GCSE English Language and IGCSE English Language are distinct qualifications, which are assessed and regulated in different ways.

GCSE English Language qualifications in England are regulated by Ofqual, with subject content set by the Department. These GCSEs are assessed through examinations only, with no coursework contributing to the final grade.

IGCSE English Language is a different qualification that is not regulated by Ofqual and includes a coursework component as part of its assessment.

The UK National Information Centre assesses the comparability of overseas qualifications with UK qualifications, including those in English.

GCSEs are long-standing, credible and well-respected by students, teachers, parents, further and higher education providers, and employers. International GCSEs, which include iGCSEs, are different qualifications. International GCSEs were introduced to serve the large international market for British qualifications and are also offered by some independent schools. Unlike GCSEs, international GCSEs are not regulated by Ofqual or funded for use in state schools. International GCSEs have also not counted in school performance tables since GCSEs were last reformed.

In 2019, the department published an analysis of GCSE and international GCSE progress and attainment data, which is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/comparing-international-gcses-and-gcses-in-england-2018. The publication noted it is difficult to make precise judgements about how standards in these qualifications compare given the clear differences between them.

GCSEs are long-standing, credible and well-respected by students, teachers, parents, further and higher education providers, and employers. International GCSEs, which include iGCSEs, are different qualifications. International GCSEs were introduced to serve the large international market for British qualifications and are also offered by some independent schools. Unlike GCSEs, international GCSEs are not regulated by Ofqual or funded for use in state schools. International GCSEs have also not counted in school performance tables since GCSEs were last reformed.

In 2019, the department published an analysis of GCSE and international GCSE progress and attainment data, which is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/comparing-international-gcses-and-gcses-in-england-2018. The publication noted it is difficult to make precise judgements about how standards in these qualifications compare given the clear differences between them.

GCSEs are long-standing, credible and well-respected by students, teachers, parents, further and higher education providers, and employers. International GCSEs, which include iGCSEs, are different qualifications. International GCSEs were introduced to serve the large international market for British qualifications and are also offered by some independent schools. Unlike GCSEs, international GCSEs are not regulated by Ofqual or funded for use in state schools. International GCSEs have also not counted in school performance tables since GCSEs were last reformed.

In 2019, the department published an analysis of GCSE and international GCSE progress and attainment data, which is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/comparing-international-gcses-and-gcses-in-england-2018. The publication noted it is difficult to make precise judgements about how standards in these qualifications compare given the clear differences between them.

GCSEs are long-standing, credible and well-respected by students, teachers, parents, further and higher education providers, and employers. International GCSEs, which include iGCSEs, are different qualifications. International GCSEs were introduced to serve the large international market for British qualifications and are also offered by some independent schools. Unlike GCSEs, international GCSEs are not regulated by Ofqual or funded for use in state schools. International GCSEs have also not counted in school performance tables since GCSEs were last reformed.

In 2019, the department published an analysis of GCSE and international GCSE progress and attainment data, which is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/comparing-international-gcses-and-gcses-in-england-2018. The publication noted it is difficult to make precise judgements about how standards in these qualifications compare given the clear differences between them.

International GCSEs, which includes iGCSEs, and GCSEs in England are different qualifications. Unlike GCSEs, international GCSEs are not developed by the department, regulated by Ofqual or funded for use in state schools. International GCSEs have also not counted in school performance tables since GCSEs were last reformed.

International GCSEs were introduced to serve the large international market for British qualifications and are also offered by some independent schools. The awarding organisations that offer international GCSEs decide the content for these qualifications and how that content is assessed. The department has no role in setting grading standards for these qualifications.

International GCSEs were introduced to serve the large international market for British qualifications. They are also offered by some independent schools. GCSEs and International GCSEs differ in a number of ways, including subject content and assessment arrangements, which are determined by the awarding organisations that offer these qualifications.

Unlike GCSEs, International GCSEs are not developed by the Department, regulated by Ofqual or funded for use in state schools. International GCSEs have not been included in school performance tables since reformed GCSEs were introduced from 2017 onwards. The Department therefore has no role in the setting grading standards for these qualifications.

