November resits

[ClarasZoo]

I have a question which actually relates to GCSEs but the principles are the same for A levels being resat in November 2020. So, my daughter is resitting a GCSE for which she would like to get a grade 7 8 or 9. Comparing the results from June 2019 and June 2020 I see that obviously there is a huge uplift in 2020. In fact the June 2019 % of pupils getting 7, 8 or 9 is 34.5% and in 2020 it was 50%. Will the November 2020 exam results track the generous June 2020 bell curve? If so, presumably the grade boundaries would be reduced in November 2020 so that the result would be the same 50% getting a 7, 8 or 9 in November 2020. And presumably the A level grade boundaries would be reduced in November 2020 similarly. Is this correct do you know? And if so it was a no brainer to resit as the grade boundaries will be lower, won't they?

Hi there
The A levels were actually last month. If you look back there's a longish thread down this board somewhere called 'October A levels anyone?' Towards the end of the thread there are various links that people have posted to an Ofqual statement saying that exam boards are being encouraged to give generous grade boundaries for the autumn exams and to align the results with the 2020 summer CAGs I can't remember offhand if it was just A levels or if it was GCSEs as well. Sorry - I'm not very good with making links, but it should be easy to find!!

Not sure whether it's the link referred to, but there is an Ofqual blog from last month which refers to the autumn series of A levels and GCSEs:
ofqual.blog.gov.uk/2020/10/19/setting-standards-in-the-autumn-series/

...We are also clear that students sitting exams this autumn must be treated as fairly as possible, alongside students from summer 2020. As such, examiners will be guided by proxy grade boundaries. Exam boards will generate these by looking at how far the 2019 grade boundaries for each specification would have to move to achieve the proportion of students at the key grades we saw for each of those specifications in summer 2020. Archive student work, as well as several other sources of evidence about where grade boundaries should be set, will also be considered...

Ah excellent- thank you! It looks like the grade boundaries are going to be adjusted then!