Assessment arrangements for 2022

This page was last updated 15 December 2021

The Department for Education’s has confirmed its policy position is that exams and other assessments should go ahead in the 2021 to 2022 academic year. City & Guilds continues to work with regulators and other awarding organisations on potential contingency arrangements for 2022, which would be implemented in the event that exams and/or assessments are unable to take place.

Ofqual has confirmed that from 1 September 2021 all qualifications must be awarded based on evidence from exams and other assessments. Results for exams and other assessments taken after 1 September 2021 will must not be based on Teacher Assessed Grades (TAGs).

Adaptations to assessments and qualifications continue to be available to mitigate the ongoing impact of the pandemic.

Consultations

On Friday 6 August 2021 the outcome of the Ofqual and Department for Education consultation on Arrangements for the assessment and awarding of Vocational and Technical Qualifications and Other General Qualifications in 2021 and 2022 was published.

Qualification categories

All qualifications have now been moved into Category A, under the Vocational and technical qualifications contingency regulatory framework (VCRF). This means:

  • exams and assessments can take place as normal
  • qualifications may be adapted to mitigate any disruption to teaching, learning, and delivery of assessments caused by the pandemic
  • Teacher Assessed Grades (TAGs) are not permitted.

Teacher Assessed Grades (TAG)

Teacher Assessed Grades (TAGs) only remain available to learners who were due to take an assessment between 1 August 2020 and 31 August 2021. All evidence used towards a TAG must be dated on or before 31 August 2021.

Adaptations

Exams and assessments should go ahead, in line with published health and safety guidance. We have put in place general and qualification specific adaptations that can assist centres in delivering assessments safely and rigorously.

We have also developed a remote invigilation offer for some examinations.

Loss of learning

We recognise that there may be significant impacts on teaching and learning for learners this year. Our permitted adaptations seek to redress this, by providing flexibility in the delivery of assessments.

Contingency arrangements

The Department for Education (DfE) has published a document on Contingencies for 2021 to 2022: For vocational and technical qualifications (VTQs) and other general qualifications. It explains what will happen in the event where exams cannot take place due to COVID-19. This would include using teacher assessed grades (TAGs).

For Technicals, if it is decided that it is no longer viable for exams or assessments to go ahead, then results would be awarded using Teacher Assessed Grades (TAGs).

For Functional Skills and ESOL Skills for life, adaptations remain available. If the decision is made by the DfE that it is no longer viable for exams and assessments to go ahead, it is their expectation that learners who are not able to safely access assessments in centres, or remotely, would be eligible for a TAG.

For occupational and competence-based qualifications, if exams and assessments cannot take place safely even with adaptations, then they will need to be delayed. 

Ofqual also has a page on their exam system contingency plan. This covers what schools, colleges and other centres should do if exams or other assessments are seriously disrupted

 

Special Consideration Guidance

Please find our special considerations guidance in relation to Covid-19, below.

Download the guidance

Results

Ofqual has stated that results days for GCSE, AS and A levels and VTQs will also be confirmed in the autumn term. This will affect the results days for our Technical qualifications and the Extended Project.

Other qualifications, like Functional Skills, with continue to be available on-demand.

Appeals

There is an appeals process for results based on Teacher Assessed Grades (TAGs) and the details are available on our  Appeals for 2021 page .

For adapted assessments and assessments taken as normal, centres should use the standard appeals documents, which are available on our dedicated page.

We have ensured that there is parity between the appeals process so that while they will address the differences in approach to determining learner results, neither process will advantage one candidate over another.

Centre preparation

We will continue to provide as much support as we can through signposting you to our learning resources, and through our Technical Advisor support, networks and best practice events.

You can continue to access information on adaptations for each of our qualifications on their support pages

 

Qualifications regulated by Qualifications Wales and CCEA only

More information on qualifications only available in Wales or Northern Ireland can be found on our nations page.

Further information

Please continue to refer to our dedicated Covid-19 landing page on the website for updates, guidance and information.

If you have any additional questions, please contact our Customer Support team at centresupport@cityandguilds.com.