International GCSEs are not regulated by Ofqual and it is therefore a matter for the two exam boards that run them – Cambridge Assessment International Education and Pearson – whether exams go ahead this summer, so long as they are not prevented from doing so by public health requirements. The Department understands that both exam boards have decided that exams for their international GCSEs will not go ahead in the UK in summer 2021 due to the ongoing impacts of the COVID-19 outbreak, and pupils will be awarded grades based on teacher assessment instead. They will decide themselves exactly how this is carried out for their qualifications. Further information is available on the relevant websites: https://www.cambridgeinternational.org/news/news-details/view/update-for-cambridge-schools-on-the-2021-exam-series-20210219/ and https://qualifications.pearson.com/en/campaigns/pearson-covid-19.html.

International GCSEs are not regulated by Ofqual and are not part of the arrangements we have put in place for summer 2021 for GCSEs and A/AS levels. We are in contact with the exam boards that provide international GCSEs and understand that they have not yet taken final decisions on whether or not exams should go ahead in England this summer.

In light of the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak, the Government considers that exams cannot be held this summer in a fair way. The Government has therefore announced that exams for GCSEs, AS and A levels and for many other regulated qualifications should not go ahead this summer as planned.

Together with Ofqual, we launched a consultation on 15 January 2021 on our proposals that in summer 2021, students taking GCSE, AS and A levels regulated by Ofqual should be awarded grades based on teacher assessment. The landscape for other regulated qualifications is diverse and teacher assessment is not appropriate for all vocational, technical and other general qualifications that are not GCSEs, AS or A levels, particularly where the qualification demonstrates occupational competency. The approaches proposed for these other regulated qualifications are set out in the consultation.

My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, has asked the interim chief regulator at Ofqual, Simon Lebus, to find a clear and accessible route for private candidates, and those not in school this year, to be assessed and receive a grade.

International GCSEs are not regulated by Ofqual and are not part of the arrangements we have put in place for summer 2021 for GCSEs and A/AS levels. We are in contact with the exam boards that provide international GCSEs and understand that they have not yet taken final decisions on whether or not exams should go ahead in England this summer.

In light of the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak, the Government considers that exams cannot be held in a way which is fair. The Department have therefore announced that GCSE, AS and A level exams will not go ahead this summer as planned.

My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, has asked the Chief Regulator at Ofqual to find a clear and accessible route for private candidates and those not in school this year to be assessed and receive a grade. The Department and Ofqual have launched a two-week consultation on how to fairly award all pupils a grade that supports them to progress to the next stage of their lives, including consulting specifically on four different approaches for private candidates to receive a grade.

The consultation can be accessed via this link and will be open until 23:45 on 29 January 2020: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/consultation-on-how-gcse-as-and-a-level-grades-should-be-awarded-in-summer-2021. The Department and Ofqual strongly encourage all our stakeholders, including private candidates and their parents, to respond. We will continue to engage with a range of relevant stakeholders when developing plans for our policy on GCSE, AS and A level assessments in 2021, as will the exams regulator Ofqual.

International GCSEs are not regulated by Ofqual and are not part of the arrangements for summer 2021 that apply to GCSEs and A/AS levels. The Department is in contact with the exam boards that provide these qualifications to understand their current position and make clear our views before they take a final decision.

The Department has not made any recent assessment of regulatory requirements on international GCSEs, including IGCSEs. Awarding organisations are able to choose whether the qualifications they offer are submitted for regulation by Ofqual, the independent qualifications regulator. The majority of international GCSE qualifications currently offered are not regulated.

We have reformed GCSEs to equip pupils with the knowledge and skills they need to prepare for their future. Unlike most international GCSEs these new, gold standard GCSEs are regulated by Ofqual, so parents, universities and others are able to have confidence in their rigour and quality. As each new GCSE subject is introduced, only GCSEs in that subject will count in school performance tables, which apply equally to maintained and independent schools, and international GCSEs in that subject will no longer count. Most maintained schools no longer offer international GCSEs. We expect that over time, more independent schools will recognise the benefits the new GCSEs bring to pupils.

