If you haven’t heard of COVID-19 or the knock on effects this has had on the world, then it’s safe to say you’re not from planet Earth! This pandemic (COVID-19) has caused changes in procedures for all sorts of sectors, one of which being education. Due to the high risk of the disease, OFQUAL and the awarding bodies for GCSEs and A-Levels (AQA, Pearson Edexcel and Cambridge International), made the unprecedented decision to change the way the June examinations were going to be examined. Instead of the usual written papers and coursework, the whole system was changed to assessment based marking.
For some students, this was a blessing, the thought of not having to sit through those horrible stressful exams was a delight and they had the confidence in the amount of work they had done during the school year to carry them through and ensure a high enough grade to still gain their university place. For others, this was a nightmare, the thought of having to rely on the results from their mocks combined with work submissions, was not painting a good picture for the future.
Thankfully, for the students who didn’t have the confidence in their course work, the awarding bodies have agreed to instate a deferred examination period. This exam series will happen throughout October for A-Levels and throughout November for GCSE students. Best of all, students who didn’t get the grades they had hoped for through the coursework assessment method in June, are entitled to sit the examinations in October or November, in an attempt to gain a better grade.
If you are one of these students, now is the time to act. You need to get yourself studying again, regardless of it being summer and schools being closed, you can still study and get academic help. How? Simple, enrol with an online education provider like Open College and use the resources and materials available to you to ensure you are fully prepared and ready to sit your examinations.