Ofqual’s consultation on the regulation of on-screen assessment

This is a summary of the eAA Webinar, Ofqual’s consultation on the regulation of on-screen assessment

Watch the full video here: https://youtu.be/KpL5GRLZYyU

Watch the summary of the Ofqual consultation here: https://youtu.be/w4Vsrunvz_Y

On-screen assessment is back in the spotlight. In our recent live webinar, chaired by Graham Hudson, Chair of the e-Assessment Association we brought together Jo Handford from Ofqual, who leads Ofqual’s work on the use of technology in assessment, Hayley White, responsible for high stakes assessments for general qualifications and vocational qualifications at Pearson, and Patrick (Paddy) Craven, Director of Policy and stakeholder partnerships at City and Guilds to discuss Ofqual’s consultation on regulating on-screen assessment for GCSEs, AS and A levels. The conversation landed at a timely moment, the topic was even being debated on BBC Radio 5 Live that morning, with comments suggesting on-screen exams could undermine cognitive and creative thinking, an idea the panel returned to through the lens of evidence, fairness and real-world practice.

Ofqual’s consultation on the regulation of on-screen assessment

The focus of the consultation is general qualifications: GCSE, AS, and A levels, and while Ofqual does touch on VTQs, the main focus is on general qualifications. Ofqual's focus is to make sure the maintenance of standards, fairness, public confidence, and secure delivery are always front and centre. Currently, Ofqual’s regulations don't specify whether exams should be taken on paper or on screen, and there are no specific rules relating to on-screen assessment, even though there are some GCSE and A level specifications in the market that do use on-screen assessment.

On-screen assessment could potentially benefit some students by improving accessibility or making the assessment experience better for certain groups, and also help to prepare young people for a digital future. At the same time, Ofqual’s research shows that students can perform differently depending on whether they're working on paper or on screen, not every student has the same access to digital devices or the same level of digital skills, and schools and colleges in England also face practical challenges like differences in their IT infrastructure. If any move to greater on-screen assessment isn't carefully managed, there's a real risk of widening existing gaps in achievement, and that maintaining standards across both onscreen and paper based exams is complex, with digital delivery bringing new risks.

Ofqual is proposing a controlled approach, pen and paper exams will remain central for most subjects and any further on-screen assessment will be carefully managed. Jo explained that these proposals have been developed in close engagement with the Department for Education and that the message from government is clear, any wider use of on-screen exams must be fair for students, proportionate and manageable for schools and colleges to deliver with the staff, infrastructure and resources they have currently.

Consultation basics, timeline and evidence

Ofqual launched the consultation on 11 December and closes on  5 March. Ofqual is keen to hear from a wide range of voices across the sector, and that every response will help shape the final approach.

Ofqual’s proposed approach

Ofqual’s controlled approach is shaped by four guiding principles.

• Risks to standards, public confidence, and fairness arising from on-screen assessment will be appropriately mitigated
• On-screen assessment maintains, and wherever possible, enhances the quality of the assessment experience for students and centres
• On-screen assessment maintains and, wherever possible, enhances accessibility for students with special educational needs and disabilities
• On-screen assessment platforms, awarding organisation arrangements, and centre arrangements are demonstrably capable of supporting secure and reliable assessment delivery.

These principles are intended to ensure that any introduction of on-screen assessment maintains standards, protects students interests, and upholds public confidence in these qualifications.

Any new on-screen assessment will be subject to a rigorous accreditation process and must receive formal accreditation from Ofqual before it can be offered to students. Following the consultation, Ofqual will consider the specific requirements that exam boards must meet at accreditation and also on an ongoing basis, and Ofqual plans to add further detail to these principles in a later technical consultation.

Watch the summary here: https://youtu.be/w4Vsrunvz_Y

Key proposals in the consultation

Ofqual is proposing to introduce specific regulations for on-screen assessment, and to take a controlled approach to entry so on-screen assessment will no longer generally be permitted in GCSEs, AS and A levels except in a limited set of cases. Each exam board may propose up to two new onscreen specifications for accreditation, and the two specification limit will be kept under review.

