BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Assessment takes place at various stages in a child’s school life. Often there is internal school assessment during or at the end of a school year, but this section focuses on national external tests and examinations for children aged five to 18. In some cases there are different arrangements in the state and independent systems, although by the time pupils reach GCSE and A-levels they are all working towards the same exams. 

QUALIFICATION AUTHORITIES

These authorities are dedicated to providing curriculum, examinations, qualifications and assessment information in the UK.

Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) aims to create a coherent framework of qualifications, general, vocational and occupational. In order to achieve this it works in collaboration with its regulatory partners in Wales and Northern Ireland and liases with its Scottish equivalent so that the vocational qualifications remain aligned to national occupational standards.

See also:

Qualifications, Curriculum and Assessment Authority for Wales (ACCAC) is the National Assembly for Wales’s principal advisory body on all aspects of the school curriculum, examinations, assessment and vocational qualifications.

Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) is the national body in Scotland responsible for the development, accreditation, assessment, and certification of qualifications.

The Northern Ireland Council for the Curriculum Examinations Assessment (CCEA) is responsible for assessment of pupils at Key Stages 1, 2 and 3 and accreditation of records of Achievement. 

The Department for Education's Qualifications website offers a range of information about qualifications from GCSE and A-Levels through to vocational qualifications and the latest policy developments.

THE PRIMARY YEARS

When a child enters a reception class in a state primary school he or she will undergo baseline assessment. This is an informal process designed to assess your child so that their progress can be measured throughout their time at school. It covers language and literacy, personal and social development, knowledge and understanding of the world, physical development and creative development. 

In the state primary system children undergo Key Stage assessment when they are aged seven and eleven. They are designed so that each pupil’s performance and progress can be measured against the national and regional average. This is the information shown in league tables. There is more information in our performance tables section.

For help and advice specifically for parents with a range of queries about tests and teacher assessments and annual pupil reports try these links from the Department for Education and Skills (DfES).

To learn more about national tests and assessment see the ‘How is Your Child Doing at School?’ section on the DfES website.

The Key Stage 1, 2 and 3 test dates for England and Wales in 2002 and 2003 are laid out here.

How to help

To help your child with homework or to find a tutor or revision course see our sections on Homework, Out of School and Home Education. For specific exam help try these:

The BBC’s ReviseWise site is designed to help children with the Key Stage 2 tests.

SamLearning is supported by the National Association of Head Teachers and offers e-learning courses from Key Stage 1 through to A-levels.

MW Educational, a company set up by two primary school teachers, publishes 11+ and Key Stages 1 & 2 practice papers, which you can order from its website.

THE SECONDARY YEARS

In state secondary school pupils are assessed at the end of Key Stage 3 at aged fourteen. The next formal assessment is by General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) at sixteen-plus in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. In Scotland, the Scottish Certificate of Education (SCE) is taken. These examinations are provided and organised by the examining boards. 

EXAMINING BOARDS

There are a number of examining boards operating in Great Britain and they provide detailed information about their specific courses, examinations and timetables. 

The Assessment Qualifications Alliance (AQA) is one of three unitary examining bodies in England. It is the biggest English unitary body, encompassing the merged Associated Examining Board (AEB/SEG) and the Northern Examinations and Assessment Board (NEAB).

Oxford and Cambridge and RSA Examinations (OCR) (and the now merged Midland Examining Board) provide academic and vocational qualifications including, AS and A Level, GNVQ, Key Skills, GCSE, Certificate of Education Achievement (CoEA), RSA 'Own Brand' schemes and the NVQ.

Edexcel is one of the leading examining and awarding bodies in the UK. It was formed in 1996 by the merger of BETEC and the University of London Examinations and Assessment Council (ULEAC). They provide a wide range of qualifications including GCSEs, GCE AS and A-levels, GNVQs, BTEC First, National and Higher National Certificates and Diplomas, NVQs, Key Skills and Entry Qualifications.

The Welsh Joint Education Committee (WJEC) offers a range of syllabuses at Entry Level; CoEAs, Vocational and Skills Awards), GCSE (full and short courses), GCE (the new Advanced and Advanced Subsidiary examinations). They also award the new Key Skills Qualification at Levels 1-4. (Please note this site may be down at the moment. The WJEC can be reached on .)

The Northern Ireland Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment (CCEA) provides examinations such as GCSE, GCE, CoEA and Graded Objectives in Modern Languages (GoML). It is also responsible for the regulation of GNVQs in Northern Ireland.

Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) offers Standard Grade, the new National Qualifications (including revised National Units and Highers as well as new subjects at Access, Intermediate and Advanced Higher levels) and Scottish Vocational Qualifications (SVQs). It also develops and distributes 5-14 National Tests to schools as part of the Government's 5-14 Programme.

