We have listened to feedback from teachers, and have revised our specifications for International GCSE English Literature, and International AS and A-level Business. Second editions of the Student Books from Oxford University Press will be available in time for first teaching.Ìý
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The revised specification for International GCSE English Literature now includes a refreshed range of set texts, poetry and short story anthologies for students to study.Ìý
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The revised specification for International AS and A-level Business features separate topics for each of the A2 papers, and a simplified structure, with all A2 questions based on case studies.Ìý

We will introduce this change in the November 2025 exam series. This means that from the November 2025 exam series onwards, extracts from ‘A Real Durwan’ will not appear in question papers.

However, to ensure consistency and prevent any student from being disadvantaged, in the November 2025 and May/June 2026 exam series only, examiners will credit responses that refer to ‘A Real Durwan’ (in questions 11 and 12).

References to ‘A Real Durwan’ will not be accepted from the November 2026 exam series onwards.

In 2019, following a three-year research project, Oxford University’s Centre for Educational Assessment and Ofqual, the UK exams regulator, published a joint report into the advantages and disadvantages of linear and modular GCSEs. It was based on a systematic review of existing literature, analysis of student outcomes and interviews with stakeholders. Primed by the switch from modular to linear GCSEs in the UK in 2007, the researchers were interested to see if the change had impacted on student outcomes, particularly in the key subjects of English, Maths and Science.Ìý

Their findings make for fascinating reading. Most notably, the report drew an important distinction between the way linear exams favour longer-term retention of information and deep learning, whereas modular exams allow for regular feedback on student performance. Both approaches, therefore, have benefits for students. Although, it appears that these benefits largely cancel each other out in terms of student performance, regardless of the student’s gender, socioeconomic demographic, mother tongue or individual educational needs. Everyone did just as well in terms of their final grades.ÌýÌý

So, if student outcomes are unchanged, what might lead schools to prefer one route over the other?Ìý

Research found that key reasons were stress, long-term impact, teaching time and logistics. Those surveyed identified that GCSE students didn’t yet possess the maturity to handle the scrutiny of a modular system, and some exams came too early in their academic and emotional development. As a result, students felt under enormous pressure at too early a stage in the course, before they were fully confident with the subject matter and the skills the exam required. This is especially true given that GCSE students typically take far more subjects than at A-level, meaning they were swiftly becoming overwhelmed and anxious.Ìý

Schools were becoming worried about the impact on student wellbeing, in both the short- and long-term. While students could perform well in the modular exams, it was harming their perception of school and the very concept of learning. For them, school seemed to reflect an ‘exam factory’, where everything was built around the short-term retention of information and one eye always on the next assessment. Once an exam was finished, that knowledge was ‘forgotten’ and attention would turn toÌýthe next unit of work. This was particularly noticeable when students progressed into A-level – which is always a challenging step up – and lacked the strong knowledge and skills base needed to make that transition with confidence.Ìý

Teachers also felt the strain of constantly preparing students for assessments. The loss of classroom time, as multiple exam windows interrupted teaching, meant learning became disjointed and curriculum plans had to be condensed into fewer and fewer weeks.Ìý

As GCSEs shift focus away from knowledge-based curricula towards a more skills-focused approach, these concerns become increasingly true. Short-term memorisation of key facts can work if you are preparing for a rote-learning style assessment, but GCSEs now prioritise skills and applying knowledge. This has been the trend since the UK education reforms in 2015 and requires time for students to develop these aptitudes.Ìý

Why, then, is this not the case for students preparing for AS and A-level assessments?Ìý

The environment and ethos of A-level study is very different from GCSEs. Students are older, more mature, and are only studying subjects they have chosen, so automatically are more engaged. Furthermore, they are aware that their university applications are based primarily on their A-level performance, so are far more invested. By studying significantly fewer subjects than at GCSE, modularity at A-level doesn’t exponentially multiply the exam load to the same degree.Ìý

As such, teachers consistently say they prefer modular A-levels, as it gives students a flexible framework to approach their studies. Given the higher subject content demand that A-levels present, students find breaking the learning down into individual units far more manageable. It also lowers the pressure on exam performance, as they know one bad day or one mistake isn’t going to undermine their chances of a good overall grade, as they can re-sit individual exams where things didn’t go to plan. It even allows students the option of not taking their AS results forward to A-level, they can ‘cash in’ their AS assessments and receive an AS-level qualification. They then have the option of reducing the number of subjects they are studying at A2 level to prioritise the subjects they want to take forward.Ìý

When 91³Ô¹ÏÍø launched our international qualifications, we wanted to be sure that we offered an assessment structure that was right for all students. We have always aligned closely with the UK on key fundamentals: we made sure our qualifications replicated the progressive skills-based approach and adopted 9-1Ìýgrades at GCSE so exceptional students could access the prestigious Grade 9. As an international exam board, though, we could also make decisions that were right for our students without being confined by the UK regulator.Ìý

