FAQs
For how long will our students be allowed to resit the legacy specification in English Language?
There will be a resit in November 2011 at Higher tier only. From Summer 2012 onwards only the revised specification will be available for award. November 2011 will be the last opportunity to transfer marks for coursework previously submitted for the legacy specification.
Entry Codes
What are the Entry Codes for GCSE English Language/English and English Literature?
The Entry Codes can be found here
Uniform Marks
How does the Uniform Mark Scale work for GCSE English Language?
Further information on the relationship between raw and uniform marks can be found on the Regulations page on CCEA.
General
Where can I get help with planning the delivery of the specification over two years?
Sample planning grids are available in the support section of the microsite. These can be used as the basis to complete your own plan for your class.
Is it possible for students to study and complete GCSE Language in Year 11, and study and complete GCSE Literature in Year 12?
A. That is a decision for schools to make. From a CCEA perspective there is nothing to stop schools from doing this except for the first year of teaching (2010) as the first full award for both subjects is not until 2012.
I have a number of students entitled to Access Arrangements, how does this work for the revised specification?
All Access Arrangements that students were entitled to will still be available for the revised specification. Consult the JCQ Guidance document, www.jcq.org.uk for further information.
Is there a difference in the currency offered by GCSE English Language and GCSE English?
All GCSEs are equally accredited and recognised by the UK regulators.
Some of our children are entitled to scribes and we are concerned about how we this will be managed for Controlled Assessment.
Your exams officer or SENCO should have a copy of the JCQ guidelines, section 2.7 deals with scribes. Where a scribe is used in an exam situation it may be more manageable that candidates would use a word processor for controlled assessment, with the spell checker switched off. This ensures the spelling is the candidate's own and that marks can be awarded accordingly. Paragraph 2.7.6 states that in writing tasks, marks cannot be awarded for spelling when a candidate is using a scribe.
As an appointed teacher of a candidate outside mainstream education how do I authenticate his/her controlled assessment?
The completion of the controlled assessment must meet the requirements of the specification and be written up under the controls as specified. Click here to access the JCQ Instructions for conducting controlled assessment.
If the candidate is being entered through your examination centre you will be completing the Candidate Record Sheets which confirm the mark and authenticate the work. If however you are sending the completed task to the candidate's centre for marking and internal standardisation it may be helpful to the centre for you to complete the Declaration of Authentication Controlled Assessments, Appendix 1 of the JCQ document and submit that with the work. The centre can then carry out the marking and sign the candidate record sheet.