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Mark Dawe, the board's chief executive, said: "OCR says coursework is open to abuse and disliked by many teachers and loathed in some subjects. GCSE grades in England is the largest examination board. The General Certificate of Secondary Education is an academic qualification awarded in a specified subject, generally taken in a number of subjects. This exam was introduced in 1986. The educational systems of other British territories, such as Gibraltar, and south Africa also offer the qualification, as supplied by the same examination boards.
OCR's chief executive Mark Dawe called for a "major rethink" on coursework to restore confidence in the exam system. A department for Education spokesperson expressed agreement with OCR's analysis, adding: "unnecessary coursework undermines the reliability of assessment." The research also found that students at elite universities were likely to achieve a lower class of degree than students at less selective universities with similar A-level and GCSE results. Independent and grammar school pupils are getting lots of support - they're being pushed to their limits, whereas with comprehensive pupils they aren't fulfilling their full potential, and this shows up at degree. If A-levels are just about achievement then the independent and grammar schools are doing extremely well. But it doesn't necessarily show the full potential of the comprehensive school pupils." At the end of the two-year GCSe course, candidates receive a grade for each subject that they have sat. In many subjects, there are two different 'tiers' of examination offered:
- Higher, where students can achieve grades A*or a U
- Foundation, where they can achieve grades C-G or a U
In some subjects, one or more controlled assessment assignments may also be completed. Controlled assessment can contribute to anything from 10-60 % of a pupil's final grade, with more practical subjects, such as design and technology (60%), art (60%), ICT (60%), music (60%) and English (60%) often having a heavier coursework element.These exams may either be terminal exams at the end of a year.
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| Students in Examination hall |