GCSE 2025: How could GCSEs change?

Watch GCSE 2025: How could GCSEs change? - National World - National Videos on Dailymotion

Transcript

00:00Hello, my name is Amber Allitt and I'm a journalist specializing in education.

00:05Secondary school pupils sitting their GCSE exams this summer are now in their final months

00:10of preparation.

00:11But for them, and for the cohorts that follow in the coming years, GCSEs may end up looking

00:16quite different.

00:17Here are three ways that they could change in the near future.

00:23Number one, moving on screen.

00:25Several different exam boards have been trialing on-screen exam papers in recent years and

00:30a major one, Pearson, was originally aiming to have its English GCSEs available in a digital

00:36format this year.

00:38This is now looking like it's more likely to happen next year, but the exam board is

00:42still aiming to have most of its subjects available in an on-screen format by 2030.

00:48Number two, not memorizing formulae.

00:51Currently a special consideration granted during the COVID-19 pandemic, pupils sitting

00:56GCSEs in maths, physics, and combined science were supplied the formulas that they would

01:02need to use during their exam.

01:04Rather than phasing that out this year as originally planned, the Education Secretary

01:09recently asked for this to be extended until 2027, which brings us to number three, the

01:15National Curriculum Review.

01:17There's currently a full review of what children learn in England's schools, from reception

01:22all the way up to sixth form, taking place.

01:25We don't quite know how this is going to shake out yet, but it is likely to lead to significant

01:29changes to what young people learn in school and how that knowledge is assessed.