New criteria for GCSE sciences

In 2009 the Qualifications and Curriculum Development Agency (QCDA) consulted on revised draft criteria for GCSEs in science subjects. The new subject criteria have now been published by the curriculum regulator, Ofqual, and its partners in Wales (DCELLS) and Northern Ireland (CCEA), and are available from the Ofqual website.

Awarding bodies will develop revised specifications to meet the new criteria for each of GCSE Science, GCSE Additional Science, GCSE Additional Applied Science and the separate science courses GCSE Biology, Chemistry and Physics. Once accredited these new specifications will be taught from September 2011.

The current specifications for GCSE sciences were introduced for first teaching in September 2006. One of the main purposes for developing new criteria so quickly after this previous change is to address actions from Ofqual's recent monitoring report on the new courses, in particular issues regarding variation between awarding bodies in the types of assessment methods used. The regulators are also seeking to address widely held concern about reduced mathematical demands in the assessment of science subjects.