proposal to limit digital exams to only two subjects per exam board is unduly restrictive.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\nIt could, indeed, prove counterproductive. It means that exam boards like AQA, that have been developing and trialling digital exams for a number of years, will be inhibited in building that all-important base of evidence and experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We would like the regulator to reconsider this two-subject limit, so that we can pilot a broader range of exams and subjects in a wider mix of schools – some in wealthier areas, some in poorer areas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That\u2019s how we\u2019ll build our understanding of subject design and delivery, and thereby maximise the benefits of examining on-screen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And we want to do this responsibly, so we are actually asking Ofqual to lower the maximum student entry numbers from 100,000 to 50,000.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This will allow schools, colleges, exam centres and students to become familiar and improve their confidence in digital exams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A lever to close the disadvantage gap<\/h3>\n\n\n\n While concerns about the digital disadvantage gap are understandable, we\u2019ve come a long way since the Covid-19 pandemic exposed divides between young people who were able to continue to learn remotely and those who were not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If anything, digital exams should be viewed as a lever to help close any disadvantage gap, not accentuate it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We\u2019re not advocating that digital exams should rely on students\u2019 own equipment. And we understand that not every young person will be confident in using laptops and keyboards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That is precisely why we need to introduce and embed digital literacy across the curriculum, as recommended by the curriculum and assessment review, so that we level disadvantaged young people up, rather than stifle opportunity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Others appear anxious about digital exams contributing in some way to teenage social media misery. To us, it seems quite bizarre to conflate these issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I am as concerned about social media in schools as anyone. But banishing the use of computers for learning and assessment does nothing to help tackle that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On the contrary: we have a responsibility to prepare young people for their post-school lives, whether at work or in further education.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That\u2019s why we must move to delivering some \u2013 not all – exams on-screen. And do so at a sensibly steady, but not unduly slow pace.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The proposal to limit digital exams to only two subjects per exam board is unduly restrictive<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":70,"featured_media":100407,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[73,155],"post-theme":[],"class_list":["post-242625","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-opinion","tag-a-level","tag-gcses"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t