Guidance

Summary of changes to GCSEs from 2015

Updated 31 March 2017

Applies to England

1. Taught from 2015

The following subjects will be first awarded in 2017.

Subject	Tiered	Non-exam assessment	Consultations and decisions	Final rules	Accredited specifications	Comments
English language	No[footnote 1]	None[footnote 2]	Subject content (DfE) Spoken language skills Design rules for spoken language assessment	Subject content (DfE) Design rules		Separate reported grade for spoken language. A statement from the school or college is required to confirm that spoken language opportunities have been provided.
English literature	No[footnote 1]	None[footnote 3]	Subject content (DfE)	Subject content (DfE) Design rules		Ìý
Maths	Yes	None	Subject content (DfE)	Subject content (DfE) Design rules		Ìý

2. Taught from 2016

The following subjects will be first awarded in 2018.

Subject	Tiered	Non-exam assessment	Consultations and decisions	Final rules	Accredited specifications	Comments
Art and design	No	100%	Subject content(DfE) Asessment arrangements Design rules	Subject content(DfE) Design rules		Ìý
Biology	Yes	None[footnote 3]	Subject content(DfE) Assessing practical work Design rules	Subject content (DfE) Design rules		At least 8 mandatory practical activities, confirmed by school statement. 15% of exam marks test understanding of practical work. 10% of exam marks test maths skills.
Chemistry	Yes	None[footnote 3]	Subject content (DfE) Assessing practical work Design rules	Subject content (DfE) Design rules		At least 8 mandatory practical activities, confirmed by school statement. 15% of exam marks test understanding of practical work. 20% of exam marks test maths skills.
Citizenship studies	No	None[footnote 4]	Subject content(DfE) Assessment arrangements Design rules	Subject content Design rules		School statement confirming opportunities for citizenship action. 15% of exam marks for 바카라 사이트˜citizenship action questions바카라 사이트™.
Classical Greek	No	None	Subject content(DfE) Design rules	Subject content Design rules		Ìý
Combined science	Yes	None	Subject content(DfE) Assessing practical work Design rules	Subject content Design rules		New subject. Double award: grades from 9-9 to 1-1. At least 16 mandatory practical activities, confirmed by school statement. 15% of exam marks test understanding of practical work. 20% of exam marks test maths skills.
Computer science	No	20%	Subject content(DfE) Assessment arrangements Design rules	Subject content Design rules		New subject.
Dance	No	60%[footnote 5]	Subject content(DfE) Assessment arrangements Design rules	Subject content Design rules		Ìý
Drama	No	60%[footnote 6]	Subject content(DfE) Assessment arrangements Design rules	Subject content Design rules		Ìý
Food preparation and nutrition	No	50%	Subject content(DfE) Assessment arrangements Design rules	Subject content Design rules		New subject
French	Yes	25%[footnote 7]	Subject content(DfE) Design rules	Subject content Design rules		Ìý
Geography	No[footnote 1]	None[footnote 3]	Subject content(DfE) Design rules	Subject content Design rules		School statement confirming opportunities for fieldwork. Minimum 15% of exam marks for 바카라 사이트˜fieldwork questions바카라 사이트™.
German	Yes	25%[footnote 7]	Subject content(DfE) Design rules	Subject content Design rules		Ìý
History	No	None[footnote 3]	Subject content(DfE) Design rules	Subject content Design rules		Ìý
Latin	No[footnote 1]	None	Subject content(DfE) Design rules	Subject content Design rules		Ìý
Music	No	60%[footnote 8]	Subject content(DfE) Assessment arrangements Design rules	Subject content Design rules		Ìý
Physical education	No	40%[footnote 7]	Subject content(DfE) Assessment arrangements Design rules	Subject content Design rules		Ìý
Physics	Yes	None[footnote 3]	Subject content(DfE) Assessing practical work Design rules	Subject content Design rules		At least 8 mandatory practical activities, confirmed by school statement. 15% of exam marks test understanding of practical work. 30% of exam marks test maths skills.
Religious studies	No	None	Subject content(DfE) Assessment arrangements Design rules	Subject content Design rules		Ìý
Spanish	Yes	25%[footnote 7]	Subject content(DfE) Design rules	Subject content Design rules		Ìý

3. Taught from 2017

The following subjects will be first awarded in 2019.

