Ofqual Says Mistakes In GCSE and A-levels Papers Caused Pupil Distress

Examination boards have been criticised by a watchdog for oversights on GCSE and A-level papers where pupils were tested on topics they were told would not come up or sat papers with mistakes.

In England students were given extra detail because of the pandemic but an AQA A-level law and GCSE physics paper included topics not listed in advance information.

Watchdog Ofqual said such mistakes caused distress for pupils.

Another exam board, Edexcel, has also apologised for labelling Gabon as the Democratic Republic of Congo on a map of Africa, in its GCSE geography paper.

And Wales’ main exam board, WJEC, said sorry for excerpts from three Shakespeare plays being either partly or fully missing from their English language and literature paper.

On Friday, AQA apologised to A-level law students for the confusion and stress after questions on nuisance were included in their paper, despite there being no advance warning that the subject would be included in the exam.

The exam board has not yet announced how the question will be marked.