Consultation outcome

Proposed changes to the assessment of mathematics, physics and combined science GCSEs in 2025, 2026 and 2027

Updated 13 November 2024

Applies to England

Proposals at a glance

Ofqual invites your views on proposed adaptations to the assessment of GCSEs in mathematics, physics and combined science for students in England taking exams in 2025, 2026 and 2027. 

The Department for Education (DfE) has confirmed its decision in relation to the subject content for which it is responsible that it is not necessary for students taking exams in 2025, 2026 and 2027 to memorise formulae for GCSE mathematics and equations for GCSE physics and combined science. DfE has confirmed that any decision beyond these dates is subject to the outcome of DfE’s Curriculum and Assessment Review. 

As a result of this, Ofqual proposes carrying forward from summer 2024 the provision of support materials, in the form of formulae and revised equation sheets, in the exams for GCSE mathematics, physics and combined science. This proposal relates to exams taken in 2025, 2026 and 2027 and will include the November exams for students taking GCSE mathematics.

Audience

This consultation is likely to be of interest to: 

• students, including private candidates, who are expecting to take GCSE exams in 2025, 2026 and 2027 and their parents and carers
• teachers, private tutors and home-educators of these qualifications
• school and college leaders and heads of other types of exam centre
• stakeholder representative organisations and unions
• exams officers
• the exam boards that will provide the exams
• those who use qualifications to make selection decisions: further and higher education institutions and employers

Consultation arrangements

Duration

The consultation will be open for 2 weeks starting on 3 October 2024 and ending on 17 October 2024 at 11:45pm. 

Respond

Please respond to this consultation by completing the online response form. 

For information on how Ofqual will use and manage your data, please see Annex A.

Introduction

This is an Ofqual consultation on assessment arrangements for GCSEs in mathematics, physics and combined science in England in 2025, 2026 and 2027.

DfE is responsible for setting the curriculum requirements and subject content for all GCSE qualifications. Ofqual is responsible for how the subject content will be assessed and for ensuring that the assessment arrangements can support valid and reliable results.  

Previously DfE decided as a matter of policy, and in view of the disruption caused by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, that it was not necessary for students taking exams in 2022, 2023 and 2024 to memorise the formulae for GCSE mathematics and equations for GCSE physics and combined science that they must in a normal year. To implement that policy decision, Ofqual amended its Conditions and Requirements for GCSE qualifications to require exam boards to provide a formulae sheet in the exams for GCSE mathematics and a revised equations sheet in the exams for GCSE physics and combined science. Exam boards provided copies of the formulae and equations sheets for use in teaching and to ensure that students were familiar with them prior to the exams. Clean copies of the formulae and equations sheets were provided in the exams.

DfE has now told Ofqual that students taking exams in 2025, 2026 and 2027 will not be expected to recall all the usual formulae and equations in GCSE mathematics, physics and combined science. The longer-term expectations will be confirmed after DfE’s Curriculum and Assessment Review.

Ofqual proposes to continue requiring exam boards to provide support materials for exams in 2025, 2026 and 2027, as in previous years. 

The proposal to introduce these support materials for the exams in 2022, 2023 and 2024 received strong support from all stakeholder groups. The feedback Ofqual gathered before and following the 2022, 2023 and 2024 exams indicated that these assessment arrangements had a positive impact on student confidence when preparing for their exams. Ofqual considered the impact of the changes made to these assessments in 2022, 2023 and 2024 and found no evidence that the functioning of the assessment was compromised.

Ofqual welcomes your views on the continuation of these arrangements (for 2025, 2026 and 2027) in GCSE mathematics, physics and combined science. Ofqual will consider all responses and is aiming to announce its decisions as soon as possible. Ofqual is consulting on this proposal for students entering the qualifications in 2025, 2026 and 2027. For GCSE mathematics, the arrangements would also apply to the November 2025, 2026 and 2027 exams. 

Consultation details

Ofqual is seeking views on whether the use of formulae sheets and revised equation sheets as used in 2022, 2023 and 2024 in GCSE mathematics, physics and combined science should be continued for students taking these exams in 2025, 2026 and 2027.

This section explains the proposals and sets out the consultation questions, which can be accessed in the online consultation survey. 

