GCSEs: Three ways exams could transform in 2025 and beyond - and what it means for students

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Not even exams can stay the same forever ✍
  • England’s curriculum and assessments are both set to see big changes over the next few years
  • This is partly driven by an overall National Curriculum review, which will include a look at GCSEs
  • This year’s GCSE candidates will benefit from a pandemic-era concession that will stick around for the near future
  • Exams for several key subjects may also go onscreen in the coming years, pending official approval

Secondary school pupils sitting their GCSE exams this summer are now entering their final months of preparation.

But for them, and for new cohorts of students that follow in the coming years, what exactly these exams look like may end up being quite different. When it comes to England’s school system, there are countless big changes on the horizon - from hundreds of BTECs and other vocational qualifications being scrapped amid a shift to the new T Levels, to a shake-up of how Ofsted reviews and grades schools, to Government plans to recruit thousands of new teachers.

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The summer exam series won’t escape unscathed either, with a number of plans either in the works or already in motion which could reshape them over the years to come. But what exactly are they, and when will they kick in?

Here are three big changes GCSEs could face in 2025, and beyond:

Three ways GCSE exams could change over the next few years

GCSEs could see some changes over the coming yearsGCSEs could see some changes over the coming years
GCSEs could see some changes over the coming years | (Image: National World, Getty, Adobe Stock)

1. Not memorising formulae

Originally a special consideration granted during the Covid-19 pandemic, pupils sitting GCSEs in maths, physics, and combined science were supplied formula sheets with the formulas they would need to use during their exam, rather than having to memorise them. Instead of phasing this practice out along with the rest of the concessions, education secretary Bridget Phillipson recently asked for the use of formula sheets be extended for the 2025, 2026, and 2027 exam seasons. After a public consultation, Ofqual approved the changes.

In her original letter to Ofqual chief regulator Sir Ian Bauckham, Phillipson specified that students “will continue to be expected to understand and use these formulae and equations, maintaining high standards for what students must study”.

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But she also hinted at a longer-lasting change to supplying formula sheets. “Following [2027], we anticipate there may be future changes resulting from the Independent Review.”

2. Moving onscreen

Several different exam boards have been trialling onscreen exam papers in recent years, and a major one - Pearson Edexcel - was originally aiming to have its core English GCSEs available in a digital format from this year - something it’d ultimately need Ofqual approval for. This is now looking like it may take a little longer, but the exam board is still planning to roll out more subjects soon, including digitising its history and business studies GCSEs by 2027. It aims to have most GCSE subjects available in an onscreen format by 2030.

Pearson says its onscreen assessments contain the same questions as their pen-and-paper counterparts, and won’t entirely replace them. The move is driven by students themselves, with the exam board saying working on a digital device is normal for today’s students - and not only will it be expected to operate in their future working lives, but many have actually requested it.

The onscreen format could be helpful for students with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) with built-in accessibility features, and allows students to easily edit and make changes to their work. But concerns have also been raised about security and connectivity issues on school Wi-Fi networks.

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3. The National Curriculum review

There is currently a full review of England’s National Curriculum underway - including what children learn in schools, what standards children should be achieving at, and how their learning is assessed. Everything from reception through to the sixth form is under scrutiny, with the Education Secretary decrying the current system as “outdated”, and no longer fit for purpose.

We don’t know yet quite how this is going to shake out, with recommendations not set to be published until later this year. But it is likely to lead to significant changes, including to GCSEs. At the moment, however, it appears unlikely exams will be scrapped or change completely.

Instead, it appears more likely they will be overhauled. The government has said that the new curriculum will need to strike “the right balance of assessment methods”, while also maintaining the “important role of examinations”.

What do you think about these changes to GCSEs, and are there any other changes you’d like to see? Let us know and make your voice heard by leaving a comment below.

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