The Department recognises that there are concerns around the relative standard of international GCSEs. We are currently working with the relevant awarding organisations and Ofqual to understand those issues better and to determine what, if any, action should be taken.

This is a matter for Ofqual, the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation. I have asked its Chief Regulator, Sally Collier, to write directly to the hon. Member and a copy of her reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Since the introduction of reformed GCSEs there are now very few international GCSEs which count in performance tables and the EBacc measures;[1] the only eligible English, maths, science and humanities qualifications eligible for inclusion in the EBacc are reformed GCSEs. There will be no pupils in an independent or a state-funded school with a full EBacc entry consisting wholly of international GCSE entries. A pupil could be completing international GCSEs in a range of EBacc subjects, but these would not all count in performance tables; meaning the pupil would not be included in the EBacc entry measure if they sat wholly international GCSEs.

The low number of international GCSEs that count in the EBacc entry measure means the majority of pupils with a full EBacc entry in both school types will have an EBacc entry wholly of GCSEs, but a small number will consist of a mix of GCSE and international GCSE entries. This number is not held separately and can only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

[1] Cambridge International Level 1/Level 2 Certificate in Greek and Cambridge International Level 1/Level 2 Certificate in Mandarin Chinese.

Of the 23,712 International GCSE entries in EBacc subjects, 23,635 (99.7%) of them were taken in independent schools and 77 (0.3%) were taken in independent special schools.

For pupils at the end of Key Stage 4 in 2018, the number of international GCSE entries in EBacc subjects and their proportion of GCSE and equivalent entries in EBacc subjects in 2017/18 is provided below:

As our reformed GCSEs have been introduced, international GCSEs in equivalent subjects have been removed from the school and college performance tables. The majority of international GCSEs therefore do not count towards the EBacc in 2018. For pupils at the end of Key Stage 4 in 2018, the number of entries in approved international GCSEs (those which count in the performance tables) in EBacc subjects, and their proportion of all GCSE and equivalent entries in 2017/18 in these subjects which are counted in performance tables, is provided below:

The number of pupils, at the end of Key Stage 4 in 2018, entering international GCSEs (and the proportion of the total GCSE and equivalent entries[1] in 2017/18 they constitute) is:

The number of pupils, at the end of Key Stage 4 in 2018, entering approved international GCSEs (those which count in the Departments’ school and college performance tables[4]) and the proportion of all approved GCSE and equivalent entries in 2017/18 that they constitute is:

[1] International GCSEs are classed as ‘equivalents’ by the Department, therefore the percentage of International GCSEs is given out of the total GCSE and equivalent entries so that the figures are accurately reflective of the split in types of qualifications sat. GCSEs and equivalents include: Cambridge International Level 1/Level 2 (9-1) Certificate, Cambridge International Certificate Level 1/Level 2, International GCSEs (interim): Double Award, International GCSEs (interim), Edexcel Certificates, GCSE Full Course, GCSE (9-1) Full Course, GCSE (9-1) Full Course (Double Award) and Vocational GCSE Single Award.

[2] Include academies, free schools, city technology colleges, further education colleges with provision for 14- to 16-year-olds and state-funded special schools. They exclude independent schools, independent special schools, non-maintained special schools, hospital schools and alternative provision.

[3] Includes independent and independent special schools.

[4] Approved International GCSEs include: Cambridge International Level 1/Level 2 Certificate in Information and Communication Technology, Cambridge International Level 1/Level 2 Certificate in English as a Second Language, Cambridge International Level 1/Level 2 Certificate in Greek, Cambridge International Level 1/Level 2 Certificate in Business Studies, Cambridge International Level 1/Level 2 Certificate in Hindi as a Second Language, Cambridge International Level 1/Level 2 Certificate in Enterprise and Cambridge International Level 1/Level 2 Certificate in Mandarin Chinese.

This is a matter for Ofqual, the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation. I have asked its Chief Regulator, Sally Collier, to write to the hon. Member and a copy of her reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.