Ofqual’s proposals to change exam and assessment requirements

DfE has now asked Ofqual to carry forward arrangements from 2024 so that students taking exams in 2025, 2026 and 2027 do not need to recall the formulae for GCSE mathematics and most equations for GCSE physics and combined science that they must in a normal year. To achieve this, Ofqual proposes that students should be given support materials in the exam room that set out the formulae and equations they would usually have to recall.

Ofqual has considered:

• the fact that DfE has made changes to its expectations for students taking GCSE qualifications in these subjects
• the fact that Ofqual has not identified any significant assessment issues relating to the introduction of these arrangements in 2022, 2023 and 2024
• feedback received in response to previous consultations on these arrangements for 2022, 2023 and 2024

Support materials 

For GCSE mathematics, the DfE’s subject content lists formulae that must be studied as part of the qualification. Some of the formulae, such as those relating to the surface area and volume of cones and spheres and kinematics, are included within exam questions or, where appropriate, in a formulae list at the start of the question paper. However, there are other formulae that the subject content specifies students are expected to memorise and recall for use in the exam. DfE has decided that for exams in 2025, 2026 and 2027 students should not have to memorise these formulae. To achieve this, Ofqual proposes that students should be provided with a formulae sheet in the exam room for this subject.

Students sitting GCSE physics and combined science papers normally have access to an equations sheet giving more complex equations and must recall a further 18 to 23 equations depending on the subject, specification, and tier. The exams test recall and use of these equations. DfE has decided that for exams in 2025, 2026 and 2027 students should not have to memorise these. To achieve this, Ofqual proposes providing additional support to students by permitting the equation sheet to include all equations.

Ofqual welcomes views on the proposals for each subject.

Questions:

Question 1. To what extent do you agree or disagree with the proposal that formulae sheets should be provided in the exams for GCSE mathematics in 2025, 2026 and 2027?

Question 2. Do you have any comments on the proposal to provide formulae sheets in the exams for GCSE mathematics in 2025, 2026 and 2027?

Question 3. To what extent do you agree or disagree with the proposal that equations sheets should be provided in the exams for GCSE physics and combined science in 2025, 2026 and 2027?

Question 4. Do you have any comments on the proposal to provide equations sheets in the exams for GCSE physics and combined science in 2025, 2026 and 2027?

Equality impact assessment

As a public body, Ofqual is subject to the public sector equality duty. Ofqual has considered whether these proposals might impact (positively or negatively) on students who share particular protected characteristics.

In proposing changes to the exam arrangements Ofqual has taken care to consider how any changes might have an impact on disabled students, some of whom will have reasonable adjustments when taking their exams and assessments. Feedback from the previous consultations on the support for formulae and equations has been considered when developing the proposals above. 

Some respondents highlighted the impact of formulae and equations sheets on students with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), noting that some students find them helpful while others find them confusing. This was particularly the case for students needing reasonable adjustments, such as enlarged modified papers, due to the materials being unwieldy and time-consuming to navigate in the exam. While recognising this, we have judged that the continued use of such sheets provides the most effective means of making sure that students have access to the relevant formulae and equations without having to recall them.  

Some respondents also commented on the presentation of the formulae and equations. Exam boards previously worked together to agree a format and presentation that reflected DfE’s subject content and which would be consistent for all students. Together with the exam boards, Ofqual has considered whether any changes could be made for exams in 2025, 2026 and 2027. However, introducing changes now risks a lack of consistency across exam boards, and different styles of support being available across exam boards and different exam years. This would also affect students who have taken these exams in 2024 and wish to retake them in 2025. It is also unclear that there is an alternative that would be an improvement for all students. The current approach will be familiar to teachers and students, both in its standard form and when adapted to appear in modified papers as part of arrangements for reasonable adjustments.  Ofqual is therefore proposing that the support for formulae and equations should remain as that provided in previous years and be in the form of formulae and equations sheets. 

Questions:

Question 5. Are there other potential equality impacts that Ofqual has not identified? [Yes or no]

Question 6. If yes, what are they?

Question 7. Do you have any suggestions for how any potential negative impacts on particular groups of students could be mitigated?