Outside of the two specification limit, on-screen assessment will continue to be allowed in subjects where it is important for validity or integral to the assessment approach, currently this includes computer science, British Sign Language, and music technology, and it also applies to existing specifications already using on-screen assessment. The use of on-screen assessment as a reasonable adjustment, where this meets specific accessibility needs for disabled students, will also continue to be allowed.

Another key proposal is the introduction of subject restrictions. On-screen assessment won't be permitted in the highest entry subjects, those with over 100,000 entries nationally.

On-screen and paper based assessments must be offered as separate specifications with sufficiently different questions for each. Ofqual’s research shows that students can perform differently depending on whether an exam is taken on paper or on screen, and these differences, known as mode effects, can make one mode more or less demanding than the other.

Ofqual is not requiring exam boards to offer a paper based alternative alongside any new on-screen specification.

Ofqual will not mandate a single assessment platform, but it will set expectations that platforms are consistent, secure, reliable, and accessible. Students will not be allowed to use their own personal devices for on-screen exams to help ensure fairness and consistency, and school managed devices will be used, which will be allowed to be used for learning as well as for exams.

Ofqual is also keen to hear views on whether the guiding principles for GCSEs and A levels could be used for vocational and technical qualifications with similar purposes, and what additional impacts or considerations should be taken into account.

Evidence base and impact assessments

Ofqual published four research reports alongside the consultation and that together they provide the foundation for the proposed approach. The studies include international comparisons, potential impacts on schools, colleges, students, and awarding organisations in England, exploration of mode effects, and analysis of delivery risks and mitigations around security and fairness. The research draws on primary evidence such as surveys, interviews and focus groups with students, teachers, school staff, subject experts and awarding organisations, as well as a review of academic literature, and some work was done jointly with the Department for Education. Ofqual also published a short summary bringing together key findings from all four reports.

Ofqual published an equality impact assessment and a regulatory impact assessment. The equality impact assessment looks at how proposals could affect students with protected characteristics and other groups such as those from different socioeconomic backgrounds, and the regulatory impact assessment focuses on the potential impact for awarding organisations and also considers schools and colleges.

Panel reflections, what stood out

Patrick Craven welcomed the consultation’s focus and said it addresses the right areas, noting that on-screen testing is not new in the wider assessment sector. He reflected on why adoption has often been easier in vocational and technical contexts than in national school examinations, and highlighted practical realities of delivering secure assessment at high volume. Patrick also noted that some subjects may be more challenging to deliver on screen.

Hayley White also welcomed the consultation and agreed the questions are the right ones. She emphasised the importance of listening to students, sharing Pearson’s experience that since 2022 more than 100,000 students have completed on-screen assessments in high stakes contexts. Hayley reported strong learner preference for on-screen delivery in Pearson’s feedback, and noted students often ask why more on-screen options are not available, especially when they have experienced digital delivery in one qualification but not another.

Hayley also argued that “on-screen assessment” is not a single, homogeneous mode. She pointed to a spectrum ranging from simple “paper behind glass” delivery to more innovative item types, and noted that even within a system often described as paper based, an increasing number of learners are opting to type responses. She shared that Pearson saw over 140,000 typed responses to paper based exams last summer, compared with 10,000 in 2019, and suggested this reflects changing student habits and expectations.

Questions from the audience, pace, constraints and funding

Audience questions focused on whether the proposals are overly conservative, how quickly the sector can move, what the limits on new specifications mean in practice, and how schools and colleges could manage infrastructure constraints.

The panel also discussed contingency planning, including whether on-screen delivery could support resilience in exceptional circumstances.

What happens next

Once the consultation closes on 5 March, Ofqual will report on the findings later in the year. Views submitted through the consultation will inform Ofqual’s final approach, and if Ofqual decides to move forward, it will follow up with a technical consultation covering specific rule changes and any guidance it might introduce. New specifications would need to be developed and accredited and be in schools one year ahead of first teaching, three years ahead of first examining, and that this points to around 2030 for the earliest first delivery of any new onscreen assessment for students in these qualifications.

Your Views matter

• Contribute to the eAA’s collective response. To support a strong, evidence-informed sector voice, the eAA is inviting members to contribute to a collective response to the consultation, drawing on real-world delivery Complete the survey here:
• Respond to the Ofqual Consultation. To respond to Ofqual’s official consultation, the consultation documentation and official response survey click here