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What is a controlled assessment?

A controlled assessment is a major piece of work completed at school as part of a GCSE course. Controlled assessment measures subject specific skills that may not necessarily be tested by external assessment. All students must sign a declaration to confirm that the work submitted is their own. Controlled assessments are marked by the teacher and submitted to the exam board for moderation.

Do controlled assessments affect GCSE grades?

The controlled assessment task contributes marks to the final GCSE grade. The proportion of marks varies between subjects but, in some subjects, the controlled assessment is worth 60% of the final GCSE grade.

What types and levels of control are applied?

A controlled assessment is completed under the control of the teacher. Students are given either a maximum number of hours to complete the assessment or a maximum word limit for the finished piece. Controlled assessments in different subjects have different levels of control. Some assessments have a ‘high level’ of control and have to be completed individually under exam conditions. In other subjects, group work is allowed and the controls are less formal. The level of control depends on the type of task that students are being asked to complete.

How is this different from coursework?

Controlled assessments are different from the previous system of GCSE coursework. Controlled assessments must be done at school under the supervision of the teacher.

What if a student is absent?

The use of controlled assessment in GCSE courses does mean that it is very important that students do their very best not to miss school. It is usually not possible to ‘catch up’ a controlled assessment task in lesson time and therefore students who are absent usually have to complete the controlled assessment task at lunchtimes or after school.

What about students with Special Educational Needs?

As with their normal class work, students with Special Educational Needs will receive support with their controlled assessments. This will be done within the guidelines provided by the national examining authorities. Some students may be entitled to more time to complete their controlled assessment tasks.