Subject	Tiered	Non-exam assessment	Consultations and decisions	Final rules	Accredited specifications	Comments
Ancient history	No	None[footnote 3]	Subject content (DfE) Assessment arrangements Design rules	Subject content Design rules		Ìý
Astronomy	No	None[footnote 3]	Subject content (DfE) Assessment arrangements Design rules	Subject content Design rules		Mandatory observational work, confirmed by school statement. 15% of exam marks test understanding of observational work. 20% of exam marks test maths skills.
Business	No	None[footnote 3]	Subject content (DfE) Assessment arrangements Design rules	Subject content Design rules		Ìý
Classical civilisation	No [footnote 1]	None[footnote 3]	Subject content (DfE) Assessment arrangements Design rules	Subject content Design rules		Ìý
Design and technology	No	50%[footnote 7]	Subject content (DfE) Assessment arrangements Design rules	Subject content Design rules		15% of exam marks test maths skills.
Economics	No	None	Subject content (DfE) Assessment arrangements Design rules	Subject content Design rules		Ìý
Electronics	No	20%[footnote 3]	Subject content (DfE) Assessment arrangements Design rules	Subject content Design rules		Ìý
Engineering	No	40%[footnote 7]	Subject content (DfE) Assessment arrangements Design rules	Subject content Design rules		20% of exam marks test maths skills.
Film studies	No	30%[footnote 9]	Subject content (DfE) Assessment arrangements Design rules	Subject content Design rules		Ìý
Geology	No	None[footnote 3]	Subject content (DfE) Assessment arrangements Design rules	Subject content Design rules		School statement confirming opportunities for fieldwork. Minimum 15% of exam marks for geological skills and techniques. 10% of exam marks test maths skills.
Media studies	No	30%[footnote 7]	Subject content (DfE) Assessment arrangements Design rules	Subject content Design rules		Ìý
Modern foreign languages (Arabic, Bengali, Chinese, Italian, Japanese, Modern Greek, Modern Hebrew, Panjabi, Polish, Russian, Urdu)	Yes	25%[footnote 7]	Design rules	Subject content Design rules	(Pearson) (AQA) (AQA) (Pearson) (AQA) (Pearson) (Pearson) (Pearson) (AQA) (AQA) (AQA) (Pearson) (AQA) (Pearson)	Ìý
Physical Education (short course)	No	40%[footnote 7]	Subject content (DfE) Assessment arrangements Design rules	Subject content Design rules		Ìý
Psychology	No	None	Subject content (DfE) Assessment arrangements Design rules	Subject content Design rules		20% of exam marks test knowledge and understanding of research methods. 10% of exam marks test maths skills.
Sociology	No	None	Subject content (DfE) Assessment arrangements Design rules	Subject content Design rules		15% of exam marks test knowledge and understanding of research methods.
Statistics	Yes	None[footnote 3]	Subject content (DfE) Assessment arrangements Design rules	Subject content Design rules		Ìý

4. Taught from 2018

The following subjects will be first awarded in 2020.

Subject	Tiered	Non-exam assessment	Consultations and decisions	Final rules	Accredited specifications	Comments
Biblical Hebrew	No	None	Design rules	Subject content	Ìý	Ìý
Modern foreign languages (Gujarati, Persian, Portuguese, Turkish)	Yes	25%[footnote 7]	Design rules	Subject content Design rules	Ìý	Ìý

1. This is a change from legacy GCSEsÌý↩Ìý↩²Ìý↩³Ìý↩⁴Ìý↩⁵

2. Legacy GCSEs in both English and English language use 40%Ìý↩

3. Legacy GCSEs use 25%Ìý↩Ìý↩²Ìý↩³Ìý↩⁴Ìý↩⁵Ìý↩⁶Ìý↩⁷Ìý↩⁸Ìý↩⁹Ìý↩¹⁰Ìý↩¹¹Ìý↩¹²Ìý↩¹³

4. Legacy GCSEs use 40%Ìý↩

5. Legacy GCSEs use 80% (as well as the mandatory 60% controlled assessment, legacy GCSEs also include an externally-assessed performance unit - this is also a form of non-exam assessment)Ìý↩

6. Legacy GCSEs use between 60% and 100% (as well as the mandatory 60% controlled assessment, some legacy GCSEs also include an externally-assessed performance unit - this is also a form of non-exam assessment)Ìý↩

7. Legacy GCSEs use 60%Ìý↩Ìý↩²Ìý↩³Ìý↩⁴Ìý↩⁵Ìý↩⁶Ìý↩⁷Ìý↩⁸Ìý↩⁹Ìý↩¹⁰

8. Legacy GCSEs use between 60% and 80% (as well as the mandatory 60% controlled assessment, some legacy GCSEs also include an externally-assessed composition unit - this is also a form of non-exam assessment)Ìý↩

9. Legacy GCSEs use 50%Ìý↩