GCSEs, AS and A levels in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are changing. The regulators of these qualifications in each jurisdiction are overseeing the changes and have today (Tuesday 29 November) issued a joint statement.
In future there will be differences in most subjects between jurisdictions. Some of these will be immediately noticeable, such as the grading scales used for GCSEs or the relationship between AS and A levels. Others are less apparent, for example, differences in the content or the assessment methods used within subjects.
While there will be some differences, the qualifications will continue to share important, common features irrespective of where they are studied. In particular, they will remain of the same size and equally aim to recognise the achievements of the same cohort of students. Each regulator is also committed to carrying forward the standards set in existing qualifications to the reformed ones.
A summary of the common features and key differences between the GCSEs, AS and A levels offered in the three countries can be seen in the infographic we have produced.