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Qualifications monitoring

Last updated on: 11/11/2009

Ofqual carries out a programme of activities each year to assess the performance of awarding bodies against the requirements of the regulatory criteria and associated codes of practice. These are designed to promote high quality, consistency, rigorous standards, accuracy and fairness in assessment for specifications in different subjects across awarding bodies and over time.

One of these monitoring activities is the scrutiny programme: an in-depth study of the examination process across a range of GCSE, GCE A level and Diploma related qualifications offered by different awarding bodies each year. The scrutiny of a qualification aims to:

  • determine whether or not the required qualification criteria and associated codes of practice have been met
  • determine whether or not the assessments were fair and effective in measuring achievement by candidates in respect of the stated assessment objectives, learning outcomes or equivalents
  • determine whether or not the procedures designed to ensure consistency of practice and comparability of standards were implemented effectively
  • identify any aspects of the specification that appear to have limited fair and effective examinations
  • identify any good practice worthy of encouragement and dissemination, to promote continuing improvement in the quality of examinations.

Following the scrutiny process, Ofqual reports its findings to each awarding body, including any recommendations as to how the awarding body should improve its provision.

Each scrutiny involves a team of subject expert consultants known as scrutineers, all of whom are required to comply with the Regulators’ code of conduct.

The main consultants involved in the process are principal scrutineers, whose responsibilities are to:

  • observe and report on awarding body meetings relating to the different stages of the examination process
  • analyse question papers; internal assessments and mark schemes and participate in the review of a related sample of candidates’ work
  • attend meetings with Ofqual staff to prepare for the scrutiny process and confirm the findings from the work, as required.

The additional consultants involved in the process are subject scrutineers, whose responsibilities are to:

  • assist the principal scrutineers in the analysis of question papers; internal assessments and mark schemes and the related review of candidates’ work.

For the 2010 scrutiny programme, consultants are required for the following subjects:

Principal Learning:

  • Construction & the Built Environment
  • Creative & Media
  • Engineering
  • Hair & Beauty Studies
  • Information Technology

Project:

  • Extended Project Qualification (EPQ)

GCSE:

  • Business Studies
  • French
  • Geography

GCE (A-level):

  • Biology
  • Design & Technology  (product design)
  • English Literature
  • Geography
  • History
  • Physics
  • Spanish