2022 NEA and fieldwork requirements consultation decisions explained

Thursday 17 Jun 2021

Ofqual has published the consultation decisions on arrangements for non-exam assessment (NEA) and fieldwork requirements for students entering qualifications in 2022 only. 

Here are the key points:

Non-exam assessment (NEA)

Ofqual will allow for adjustments to the NEA arrangements to accommodate public health restrictions in the following subjects:

  • GCSE and A-level Dance
  • GCSE Design and Technology
  • A-level Design and Technology: Product Design
  • A-level Design and Technology: Fashion and Textiles
  • GCSE and A-level Drama (and theatre)
  • GCSE Food Preparation and Nutrition
  • GCSE and A-level Media Studies
  • GCSE and A-level Music
  • GCSE and A-level Physical Education (PE).

Fieldwork in GCSE, AS and A-level Geography, and A-level Environmental Science

Schools and colleges won’t need to declare that they provided students with the opportunity to do a mandated number of occasions or days of fieldwork activities outside of school or college premises. Schools and colleges can continue to provide fieldwork activities for their students if they’re able to do so.

  • GCSE and AS and A-level Geography
  • A-level Environmental Science

GCSE English language

Teachers won’t need to submit an audio-visual recording of a sample of students doing their spoken language assessments in GCSE English language.

GCSE modern foreign languages (MFL)

Exam boards won’t have to include vocabulary that isn’t on the vocabulary lists for assessments in GCSE MFL. Teachers and students should prepare for spoken language in 2022 to be assessed in the normal way, through formal speaking tests.

  • GCSE French
  • GCSE German
  • GCSE Italian
  • GCSE Spanish
  • GCSE Polish
  • GCSE Bengali
  • GCSE Urdu
  • GCSE Modern Hebrew
  • GCSE Chinese (Spoken Mandarin)
  • GCSE Panjabi

Vocational, Technical and other Qualifications (VTQs)

We try to align our GCSEs, AS and A-levels with our VTQs. Over the next few weeks we’ll be working out what these decisions mean for our VTQs and what adjustments we’ll be allowed to make to NEA to accommodate public health restrictions. We’ll email you when we know more.

Support

Our curriculum experts are busy understanding what these changes mean so we can update our website ready for the 2021–2022 school year. We know that we’ve not covered every detail of every subject and qualification in this summary, but don’t worry – we’ll be back in touch with schools and colleges as soon as we can to confirm the details of all subjects and qualifications.

Please get in touch if you have any questions.