Code of Practice

What is the Code of Practice?

The GCSE, GCE, VCE, GNVQ and AEA Code of Practice is published each year by the three regulatory authorities (QCA for England, ACCAC for Wales and CEA for Northern Ireland). The Code is intended to ensure quality, consistency, accuracy and fairness in all the relevant qualifications conducted by the five awarding bodies in England (AQA, Edexcel, OCR), Wales (WJEC) and Northern Ireland (CEA). It aims to make sure that standards are maintained in each subject, across awarding bodies and across different specifications from year to year. It therefore ensures that all candidates get a fair deal, irrespective of the specification they are taking, the awarding body responsible or when they are being assessed.

The Code of Practice lays down the principles, processes and practices that all awarding bodies must follow in the conduct of their specifications. For each accredited specification the awarding body concerned agrees to follow the procedures specified in the Code of Practice.

Content of the Code of Practice

The Code of Practice covers the following ten areas:

1. Responsibilities of awarding bodies and awarding body personnel
2. Awarding bodies' relationships with centres
3. Preparation of external assessments including provisional mark schemes
4. Standardisation of marking: external assessment
5. Standardisation of marking and moderation: internal assessment
6. Awarding, marking review, maintaining an archive and issuing results
7. Arrangements for candidates with particular requirements
8. Malpractice
9. Enquiries about results and appeals
10. Access to marked examination scripts

There are a number of appendices that address certain specification-specific issues.

Underlying principles of the Code of Practice

The Code of Practice is underpinned by a number of principles which are enumerated in the introduction to the Code. For example, it is assumed that all assessment instruments are fit for purpose, valid and reliable, and designed to treat all candidates fairly. The Code is also based on the assumption that the assessment system should be transparent and supported at each stage by an audit trail that sets out the key evidence in support of any decisions taken. Another principle is that those involved in the assessment system should be clear about their roles and responsibilities, suitably experienced and capable and that they should receive appropriate training to carry out their roles.

The Code of Practice and quality assurance

The Code of Practice provides the basis for awarding bodies' quality assurance self-assessment and for the monitoring of awarding bodies by the regulatory authorities. It therefore makes an important contribution to upholding public confidence in the qualifications offered by the awarding bodies.

Revising the Code of Practice

The Code is revised and updated each year in consultation with the appropriate stakeholders, including the awarding bodies. It is published in advance of the summer examination series to apply to the upcoming summer and winter examinations. Changes may be made in the light of awarding bodies' experiences of implementing the Code or of the regulatory authorities' findings when monitoring the awarding bodies. Research into best practice in assessment and awarding may lead to changes, as may technological developments such as e-assessment and e-marking. Changes may also be made to reflect any changes in government policy in relation to the named qualifications. However, the bulk of the Code of Practice remains unchanged from one year to the next and its purpose remains the same.

Further information

For more information see www.qca.org.uk. To see a copy of the latest version of the Code of Practice see www.qca.org.uk/qualifications (select 'Types of qualification').