Regulatory impact assessment

Ofqual’s proposed changes to the exam arrangements for students taking GCSEs in mathematics, physics and combined science exams in 2025, 2026 and 2027 are made in response to a request from DfE. The changes mean students will not be expected to recall all the usual formulae and equations, while ensuring the qualifications remain valid and meaningful. Ofqual has developed these proposals with input from the exam boards, with the aim of putting in place arrangements that are both appropriate and manageable. Ofqual anticipates that schools and colleges will experience limited or no burden from these proposals.  Indeed, the changes, as outlined above, are intended to reduce burden on centres, to enable more time for teaching. While some centres might choose to print copies of the formulae and equation sheets for use during teaching, they are not required to do so. Clean copies for use in the exam room will be provided by the exam board with the relevant question papers. 

Exam boards will incur costs to implement the changes to the exam arrangements, although these proposals would not require them to undertake major changes. They are familiar with the use of formulae and equations sheets and, therefore, know what is required to provide them. This helps to minimise any risks or costs associated with this proposal.  

Questions:

Question 8. Are there additional activities associated with providing students with formulae and equations sheets in their GCSE mathematics, physics and combined science exams that Ofqual has not identified above? [Yes or no]

Question 9. If yes, what are they?

Question 10. What, if any, additional costs do you expect you would incur if students are provided formulae and equations sheets in their GCSE mathematics, physics and combined science exams for 2025, 2026 and 2027?

Question 11. Do you have any suggestions for alternative approaches that could reduce burden and costs?

Annex A: Consultation responses and your data

Why Ofqual collects your personal data

As part of the consultation process, you are not required to provide your name or any personal information that will identify you. However, Ofqual is aware that some respondents would like to provide contact information. If you or your organisation are happy to provide personal data, with regard to this consultation, please complete the details below. Ofqual would like to hear as many views as possible and ensure that this consultation reaches as many people as possible. In order for Ofqual to monitor this and understand views of different groups and take steps to reach specific groups, it may ask for sensitive data such as ethnicity and disability to understand the reach of this consultation and views of specific groups. You do not have to provide this information and it is entirely optional.

If there is any part of your response that you wish to remain confidential, please indicate at the appropriate point in the survey.

Where you have requested that your response or any part remains confidential, Ofqual will not include your details in any published list of respondents. However, it may quote from the response anonymously in order to illustrate the kind of feedback received.

Your data

Your personal data:

• will not be sent outside of the UK unless there are appropriate safeguards in place to protect your personal data
• will not be used for any automated decision making
• will be kept secure

Ofqual implements appropriate technical and organisational measures in order to protect your personal data against accidental or unlawful destruction, accidental loss or alteration, unauthorised disclosure or access and any other unlawful forms of processing.

Your rights: access, rectification and erasure

As a data subject, you have the legal right to:

• access personal data relating to you
• object to the processing of your personal data
• have all or some of your data deleted or corrected
• prevent your personal data being processed in some circumstances
• ask Ofqual to stop using your data, but keep it on record

If you would like to exercise your rights, please contact Ofqual using the details below. You can also find out more about Ofqual’s privacy information.

Freedom of Information Act and your response

Please note that information in response to this consultation may be subject to release to the public or other parties in accordance with access to information law, primarily the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA). Ofqual has obligations to disclose information to particular recipients including members of the public in certain circumstances. Your explanation of your reasons for requesting confidentiality for all or part of your response would help us balance requests for disclosure against any obligation of confidentiality. If Ofqual receives a request for the information that you have provided in your response to this consultation, it will take full account of your reasons for requesting confidentiality of your response and assess this in accordance with applicable data protection rules. 

Members of the public are entitled to ask for information Ofqual holds under the Freedom of Information Act 2000. On such occasions, Ofqual will usually anonymise responses, or ask for consent from those who have responded, but please be aware that it cannot guarantee confidentiality.

If you choose ‘no’ in response to the question asking if you would like anything in your response to be kept confidential, Ofqual will be able to release the content of your response to the public, but it won’t make your personal name and private contact details publicly available.

