This insight covers the issues of accessibility in formal summative assessments. It explains what can be done to help those candidates who cannot access examinations in the normal way and who may have particular requirements.
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This insight looks at the issue of assessment reliability. It defines the term and explains the various aspects of reliability including inter-marker reliability, reliability over time, and the link between reliability and validity.
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This insight looks at assessment validity. It explains how to ensure that the results awarded provide a true measure of the knowledge, understanding, skills and aptitudes that the assessment is intended to measure.
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This insight looks at the process and principles of awarding grades in examinations. It explains in detail how grades are arrived at and agreed and how the standards of the grades are maintained over time.
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This insight looks at code of practice for all qualifications in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The code of practice aims to ensure quality, consistency, accuracy and fairness in all the relevant examinations. It also explains how standards are maintained across awarding bodies and over time.
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This insight gives a brief introduction to the subject of coursework. It explains how coursework is assessed and moderated as well as how it is made consistent and reliable.
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This insight looks at developing examination specifications. It explains the long process of developing new or revised specifications, which were formerly known as syllabuses.
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This insight looks at enquiries about results and appeals. It explains what can be done if a teacher or a candidate thinks that a result is wrong. It explains the systems that awarding bodies have in place for ensuring that all the marks and grades are accurate.
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This insight looks at how level thresholds for Key Stage 2 national curriculum tests are determined. It explains the procedures that are put in place whereby the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority ensures that the levels awarded are consistent from year to year.
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This insight looks at mark schemes. It explains how the mark scheme is developed and how each examiner is monitored to ensure that the mark scheme is being applied consistently.
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This insight looks at marking candidates' work. It explains the procedures that awarding bodies adopt to ensure that all candidates' scripts are marked fairly and accurately.
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This insight looks at the marking review process. It explains the procedures that the awarding bodies adopt to ensure accuracy and consistency when senior examiners are perhaps unsure about the quality of a particular marker.
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This insight looks at the moderation of coursework. It explains the procedures that the awarding bodies follow to ensure that standards are the same for all candidates and in all parts of the country.
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This insight looks at the issue of oral assessment. It looks at some of the problems associated with oral assessment, as well as explaining how these assessments are made valid and reliable.
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This insight looks at the purposes of assessment. It explains the different types of assessment, as well as explaining the purposes to which each type is put.
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This insight looks at question paper setting. It explains the process that senior examiners follow to ensure that the questions fairly reflect the specification and are an accurate assessment of the specification.
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This insight looks at standardising the marking of examinations. It explains how the senior examiners ensure that all examiners for a particular component mark scripts accurately and consistently at all times as well as ensuring that all markers are consistent with each other.
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This insight looks at teacher assessment. It examines the issues relating to teacher assessment as well as the purposes of teacher assessment.
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This insight looks at the roles of awarding bodies in assessment. It explains what they do, what services they offer and the ways in which they ensure quality and equal standards.
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This insight looks at the Tomlinson Review. It explains the working group's remit, what it was tasked to achieve and a summary of the proposals that were made by the working group to government for consideration.
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