This summer sees a return to the “normal” examination process where GCSE’s and A-Levels are taken across the UK in the summer term. This follows the two previous summers in 2020 and 2021 when formal invigilated examinations could not be held due to the risk of Covid spread of having a large number of students gathered together in examination halls.

I remember the decision to cancel exams in 2020 was relatively straightforward as the pandemic was in its early days and the UK had only gone into lockdown on 23rd March 2020. There were no vaccines available and the risk of catching Covid and experiencing bad symptoms were high. 

It had initially been hoped that the summer 2021 examination season would proceed as normal. My sister was revising for her mocks during the Christmas holidays when the announcement was made that schools would not be returning after the holidays. On the 4th January the decision was made that the summer exams would not go ahead as normal. This decision was on GCSE’s but no desicion was made in respect of IGCSE’s. It was not until 3rd February that an announcement was made that IGCSE’s would also not take place but would use teacher assessed grading (TAG).

Every school adopted there own approach at arriving at a TAG: some had fully invigilated exams and used coursework plus further classroom exams to make their decision. Other schools unable to hold exams used coursework alone. Those students who didn’t get to sit exams in a formal setting ie in a hall with invigilators watching have missed out on a learning experience which will assist them for later exams. That particularly applies to sitting their A-Levels this summer who had their year 11 exams cancelled at the start of the pandemic. 

I am looking forward, although perhaps a little nervously, to summer 2023, when I will hopefully sit my examinations. Knowing that everyone else will be sitting the same paper at the same time in similar circumstances appears to me to be a fairer system. I would like to wish good luck to all those sitting their exams this year.