How Ofqual will use your response

Ofqual will use your response to help shape its policies and regulatory activity. If you provide your personal details, Ofqual may contact you in relation to your response. Ofqual will analyse all responses and produce reports of consultation responses. In the course of analysis, Ofqual will where possible avoid using your name and contact details. Ofqual will only process the body of your response, but in some cases, this may contain information that could identify you.

Sharing your response

Ofqual may share your response, in full, with The Department for Education (DfE) and The Institute for Apprenticeships & Technical Education (IFATE) where the consultation is part of work involving those organisations. Ofqual may need to share responses with them to ensure that its approach aligns with the wider process. Where possible, if Ofqual shares a response, it will not include any personal data (if you have provided any). Where Ofqual has received a response to the consultation from an organisation, it will provide the DfE and IFATE with the name of the organisation that has provided the response, although it will consider requests for confidentiality.

Where Ofqual shares data, it ensures that adequate safeguards are in place to ensure that your rights and freedoms are not affected. 

Ofqual uses Citizen Space, which is part of Delib Limited, to collect consultation responses and they act as its data processor. You can view Citizen Space’s privacy notice.

Your response will also be shared internally within Ofqual in order to analyse the responses and shape itspolicies and regulatory activity. Ofqual uses third party software to produce analysis reports, which may require hosting of data outside the UK, specifically the US. Please note that limited personal information is shared. All personal contact information is removed during this process. Where Ofqual transfers any personal data outside the UK, it makes sure that appropriate safeguards are in place to ensure that the personal data is protected and kept secure. 

Following the end of the consultation, Ofqual will publish an analysis of responses on its website. Ofqual will not include personal details in the responses that it publishes. 

Ofqual may also publish an annex to the analysis listing all organisations that responded but will not include personal names or other contact details.

How long will Ofqual keep your personal data?

Unless otherwise stated, Ofqual will keep your personal data (if provided) for a period of 2 years after the consultation closing date.

Ofqual’s legal basis for processing your personal data

Where you provide personal data for this consultation, Ofqual relies upon the public task basis as set out in Article 6(1)(e) of UK GDPR to process personal data which allows processing of personal data when this is necessary for the performance of its public tasks. Ofqual will consult where there is a statutory duty to consult or where there is a legitimate expectation that a process of consultation will take place. Where you provide special category data, Ofqual processes sensitive personal data such as ethnicity and disability, relying on Article 9(2)(g) of UK GDPR as processing is necessary for reasons of substantial public interest.

The identity of the data controller and contact details of Ofqual’s Data Protection Officer

This privacy notice is provided by The Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual). The relevant data protection regime that applies to Ofqual’s processing is the UK GDPR^{[footnote 1]} and Data Protection Act 2018 (‘Data Protection Laws’. Ofqual asks that you read this privacy notice carefully as it contains important information about its processing of consultation responses and your rights.

How to contact Ofqual

If you have any questions about this privacy notice, how Ofqual handles your personal data, or want to exercise any of your rights, please contact Ofqual’s data protection officer at dp.requests@ofqual.gov.uk. Ofqual will respond to any rights that you exercise within a month of receiving your request, unless the request is particularly complex, in which case it will respond within 3 months.

Please note that exceptions apply to some of these rights which Ofqual will apply in accordance with the law.

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner (ICO) if you think Ofqual is not handling your data fairly or in accordance with the law. You can contact the ICO at:

ICO,

Wycliffe House,

Water Lane,

Wilmslow,

Cheshire,

SK9 5AF
Tel: 0303 123 1113

Annex B: Ofqual’s role, objectives and duties

The Apprenticeship, Skills, Children and Learning Act 2009 

Ofqual has 5 statutory objectives, set out in the Apprenticeship, Skills, Children and Learning Act 2009; 

1) The qualification standards objective, which is to secure that the qualifications it regulates:

a) give a reliable indication of knowledge, skills and understanding; and

b) indicate:

i) a consistent level of attainment (including over time) between comparable regulated qualifications; and

ii) a consistent level of attainment (but not over time) between qualifications it regulates and comparable qualifications (including those awarded outside of the UK) that it does not regulate

2) The assessment standards objective, which is to promote the development and implementation of regulated assessment arrangements which:

a) give a reliable indication of achievement, and

b) indicate a consistent level of attainment (including over time) between comparable assessments