The International Baccalaureate Organisation (IBO) offers three programmes: the Diploma Programme for students in the last two years of their secondary school; the Middle Years Programme for students aged 11 to 16; and the Primary Years Programme for students aged three to 12. As of April 2001, 47 state and independent International Baccalaureate as an alternative at sixth form level and it is accepted by all British universities.

City and Guilds offer a range of vocational qualifications. The City & Guilds portfolio includes National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs) and their Scottish equivalents (SVQs), City & Guilds vocational awards, Progression Awards and Key Skills.

Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM) has syllabuses, regulations and entry information, special notices and closing dates for the ABRSMs examinations.

QUALIFICATIONS

There are a wealth of abbreviations for the various qualifications and they can be confusing. We have compiled the main acronyms you will come across below: 

GCSEs
The General Certificate of Secondary Education was introduced in 1986, with the resulting first exams in 1988. GCSE examinations are set according to nationally agreed criteria, which provide guidance on syllabus content. The three main awarding bodies - the AQA, Edexcel and OCR - decide these criteria and are covered in more detail in the qualifications section. 

SCEs
Scottish Certificate of Education – the Scottish equivalent for the GCSEs, set by the SQA.

GCE A-Levels
General Certificate of Education (GCE) Advanced A-levels are two year courses taken in schools or colleges after pupils have completed their GCSEs. A-level examinations are mainly taken at the age of 18 and most pupils tend to have passed the subjects they take as A-levels at GCSE level (although this does not have to be the case – especially as some subjects, law and politics for example may not have been available at GCSE level). In general terms, A-level qualifications are needed in order to progress onto higher education.

AS
Advanced Supplementary (AS) Qualifications can be taken in conjunction with GCE A-levels so that students can have a broader curriculum than the standard three-subject A-level course allows alone. AS qualifications are studied in the same detail as A-levels but tends to have less material to cover and thus can be completed in half the time (one year).

GNVQs
General National Vocational Qualifications (GNVQs) are designed to impart skills, understanding and knowledge for vocational work. They can be mixed and matched with other qualifications, a GCE A-level, AS, GCSEs, NVQs or other GNVQs. There are three levels: Foundation, Intermediate and “Vocational A-levels” (until last year known as Advanced GNVQs).

NVQs 
National Vocational Qualifications are based on the National Occupational Standards (NOS) - statements of performance standards describing what competent people in a particular occupation are expected to be able to do. There are five levels that make up an NVQ.

IBO
There are three levels to the International Baccalaureate. The Primary Years programme (PYP), the Middle Years Programme (MYP), and the Diploma. The Diploma is the equivalent of A-levels in that it is a gateway to Universities and other forms of higher education. 

BTECs
The Business and Technology Education Council is explained here.

CoEA
Certificate of Education Achievement is explained here.

AICE 
Advanced International Certificate of Secondary Education

Further detailed information about these and other qualifications can be found at the British Council’s site and at the various examination boards' sites. You can find links to their sites in the 'Examination Boards' section.

A basic list of acronyms not covered here is spelt out in this handy A-Z.

INDEPENDENT SCHOOL EXAMINATIONS

Many independent schools for children aged four and above have some kind of test or interview selection process. Independent senior schools often use the Common Entrance examination to select pupils. Thereafter, the school will have its own structure for testing and examinations until GCSEs. You will be able to obtain specific information from individual schools.

The Independent Schools Examinations Board (ISEB) contains specific information on the Common Entrance Examination, with past papers, examination fees, 11, 12 and 13+ examination dates and information on how to apply.

EXAM HELP 

There are plenty of educational resources for children on the Internet. The more general of these can be found within our Homework and Home Education sections as well as information on tutoring at home and intensive exam revision courses in the Out of School section. However, there are also sites specifically aimed at helping children revise for a certain set of exams, predominantly GCSEs. Below is a list of some of the best:

At GCSE Answers there is plenty of helpful advice and exam tips, with past papers and the core subjects of english and mathematics covered in more depth and answers to help with your child’s revision for his/her GCSEs.

Project GCSE provides resources for students revising for their GCSEs, offering sound revision help.

Exam Aid is an independent voluntary organisation providing practical support to help with the stresses of GCSEs and A-levels. It includes resources for the main examinations and also has advice on issues such as bereavement and divorce for students coping with extra problems during examinations.

The Guardian’s Learn.co.uk site offers revision help and other resources.

SamLearning is supported by the National Association of Head Teachers and offers e-learning courses from Key Stage 1 through to A-levels (as above).

S-Cool has hints, tips and revision help for those sitting their GCSEs and A-Levels.

Revision Tips from Justin Craig Education, sets out a sensible revision guideline.

Athey Educational offers verbal and non-verbal online tests – useful practice for those entrance papers set by independent and grammar schools.

11+ and Key Stages 1 & 2 practice papers from MW Educational (as above).