On Friday 20 March, schools across the country closed their doors as the coronavirus pandemic continued, not knowing when they would reopen again (given the exception of the children of key workers). With that, came the cancellation of all exams – including GCSEs, AS and A Levels.

This left many students, and their parents, completely in the dark when it came to college and university places.

Now the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual) has given details on how these exams will be awarded.

This year’s grades will come off the back of teachers’ assessments, with the exam boards then providing external checking.

Schools and colleges are being asked to provide centre assessment grades for their students.

It has been requested that they be fair, objective and carefully considered judgements of the grades schools and colleges believe their students would have been most likely to achieve if they had sat their exams, and should take into account the full range of available evidence.

Exam boards will be contacting schools, colleges and other exam centres after Easter asking them to submit a number of documents by a deadline that will be no earlier than 29 May 2020.

Those documents will include things like: a centre assessment grade for every student in each of their subjects, classwork, any participation in performances in subjects such as music, drama or PE.

The exam board will also ask for: the results of any assignments or mock exams, previous examination results – for example, for any re-sitting students or those with relevant AS qualifications and any other records of student performance over the course of study.

Sally Collier, Chief Regulator for Ofqual, said: “School or college based assessment already has an important role in many GCSEs, AS and A levels and in extraordinary circumstances such as these, schools and colleges are best placed to judge the likely performance of their students at the end of the course.

“We have worked closely with the teaching profession to ensure that what we are asking is both appropriate and manageable, so that everyone can have confidence in the approach. I would like to take this opportunity to thank teachers and school leaders for making this process work for students during these very challenging times.

“We have published a message to students to reassure them that we, and exam boards, will do everything we can to make sure that, as far as possible, grades are fair and that they are not disadvantaged in their progress to sixth form, college, university, apprenticeships, training or work because of these unprecedented conditions.”