GCSEs and A-levels 'back to normal' next year - without Covid catch-up aid

GCSE pupils have received extra support for their formal exams in some subjects over the past two years following massive disruption to their education during the Covid pandemic

Exams have been canceled during the pandemic and replaced with teacher-assessed grades (

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Students will no longer be able to count on study aid during next summer's exams, the Minister for Schools has announced.

GCSE students have received extra support in some subjects over the past two years following the massive disruption to their education during the pandemic. Students were also given advance notice of what they might be tested on or a choice of subjects in certain subjects to ensure they were assessed on what they actually learnt.

This came after formal exams were scrapped and replaced by teacher-assessed grades in 2020 and 2021, as young people spent months out of the classroom. This change has resulted in an increase in top GCSE and A level marks.

Tory minister Nick Gibb said there was an 'expectation' that exam aid would not be offered to students next year. Ahead of this summer's results, he warned grades must return to pre-pandemic levels this year to ensure GCSE and A-levels have 'weight and credibility' with employers, universities and colleges .

Schools Minister Nick Gibb said it was important for exams to return to normal after Covid (

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England exams regulator Ofqual said national results this year will be lower than last year, but are expected to be similar to pre-pandemic results.

Pupils in England have faced disruption to their schooling due to a series of teacher strikes this year. But threats of mass industrial action in the fall were lifted after teachers' unions accepted the government's pay offer.

Speaking ahead of Results Day, Mr Gibb told PA: "It's important to get back to normal as we want these qualifications to continue to have the weight and credibility they need to have with the employers and universities and colleges." He said: "Every year that goes by is a year away from the disruption caused by the pandemic and there are more years that these young people have had in...