Science GCSE Latest To Face Possible Grade Challenge

In the ongoing GCSE grade dispute, new exam board figures now show that grade boundaries in some science exams were changed part-way through the year.

The figures show that year 10 pupils who sat AQA board chemistry and biology modules in January needed up to 11 more marks to achieve an A* grade than those who sat the same modules in June.

AQA said grade boundaries varied according to a paper's difficulty.

Less than 1% of AQA biology candidates achieved an A* in January's module exams, but more than 10% got the highest grade in June. In chemistry the figures were 2% in January but almost 12% in June.

A spokeswoman for AQA said: "The level of difficulty of exam papers can vary from one exam series to the next, so grade boundaries can vary depending on the demands of the assessment.

"As a result, grade boundaries vary between exam series, this is an established feature of the system and the variances are often greater when a qualification is new.

"There were differences between the numbers of candidates getting top grades in the January and June science units.

"This is because the candidates varied in ability at the same time as the exams varied in difficulty.

"So in biology and chemistry, the grade A boundaries were lower in June than in January and more students achieved a grade A."

The pupils affected were the first to take new tougher syllabuses in chemistry, biology and physics GCSEs introduced last September.

These qualifications are similar to previous GCSEs in that they are modular - but they are also designed to be more rigorous than previous versions.

Schools can decide whether to enter their pupils for module exams in January or June and the results count towards the final grade in year 11.

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