When it came to cancelling the 2021 exams, Wales was the first country in the UK to do so. In November it announced the exams would not go ahead and that, instead, they would be replaced by “a three-pillar model of non-examination assessment, internal assessment and external assessment”.

Scotland had cancelled some exams already - the National 5 exams were cancelled in October 2020 - but Higher and Advanced Higher exams were not cancelled until that December. England waited until January to cancel its exams, as did Northern Ireland.

Wales was also early in confirming its intention to go ahead with exams this year. In March, Qualifications Wales said it was “hopeful” the exams would go ahead in summer 2022 and that assessment requirements would be adapted for learners studying for GCSEs, AS level and A levels “in recognition of the disruption to learning for students caused by the pandemic”.

Here we look in more detail at Welsh plans for the 2022 exams:

How have the qualifications been adapted?

A variety of approaches have been taken. For some subjects and qualifications, such as A-level maths, content has been streamlined and schools, teachers and pupils have been told the topics that will not be assessed in the 2022 exam. For other subjects and qualifications - such as the English language A level - the decision was taken to give advance notice of the topics that would be tested.

Explaining the approach taken to English language, the Welsh Joint Education Committee (WJEC) exam board acknowledges that “providing advance notice may introduce the risk of learners regurgitating pre-learnt material in the exam”. But it says that since the AS and A2 qualifications - which are combined for a full A-Level award - have “little specified content...any adaptations to remove content in either qualification would have little effect on teaching time and significantly affect the opportunities for progression for learners”.

Full details of the adaptations can be found here.

What approach will be taken to grading?

Grades will be lower than in 2021, but higher than in 2019. In an update on its website, qualifications watchdog Qualifications Wales says it will “align with the approach taken in England to ensure that learners in Wales are not disadvantaged relative to learners in England particularly where qualifications are used to progress to higher education institutions”. 

It says that 2022 will be treated as “a transition year to reflect that we are in a pandemic recovery period and learners’ education has been disrupted”.

Qualifications Wales adds: “In 2022 we will aim, therefore, for results to reflect broadly a midway point between 2021 and 2019. In 2023 we will aim to return to results that are in line with those in pre-pandemic years.”

Results are always a combination of students’ performance in the exam and statistical expectations, says Jo-Anne Baird, professor of educational assessment at the University of Oxford.

“These awards - as is always the case - will not just be a product of student performance they also have to take into account the context,” she says.

What will happen if the exams can’t go ahead?

Qualifications Wales is clear that “it is expected qualifications will be assessed in the usual way”. However, it says that if there are changes to the public health situation as a result of the pandemic, “schools and colleges will be asked to award centre determined grades to learners”. 

It adds: “The centre-determined grade approach would be similar to that used in 2021, but with some improvements to take account of the learning from this year.” 

A Welsh government spokesperson said: “In March 2021, Qualifications Wales announced the decision to hold examinations in 2022, consistent with the approach taken in other parts of the UK. Contingency arrangements are in place.

“We have put measures in place to support schools to return safely in January, including providing two extra planning days, which includes preparing for exams. WJEC has also made a number of adaptations to exams and assessments in response to the disruption caused by Covid.

“We continue to monitor the public-health situation and we have announced £24 million of additional support, focused on learners in exam years.”