3) The public confidence objective, which is to promote public confidence in regulated qualifications and regulated assessment arrangements

4) The awareness objective, which is to promote awareness and understanding of:

a) the range of regulated qualifications available,

b) the benefits of regulated qualifications to students, employers and institutions within the higher education sector, and

c) the benefits of recognition to bodies awarding or authenticating qualifications

5) The efficiency objective, which is to secure that regulated qualifications are provided efficiently, and that any relevant sums payable to a body awarding or authenticating a qualification represent value for money

Ofqual must therefore regulate so that qualifications properly differentiate between students who have demonstrated that they have the knowledge, skills and understanding required to attain the qualification and those who have not. 

Ofqual also has a duty under the Apprenticeship, Skills, Children and Learning Act 2009 to have regard to the reasonable requirements of relevant students, including those with special educational needs and disabilities, of employers and of the higher education sector, and to aspects of government policy when so directed by the Secretary of State. 

The Equality Act 2010 

As a public body, Ofqual is subject to the public sector equality duty. This duty requires Ofqual to have due regard to the need to: 

a) eliminate discrimination, harassment, victimisation and any other conduct that is prohibited under the Equality Act 2010

b) advance equality of opportunity between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic and persons who do not share it

c) foster good relations between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic and persons who do not share it

The awarding organisations that design, deliver and award qualifications are required by the Equality Act, among other things, to make reasonable adjustments for disabled people taking their qualifications, except where Ofqual has specified that such adjustments should not be made. 

When Ofqual decides whether such adjustments should not be made, it must have regard to: 

a) the need to minimise the extent to which disabled persons are disadvantaged in attaining the qualification because of their disabilities

b) the need to secure that the qualification gives a reliable indication of the knowledge, skills and understanding of a person upon whom it is conferred

c) the need to maintain public confidence in the qualification

Ofqual is subject to a number of duties and it must aim to achieve a number of objectives. These different duties and objectives can sometimes conflict with each other. For example, if Ofqual regulates to secure that a qualification gives a reliable indication of a student’s knowledge, skills and understanding, a student who has not been able to demonstrate the required knowledge, skills and/or understanding will not be awarded the qualification. 

A person may find it more difficult, or impossible, to demonstrate the required knowledge, skills and/or understanding because they have a protected characteristic. This could put them at a disadvantage relative to others who have been awarded the qualification. 

It is not always possible for Ofqual to regulate so that qualifications give a reliable indication of knowledge, skills and understanding and advance equality between people who share a protected characteristic and those who do not. Ofqual must review all the available evidence and actively consider all the available options before coming to a final, justifiable decision. 

Qualifications cannot mitigate inequalities or unfairness in the education system or in society more widely that might affect, for example, students’ preparedness to take the qualification and the assessments within it. While a wide range of factors can have an impact on a student’s ability to achieve a particular assessment, Ofqual’s influence is limited to the qualification design and assessment. 

Ofqual requires awarding bodies to design qualifications that give a reliable indication of the knowledge, skills and understanding of the students that take them. Ofqual also requires awarding organisations to avoid, where possible, features of a qualification that could, without justification, make a qualification more difficult for a student to achieve because they have a particular protected characteristic. Ofqual requires awarding organisations to monitor whether any features of their qualifications have this effect. 

In setting its proposed requirements, Ofqual wants to understand the possible impacts of the proposals on students who share a protected characteristic. The protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010 are: 

• age
• disability
• gender reassignment
• marriage and civil partnerships
• pregnancy and maternity
• race
• religion or belief
• sex
• sexual orientation

With respect to the public sector equality duty under section 149 of the Equality Act, Ofqual is not required to have due regard to impacts on those who are married or in a civil partnership.

1. Please note that as of 1st January 2021, data protection laws in the UK have changed. The General Data Protection Regulation (EU) 2016/679(GDPR) no longer applies to the UK. However, the UK has incorporated GDPR into domestic law subject to minor technical changes. The Data Protection, Privacy and Electronic Communications (Amendment etc.) EU exit Regulations (DPPEC) came into force in the UK on 1st January 2021. This consolidates and amends the GDPR and UK Data Protection Act 2018 to create the new UK GDPR. ↩