Exam board proposes modular GCSEs

One of the UK's largest exam boards has launched modular GCSEs with units that can be retaken if a pupil fails.

Exam board OCR plans to introduce the modular courses, which allow pupils to study units spread across two years rather than face final exams, next year if they are approved.

Parool Patel, head of OCR's GCSE project, explained: "Flexible assessment is an improvement in the GCSE qualification which is designed to offer teachers the opportunity to implement assessment processes that best suit the needs of their own students."

The new GCSEs will allow pupils to sit 60 per cent of the modules before the end of the course, with the option to re-sit each module once.

Education expert Professor Alan Smithers from the University of Buckingham believes that the new GCSEs will prove popular with schools, as modular courses tend to produce higher results than the traditional alternative.

Last week the government announced reforms to UK qualifications intended to streamline the system, including scrapping Applied A-levels in favour of new diplomas.