Covid is the catalyst for greater use of tech and online exams, Ofqual predicts

Ofqual, the examinations regulator, said it expects greater use of technology in exams this summer and in future years, after Covid had acted as a “catalyst to new approaches”.

Writing in the watchdog’s corporate plan, Simon Lebus, the interim chief regulator, said he was “pleased to see that awarding organisations have embraced greater use of technology this year, to enable learners to continue to take their qualifications, despite public health restrictions”.

Discussions about greater use of technology in examinations and assessment are increasingly gaining traction. Earlier this week, Sir Kevan Collins, the government’s post-Covid recovery commissioner, said there was a “big discussion” to be had about online exams.

The Department for Education (DfE) is thought to be reviewing its resistance to the notion of online exams after the pandemic caused the cancellation of GCSEs and A-levels for a second year running.

In the Ofqual document, Mr Lebus writes: “Covid-19 has acted as a catalyst to new approaches and we anticipate more changes across the market. We welcome these innovations and have been active in engaging with awarding organisations to support their safe implementation in the interests of learners, quality and fairness.”

He added: “In the use of technology, and in many other areas too, there is much to learn from Covid-19 and its effect on the qualifications industry. We will evaluate the response of the industry so that we are best positioned to apply the learning to regulate for public confidence and standards in response to Covid-19 and looking ahead to the future.”

As part of its plans up to the end of 2022, Ofqual states it will “continue to develop and use technology in how we regulate in order to reduce burdens for awarding organisations and increase our effectiveness and efficiency”.

Among the outcomes it was working to deliver was to ensure “our technology is secure and our digital platform keeps pace with demand, with our digital and data assets widely used across regulation”.

Sir Kevan, who addressed the House of Lords Youth Unemployment Committee, said: “I think we need to move more quickly to assess online because I think that is the future.

“That opens up the opportunity, particularly in A levels, to make sure that people get their grades before they get their offers for university, which I think is another conversation we should be having.”

Earlier this year some of the major exam boards were asked by the DfE about the possibility of moving GCSEs and A-levels online to avoid cancellation and the use of teacher assessments. At least three exam boards — OCR, Pearson Edexcel and AQA — are known to be developing and trailing online examinations for the future, some using artificial intelligence (AI) for marking.

OCR is said to be exploring digital GCSEs and assessment in computing, humanities and social science subjects, while Pearson is already working with schools in Egypt on a roll-out of on-screen exams. AQA, meanwhile, is trialling a pilot of an online English language exam.