GCSE maths papers to be changed amid concerns over difficulty

Exam boards have been ordered to change new GCSE maths papers just a few months before students are due to study them, amid concerns they are too tough.

There is a "significant risk" that assessments drawn up by three awarding bodies will be too difficult for the full range of pupils' abilities, according to research by Ofqual. Ofqual analysed the results of 4,000 mock tests of sample papers for GCSEs due to be studied in schools next term and found three of the four main exam boards had made their papers too hard for the broad spread of candidates, while the fourth, AQA, has been ordered to make its papers more "challenging". 

New maths GCSEs are scheduled to be introduced to schools and colleges from this September as part of the major education overhaul started by the previous government, to toughen up the qualifications. Former education secretary Michael Gove wanted the courses to include more challenging content, to better prepare students for studying A-levels.

As part of the research, thousands of students were asked to sit new sample maths papers. The study found average marks were very low compared with what would be expected in a real GCSE exam – even for students from the best-performing schools.

Overall, the level of difficulty in the sample papers was higher than in current GCSE papers. This is in line with the government’s demands for a more rigorous curriculum. The research found, however, that the higher-tier papers from WJEC Eduqas and Pearson were so difficult that the top grade was often no more than 50%.

"There is a significant risk that all but AQA's assessments will be too difficult for the full range of ability for the cohort for which the qualification is intended," Ofqual's report concludes. This is likely to prevent the reliable grading of students. "The additional challenge will be beneficial for the most able students but the assessments also need to support a positive experience for the rest of the cohort so as to ensure that all students become more confident and competent as mathematicians."