Why past papers are useful for centre assessed grades for private candidates

Why past papers are useful for centre assessed grades for private candidates

Below is the para phrased the guidance from JCQ as to the use of past papers for GCSE and A level assessed grades.

Exam Boards provide a supportive framework to help teachers make grading decisions

. The framework will include both guidance, advice and materials to support assessments.

A key element will be Common Assessments created from past papers. These will be teachermarked, although some Exam Boards might offer an external marking service on an opt-in basis. In such cases, only raw marks (rather than grades) might be returned.

The use of such assessments provides assurance that a valid assessment of the subject is used to generate a teacher assessment.

Assessments could be taken either in the exam centre or at home under controlled conditions. Completed assessments would then be retained by the exam centre, there would need to be declarations of authenticity and the conditions in which they were undertaken from the centre and student.

Common Assessments will be constructed from whole past papers provided by Exam Boards. There are many reasons why the use of past papers is to be preferred to the use of new materials. These are summarised in the table below: