Year 11 GCSE Updates 2022: What You Need to Know
The Coronavirus pandemic caused a great deal of disruption to daily life – and schools were forced to shut down to protect people against the virus.
Well, in 2022, things pretty much returned to normal, which means students will take their official exams this year.
In this post, we’ll explore everything that will happen this year, how it differs from last year and what you can do to prepare for the exams.
How Are The 2022 GCSEs Different To 2021?
The impact of Covid-19 meant that many students didn’t have the support they would usually have from teachers before their exams.
The government decided to assess students without the exams to ensure things would be fair and no students were held back.
Each student was assessed by teachers and awarded a grade based on their mock exams, previous coursework and essays – but this year, things will return to normal.
While, in theory, the teacher-assessed system should work, it inevitably resulted in grade inflation.
Sitting official exams is regarded by many as the best way to determine a student’s knowledge and award them the correct grade.
When Will The 2022 GCSE Exams Happen?
Year 11 students will sit their GCSE exams during the summer this year as expected.
However, each subject will be spaced out to give students a better chance of succeeding, and the government states that this won’t change unless there’s a public health emergency.
What About The Grading System?
As many year 11 students faced disruptions in 2020 and 2021, exam boards have agreed to decrease the threshold needed to secure each grade, allowing all students to pass their GCSE exams.
However, the system will be stricter than in 2021, so students will still have to work hard to secure their grades.
While most government parties support the return of exams, the Liberal Democrats claim that 90,000 students could miss out on grades.
How Will The Examination Boards Support Students?
In the past, students and teachers had a vague overview of the topics in their exams. This year, the government published information about which topics the exams will cover.
This applies to most subjects excluding history, art and design, English Literature and geography.
While this will enable students to enhance their revision, the exact questions won’t be available to ensure each learner still has to prepare and demonstrate their knowledge surrounding subjects during their exams.
All of this information is available through the Gov.UK website.
What Do The Changes Mean For Students?
The 2022 GCSE exams will still be challenging for students, and while there will be advance information available, a lot of study and revision is still required to achieve the desired grades.
While students can get back to everyday life, examination boards recognise that the Covid-19 pandemic left many behind due to the lack of classroom support.
For many students, their GCSEs will be the first big exam that could impact their future, and while it will be easier to obtain top grades, learners will inevitably be anxious about their exams.
Will The GCSE Grading System Change?
In 2017, the GCSE grading system changed from letter-based grades to numbers. These changes made the GCSEs more challenging and enabled students to differentiate themselves.
For example, while the previous A-G system indicated achievement, the 9-1 system allows high-achieving students to demonstrate exceptional performance.
As a grade 7 is equivalent to an A, obtaining a 9 would be a significant achievement, and employers or colleges can better understand each student’s abilities.
The grading system will remain the same in 2022, but examination boards will be more generous to compensate for the lost study time during the pandemic.
Preparing For The GCSEs This Year
The good thing about the GCSEs this year is that every student has the opportunity to succeed, but most will require support from their parents and teachers.
Here are some excellent revision tips for anyone preparing for their exams.
Focus On Problem Area Topics First
In some cases, students will avoid studying topics they find difficult in favour of those they’re good at. However, this can result in lower grades overall.
Instead of avoiding these areas, focusing on the problem will result in a better understanding and more confidence when approaching the topic.
As there’s more information surrounding topics that will appear in the exams this year, students will be able to prioritise their revision and achieve better grades.
Create A Revision Schedule And Stick To It
One of the best ways to ensure you revise enough is to create a revision schedule and stick to it. Dedicate specific hours of the day or week to revision, and use that time wisely.
Many people prefer to break their revision into manageable chunks instead of spending hours at their desks. Regular breaks are central to retaining focus and not burning out.
Get Extra Help
Teachers have hectic jobs, and they’re responsible for each learner – which sometimes means a student doesn’t get the attention and support they require to succeed.
However, GCSE tutors can work with a student, providing a bespoke learning experience.
This is beneficial because a GCSE tutor can focus on one subject or topic, ensuring the student has all the knowledge needed to pass their exams.
Also, tutors are excellent for revision techniques and can give learners the confidence boost they need.
Get Plenty Of Sleep And Relax
Most importantly, students should get plenty of sleep when preparing for exams and have support from parents and teachers.
Anxiety during this time is inevitable, but learners can navigate their GCSE exams and achieve the results they need by using the topic guidance and revising.
Final Thoughts
Hopefully, this post gives you a good idea of what to expect during the 2022 GCSEs and how to prepare for them.
These exams are central to gaining access to colleges or apprenticeships, so it’s essential to make time for revision and use the available information to succeed.
If you need any help along the way, please don’t hesitate to contact our friendly tutoring service. We support GCSE students with all subjects, and our private tutors can also work with a pupil to prepare them for exams.