Exam grades are to be lower next year under efforts to bring down marks from Covid pandemic highs, the government has announced.
It will mark a step back to “normality” after GCSE and A-level grades shot up over the past three years, according to the Department for Education and England’s exam regulator.
Ofqual had previously said it wanted to return to pre-pandemic grading from next year and those plans were confirmed on Thursday.
A return to tougher grade boundaries would reflect the fact schools remained open to all pupils over the past year unlike others during the Covid pandemic, according to the government.
Ofqual said it expected to see overall results next year “much closer” to those in pre-pandemic years as a result of the plans.
