To think summer is not the best time for exams ( and so many of them).

[malificent7]

So the weather is glorious, its hard to concentrate because of the heat, sleep is poorer generally and everyone wants the beach. Plus it's the law that as soon as the last exam is over it rains as it did the day of my last a-level 20 odd years ago.

Why not have exams in February or November...both rubbish, cold months with nothing better to do?

As an aside...dd has so many gcse mock exams...English is now lang, lit, speaking etc. Too much pressure.

Throw in hay fever as well, and I agree. Not the right time for it.

We do them in winter in Japan. It just means we get hit by flu season instead!

There’s no good time. February and there would be so much illness. November and you’d lose two weeks of marking time etc to Xmas, and the long post-exam break would be in cold/dark days.

So how would you choose to structure the school year so that the end of year exams can still happen at the end of the academic year?

I did my GCSEs not long after they were introduced and it was 2 x English subjects and speaking then. It’s always been the case.

More continuous assessment is useful I think but as a PP said, in autumn and winter kids are more likely to be sick and miss exams.

So they fit in with the academic year of course！If A levels were sat in February or November, how would that work?

Every time of year has issues. To change it would involve the most enormous overhaul of the entire education system...which is pieces as it is.
As to number of exams, again, unless you decide to reduce the number of subjects which narrows each child's curriculum and choices in life, each subject will have more than one paper to cover all that has been studied over two years. I don't disagree that we could ideally make many many changes for the better but to suggest it's just a simple thing to shift and reduce exams shows no.understanding at all of the education system.

English has always been separated into Lang and Lit.
If you move exams to winter then you’ll get hit with winter illness. Also what about the school year? How would that then work?

I thought it'll be hard. It keeps me occupied in this sordid heat. I'll want to go out next week when it's cooler.

Purely anecdotal but my students always do much worse in winter assessments.
I find they’re far more likely to revise/chat happily about the content whilst sat out in the sun, rather than attempting to find somewhere to defrost/warm up.

Bring back coursework and half-termly modular exams that are done throughout the whole school year.

@Needmorelego and marked by who? Exam boards massively struggle to find examiners and most only do it because it's one month if Hell but over and fine with. You can't possibly be suggesting that in the current teaching climate, you could put this on existing staff (ignoring the fact that lots of schools have one or no subject specialists anyway, even at GCSE). Again, I get the rationale but there's so much to it.

Also, if it's done at home, with CHATGTP added to the numerous ways kids can cheat it would be worthless, if done in a school, you'd have no actual teaching time.

YANBU in that the halls where children are sitting their exams are generally completely unsuitable. No ventilation, no air conditioning, no water allowed and inadequate seating. There could certainly be more effort made to find suitable accommodation for pupils to sit their exams

"No ventilation, no air conditioning, no water allowed and inadequate seating."

No water allowed..... Wtf?

You clearly have no idea what you are talking about. Water is allowed in bottles as long as labels removed etc...

They should be at Easter.
Then apply to university with grades in hand.
The system doesn’t work now there are so many going.

@BibbleandSqwauk back in my day some of the coursework was sent off to be marked at the end of the year (like exams are now). Some marked by the teachers like any other classwork.
Modular exams were short and marked by the teachers - like any other classwork was.
Coursework could be worked on during lesson time (like any other classwork) so no chance for cheating.
Basically I would like to see more work assignments that are actually done in school rather than students struggling to do them at home by themselves and get rid of the obsession with “revising” by themselves constantly at home.

@BibbleandSqwauk also if lessons are only for “teaching” time then the curriculum needs to be cut back. There should be time to teach, do assignments/coursework and have regular tests in the lesson time - supplemented by some homework done at home. But entire assignments/coursework shouldn’t be expected to be done 100% at home.

English has always had language, literature and speaking parts - that's nothing new.

But really, there's no other time to do exams that would be any better, is there?

A lot of people have colds and coughs perhaps. I much prefer it during the summer. Ds is happy waking up and it’s light and warm and the hot days mean they bounce back faster. It is gruelling, but people in hotter countries cope too. And do okay.

Absolutely agree. Worst time to have them

I thought when school exams had a substantial coursework element there was evidence that some teachers and parents were doing a lot of the work for the candidates? Not very fair on those whose parents can't/won't help.

It's 44 and 46 years respectively since I took my A and O levels, but I liked having the exams in May and June. The summer term finished a bit earlier because nothing happened after exams, so the summer holidays were good and long. It was less awful getting up ridiculously early to be sure of getting to school on time when it was light outside. Also, I have a summer birthday and it always fell after exams, so I could enjoy it properly. Selfish, I know!

Coursework and half termly assessments? Sounds like hell on earth. The only good thing about the Gove reforms was killing off modular exams and GCSE controlled assessments.
No thank you.

November and Feb would be winter illness and winter travel issues.

Easter is a good bet, apply to uni with your grades is a much better system.

"Absolutely agree. Worst time to have them"

When would the best time be then?