Exams regulator Ofqual to appear before Education Committee
On Tuesday, MPs on the Education Committee will hear evidence from representatives of Ofqual, the regulator of qualifications in England.
Meeting details
Ofqual is responsible for maintaining standards and confidence in assessments in England. The session marks the first appearance of its Chief Regulator Sir Ian Bauckham before the Committee since his pre-appointment hearing in December 2024.
MPs are likely to explore the regulator’s proposals to allow on-screen assessments for some GCSE and A-Level subjects. While Ofqual’s own impact assessment suggests on-screen assessments could increase inequities among students, it says that limiting these assessments to low-entry subjects will help to mitigate this.
MPs are also likely to ask Ofqual for an update on their research into the implications of artificial intelligence (AI) for exams, and how it is working to address the issue of AI in coursework.
They may also ask how Ofqual is engaging with the evidence given to the Covid-19 inquiry on exams in 2020 and 2021, and whether the regulator has learned from the experience of the pandemic.