Inside Exams

How are art exams marked and moderated? How does marking a creative process differ from marking a knowledge based subject? And how are standards maintained across schools?

Sandra Allan, AQA’s Head of Curriculum for Creative Arts, and Robin Drummond, one of AQA’s assessment design managers, talk through how they ensure art is marked reliably and accurately.

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How are multiple choice questions written? How do they test more than just basic knowledge recall in exams? And how can they be used as revision tools throughout the year?

Craig Barton speaks to AQA’s resident MCQs guru Zeek Swiery, who reveals the secrets to writing brilliant MCQs, and science teacher Jinny Bell explains why she finds them so useful in understanding what topics students are struggling to grasp.

Test your MCQs knowledge: https://filestore.aqa.org.uk/content/inside-exams/AQA-INSIDE-EXAMS-EP4-AD-QUIZ.PDF

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What is the Unit Award Scheme? How can your students gain recognition for studying knife crime, learning to live independently, or illustrating a story book? Adrienne Nichols, AQA’s head of UAS, explains why this acknowledgement of achievement is so valuable in centres like special needs schools, pupil referral units, and youth services, as well as mainstream schools too.

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What’s the purpose of unexpected questions that might throw students in exams? What should we be telling our students about how to answer them? And do exam boards see what kids are tweeting after sitting a frustrating paper?

Raquel Gomez-Frias, AQA’s social media manager, tells Craig Barton why talking to students on Twitter can be really useful, and English teacher Jon Sellick explains how he deals with any post-exam hysteria.

Read our 'Question the Question' blog: https://filestore.aqa.org.uk/content/inside-exams/AQA-INSIDE-EXAMS-EPISODE3-QUESTIONS.PDF

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What is AQA’s Unlocking Potential programme? How can it help realise the potential of under-confident students?

Visually impaired student Haleemah Farooq talks about how being paired up with a mentor - former GB athlete Claire Bennet - enabled her to raise her aspirations and overcome obstacles others don’t necessarily have to face.

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How are papers modified for those with visual impairments? What exam access arrangements are available for our students? And how can teaching assistants help us prepare SEND students for exams?

Craig Barton talks to Sue Barnbrook, AQA’s Special Requirements Manager, about how modified question papers and access arrangements have evolved over time, and maths teacher Mark Grimmett explains how best to engage SEND students in classroom activities.

Read about how we modify question papers: https://filestore.aqa.org.uk/content/inside-exams/AQA-INSIDE-EXAMS-HWMQ.PDF

Learn things you didn't know about modified papers and access arrangements: https://filestore.aqa.org.uk/content/inside-exams/AQA-INSIDE-EXAMS-MPAA.PDF

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What is cultural capital? What impact can it have on your students’ ability to access exams? And what activities can you do to encourage imaginative understanding of new or different contexts?

Deborah Pearson, AQA’s Head of Curriculum for English, explains how having a degree of cultural capital can help your students access more marks in exams.

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How can language affect the accessibility of exam questions? How do exam writers decide how long to make the questions? And who comes up with the contexts?

Craig Barton meets AQA Assessment Design Manager Georgina Holmes to explore how words are carefully chosen by exam writers, and talks to maths teacher Kate Brewer about the principles behind making learning accessible to EAL students.

Watch our YouTube video: The Power of Language: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tsTUBOR8nqE&t=9s

Read about how our questions have changed over time: https://filestore.aqa.org.uk/content/inside-exams/AQA-INSIDE-EXAMS-QUESTIONS-THROUGH-TIME.PDF

Read more about the COBUILD dictionary: http://news.collinselt.com/cobuild-dictionary-online/

Read more about the Frayer model: https://www.theconfidentteacher.com/2018/04/vocabulary-knowledge-and-the-frayer-model/

Read more about the Kagan structure: https://www.t2tuk.co.uk/StudentTeacher.aspx

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Craig Barton introduces "Inside Exams"

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