews of marking of GCSE, AS and A level examinations.

Answer

Ofqual, as the independent regulator of qualifications in England, is responsible for maintaining standards and public confidence in GCSE, AS and A level qualifications. Ofqual requires awarding organisations to have robust arrangements in place for examiner recruitment and training, standardisation, moderation, marking, grading and quality assurance, including processes to identify and address potential errors before results are issued.

Throughout each assessment cycle, Ofqual monitors awarding organisations' readiness and delivery, including their management of key risks such as marking and grading.

If students believe there were errors, they can access established post-results services, including reviews of marking and appeals. Ofqual regulates these arrangements, sets the requirements that awarding organisations must meet when delivering them and keeps them under review.

To support transparency, Ofqual publishes an annual Delivery Report on the awarding of qualifications. This sets out how examinations and assessments were delivered, including information on marking, grading, incidents, reviews of marking and the action taken to protect students where issues arise.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
21923
Session
2026-27
Grouped for answer
Yes
Subjects
Assessments Maladministration Reviews
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk