Dear List Members

Herewith another press release received by the EBEA which may be of
interest.  Apologies to those for whom it is not!

Sandra Halsey
EBEA Administrator



-----Original Message-----
From: AQA [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: 02 October 2002 12:45
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: AQA Press Release
Importance: High


AQA
Assessment and Qualifications Alliance

P R E S S    S T A T E M E N T

For immediate release

The primary concern of the AQA is to ensure that all candidates are properly
and accurately graded.  This we have done this year, as in any other. At no
time were we unduly influenced by any external pressure or agency to act
differently this year, when awarding grades.

We are completely confident that the A-level grades we awarded this year are
sound and the standards set are comparable with previous years.

Nevertheless, as part of the ongoing investigation by the Tomlinson Inquiry
we have been asked to review grading decisions on two grade boundaries only,
out of the 1008 decision on 504 units this summer to satisfy the inquiry
that all of our grade-awarding decisions are sound and above reproach.  We
are happy to comply, in the interest of complete openness and transparency.
We have nothing to hide.

The unit boundaries to be reviewed are the A/B boundary in English Language
and Literature (NTA5) and the E/U boundary in French Oral (FR6T/V).

The maximum number of students whose subject grade might be affected in AQA
is 341 - out of more than the three quarters of a million (752258) grades
awarded this summer in AS and A- level examinations.  If the review upholds
the original decisions then there will be no changes to grades.

A major misconception throughout this whole saga concerns the role of the
awarding committee and the chair of examiners.  The chair's role has always
been to make recommendations only to the accountable officer on the basis of
the awarding committee's deliberations.  In AQA the accountable officer is
the director general. The code of practice charges the accountable officer
with the responsibility of setting the final grade boundaries, taking into
consideration all of the available evidence.

Of the 53 adjustments made by the AQA accountable officer, the majority of
them (27) allowed more students to get marginally improved grades. The
others generated marginally reduced grades.  The overwhelming majority of
the changes were of one or two marks only.  The average adjustment was 1.6
marks.

The accountable officer's decisions were balanced judgements taken to ensure
that the standard required to achieve each grade was on a par with previous
years.

There is absolutely no evidence to suggest that a downgrading policy was
being operated in AQA.

-end-

Notes to Editors

The Assessment and Qualifications Alliance (AQA) is the largest of the
Unitary Awarding Bodies in the UK.

For further information please contact:
George Turnbull
01483 477911 (office)
01252 623561 (home)
www.aqa.org.uk  (Web)