New Language exams GCSE A Level 2019 Entries

This year most learners will be taking the new language exams. How easy has it been entering your pupils?

We have been hearing from some NRCSE members that their pupils are finding it difficult to be entered for language exams where they are study the language at supplementary school.

NRCSE has been talking to members of the British Academy Advisory Group on Languages, the Association of School and College Leaders and the APPG on Modern Languages and there is interest in lobbying for regional language examination hubs to be set up. But for this to work we need information from you.

If your pupils are entering the new specification exams in Arabic, Bengali, Chinese, Modern Greek, Italian, Modern Hebrew, Japanese, Panjabi, Polish, Portuguese, Russian this year – how easy have you found the specification, and have you had any difficulties getting your pupils entered for the exams?

For those of you teaching Gujarati, Persian, Turkish, Urdu you should already be teaching to the new specifications (and they are all available to download from the Pearson Edexcel website) but your pupils will not be able to take the exams until 2020. Please let us know if you have pupils taking the old exams (aka ‘legacy exams’) this year.

If your pupils are having any difficulties being entered for any of the language exams there are a number of things you should do, immediately:

1. Use the attached template letter to write to the mainstream schools your pupils attend (you will need to fill in relevant information about your language) which has been kindly provided by the Polish Educational Society.
2. Contact the exam board to find out where they can take the exam.
3. Let us know (by logging in and leaving a comment below or by emailing me  Pascale), NRCSE has been developing contacts with schools that will accept external entrants, we are also campaigning for more consistent information to be sent out to all language departments and for schools to understand the importance of facilitating access to language exams.