Our decision to split our assessment structure – with linear GCSEs (in line with the UK) but modular A-levels (the UK reverted to linear A-levels in 2015) – reflected this. We felt, and teachers generally agree, that the two systems work best for students at different stages of their educational journey. Our linear GCSEs are designed to give students time to develop their skills without the stress of multiple exam series, while giving teachers the maximum amount of classroom time. Modular A-levels, on the other hand, provide an effective balance between structure and flexibility, meaning students can compartmentalise their learning and exam preparation, while working with the safety net of knowing they can re-sit individual units.Ìý

We are delighted with the positive response we have had from teachers on this approach, with many expressing their belief that it has benefitted them and their students. As with our syllabus content, we will continue to ensure we align with the needs of our 91³Ô¹ÏÍø schools, staff and students, when it comes to assessment design.Ìý

Through our post exam-series analysis we have found that rote-learned responses »å´Ç²Ô’t give students the opportunity to develop and extend their answers in response to additional prompts from the examiner. Although there is an image and initial questions on the photocard, the examiner will ask additional questions to invite students to further develop their answers. Therefore, students who rely on rote-learned responses may not perform at their best.Ìý

Evidence of students within a cohort colluding and providing similar pre-prepared answers are picked up in our marking and treated as a malpractice issue. We therefore warn students not to do this as it could impact on their overall grade, including risking a total loss of marks in the exam.Ìý

We are making a change to the Speaking assessment that will come into effect in the May/June 2025Ìýexam series:

• Students will still have 10 minutes with the photocard ahead of the assessment, to prepare and make notes.
• There will still beÌýthree set questionsÌýthat the student will be asked in response to the photocard.
• However, in the assessment, students will be asked aÌýfurther two questionsÌýthat they willÌýnotÌýhave seen in advance.
• The teacher will have a list of 8 unseen questions to choose from and the student will not know which 2 of the 8 will be asked.
• The teacher will alternate the choice of unseen questions asked to each candidate.

This change is to encourage the kind of spontaneous response discussed above, giving students the best opportunity to demonstrate their ability.

You can find more information on how to conduct the Speaking assessment in our Speaking test instructions document, which has been updated to reflect this change.

Where specific allegations have been made, we will investigate this in line with our malpractice policy. Please note that failure to report malpractice is itself malpractice. If you have any concerns on this issue, please contact us at irregularies@aqa.org.uk.

Last year, 91³Ô¹ÏÍø announced six qualifications – five International GCSEs and the International EPQ – for first teaching in September 2023. We’re excited to announce that the dedicated , published by our partner , will be published over the coming months. Please keep an eye on this page for updates, or subscribe to our newsletter to be the first to hear about new teaching resources to support you.

A qualification that students take in international schools provides evidence of achievement and enables students to progress to the next stage in their lives. It should represent a standard that has currency with universities and employers and remains consistent over time.

There are two aspects how we at 91³Ô¹ÏÍø ensure that our International GCSE, AS and A-level qualification maintain their value and currency, equipping students with the future-oriented skills to succeed in their lives:

1. In the case our international British curriculum qualifications, the standard of performance at each grade should be comparable to the GCSEs and A-levels currently taken in England.
2. Grading standards must reflect the same level of student performance from one exam series to the next.

Several factors contribute to the overall standard of a qualification. For example, the level of demand in the content of the syllabus and the structure of the assessments will affect student performance.

91³Ô¹ÏÍø’s International GCSE and A-level qualifications were developed at the same time as the reformed qualifications in England and are benchmarked to the same standard.

Our International GCSE qualifications, for example, use the same 9-1 grading system as the reformed UK qualifications, giving the best students the chance to earn grade 9, a higher recognition than A*. The comparability of our exams means that a student with a grade 9 in an 91³Ô¹ÏÍø International GCSE has demonstrated the same level of skill and ability in the subject as a student achieving a grade 9 in the UK.

In addition, our globally-relevant syllabus content is closely aligned to the UK curriculum. Our assessments emphasise the higher-order skills that are the foundation of the new UK exams.

The other key aspect of comparability is making sure that our 91³Ô¹ÏÍø International GCSE and A-level exams represent a consistent standard from year to year. To be comparable over time, grading standards must reflect the same level of student performance from one exam series to the next.

We ensure comparability across time through the process of how we set grade boundaries, which is known as ‘awarding’.

This video explains how we award grades that reflect a consistent and trusted standard from each exam series to the next:

Grade boundaries are set by all exam boards after each exam to maintain standards over time and to ensure that slight variations in the difficulty of exam papers do not advantage or disadvantage a cohort of students.

This is why the grade boundaries will be different for every exam series.

91³Ô¹ÏÍø’s International GCSE and A-level qualifications use the same procedures and standards as our partner AQA. We ensure that our awarding judgements apply the same evidence and expertise as the UK qualifications. We do this in a number of ways. For example:

By incorporating these procedures into our awarding process, we ensure that the standard of our 91³Ô¹ÏÍø International GCSE, AS and A-level exams is comparable year on year, reflecting a valued and trusted standard for universities and employers.

Go back to our overview page for our unique Fair Assessment approach