Modernising Assessment
We are exploring the benefits that digital technologies can offer to qualifications and assessments.
Introduction
With every new qualification we introduce, we aim to make best use of the digital technologies available to learners and centres in Wales. This ranges from the use of technology to capture naturally occurring evidence of apprentices’ progress in the workplace to on-screen examinations in general qualifications.
Our modernising assessment team has been established to build on the progress that has been made in digital assessment in recent years, and to ensure that learners continue to benefit from innovation in the qualification system.
The team works with others across the qualifications and assessment community to explore the benefits that digital technologies can offer, using its findings to influence positive change and support the development of qualifications policy. Our approach focuses on technologies that can benefit the manageability, engagement, reliability and validity of assessments, or a combination of these principles.
Digital assessments
Schools and education settings in Wales are now teaching the Curriculum for Wales, within which the role of digital technologies is embedded and growing in prominence. For young people who experience this curriculum, digital technologies are shaping why, what and how they learn. To ensure that qualifications reflect what and how learners are taught, new National 14-16 Qualifications are being introduced with the first teaching of many subjects beginning in September 2025.
Our vision is for learners in Wales to take qualifications that inspire and prepare them for life, learning and work – and that these qualifications will make best use of digital technologies. We are introducing digital assessments in subjects where we are confident it will improve validity in the assessment.
We have published the complete set of approval criteria for the new Made-for-Wales GCSEs. Many of these GCSEs, but not all, will feature digital examinations and nonexamination assessments. We are also developing criteria for new Foundation, VCSE and Skills for Life and Work qualifications, which may also include digital assessments.
Digital examinations
Digital-only examinations are confirmed for use within eight new Made-for-Wales GCSEs from the outset. Further consideration is being given to the inclusion of digital examinations in four other subjects. In humanities subjects, digital examinations will be introduced within the first five years of study.
In subjects such as computer science, physical education and health, and drama, digital-only examinations will be available from the outset. These examinations will be designed to make the best use of their on-screen format. In subjects such as digital technology and computer science, there will be cohesion between the examinations, the content learners will study, and approaches to learning.
In subjects such as drama and music, learners will be able to review and respond to a range of audio and video stimulus materials, with functions such as pausing, scrubbing and replaying the material promoting their engagement. The materials will also be common to all learners, promoting an equitable basis of assessment for all learners.
In other subjects, such as physical education and health, and food and nutrition, the question types available in the digital format will enhance the validity of the examinations. For example, digital assessments can allow learners to drag, drop and sequence images and text to categorise them and create process diagrams. The inclusion of videos of practical demonstrations can allow learners to evaluate the way others apply and perform their skills in these subjects.
In humanities subjects, including geography and business, digital examinations will be introduced during the first five years of study. The phased introduction of these digital examinations will support schools in preparing to implement them and allow time for digital assessment approaches to be further explored and trialled in these subjects.
The full list of GCSE qualifications is:
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Digital-only examinations from the outset |
Under further consideration |
Digital examinations will be introduced later |
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2025 subjects
2026 subjects
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Made-for-Wales GCSE qualifications will also allow schools and learners to make best use of their digital equipment in other ways. In many subjects, digital technologies will be used to enable learners’ experiences, such as accessing historical resource material or taking virtual tours of natural environments or places of work. Digital technologies will also be used in the completion and submission of non-examination assessments.
We are working closely with Welsh Government, WJEC and others to support the effective implementation of digital assessments in these exciting new qualifications.
Remote invigilation
The use of remote invigilation within qualification assessments has evolved significantly in recent years. One significant reason for this change was the COVID-19 pandemic. Remote invigilation and other associated technologies helped awarding bodies to allow some qualification assessments to continue during this period. These technologies allow learners to take assessments in a location of their choosing, whilst ensuring they are taken under controlled conditions.
We're exploring how remote invigilation technologies are currently being used, and whether they could bring additional benefits to the qualification system in Wales.
We recently invited awarding bodies to attend a semi-structured interview to reflect on their use of remote invigilation. We asked awarding bodies about how they used remote invigilation to adapt assessments during the pandemic, the influence of this on their current qualifications offers, and what using technologies can mean for learners and centres. Their contributions are described in our summary document.
We are now exploring the views of learners on remote invigilation technologies. We invite learners to visit our Have Your Say platform to share their views and experiences of taking remotely invigilated assessments.
Formative assessment
As digital technologies are used more widely in education, we are engaging with schools to understand how they are using digital technologies to enhance formative assessment practices.
Teachers and learners have been sharing examples of how they are using a range of technologies, in different subject areas, to access revision material, attempt questions and exercises, and to provide feedback to learners.
In our project update report, we describe these examples in detail and reflect on the opportunities these technologies offer to schools and learners.
We are now inviting other schools to share their experiences of using digital technologies for formative assessments with us through our Have Your Say platform.
Working collaboratively with schools helps us to better consider how digital-based assessments can be designed in ways which are manageable, engaging, reliable and valid.
Artificial intelligence
Qualifications Wales’ artificial intelligence position statement
Artificial intelligence (AI) systems are becoming more advanced. The open availability of generative AI tools, which can generate text-based and visual outputs in response to user criteria, has prompted widespread interest and debate. These tools may have significant potential to influence how we live our lives, including how we learn, work and interact with the world around us.
Qualifications Wales is positive about the potential benefits that AI systems and tools could bring to teaching, learning and assessment.
We can also see that they present challenges to how we assess learners fairly on their knowledge and skills, and we want to ensure that the authenticity of learners’ responses, and therefore the integrity of assessments, is protected.
We have identified potential challenges and opportunities presented by AI tools in four broad areas relating to qualifications and assessments taken by learners:
- the ways in which teaching and learning related to qualification content will be delivered
- how awarding bodies design and deliver qualifications and assessments
- where candidates take their assessments and the levels of control needed to ensure the authenticity of assessment evidence
- the knowledge, skills and experiences contained within qualifications
Qualifications Wales wants awarding bodies to design and deliver innovative qualifications that offer learners in Wales positive and relevant experiences of assessment. As our work to reform qualifications continues, we will work closely with awarding bodies as they seek to make the best use of new technologies and ensure that learners are protected. We are also liaising with Welsh Government and other qualification regulators across the UK as we develop our understanding of the opportunities in this exciting new area.
Our work on AI
Our modernising assessment team has been liaising with awarding bodies, all of whom are actively considering a range of artificial intelligence tools as they emerge and develop.
We discussed relevant risks in relation to Made-for-Wales qualifications with WJEC. WJEC’s work in this area provides an example of actions that have been taken so far, including:
- produced guidance for its moderators to support the detection of potential malpractice, including indicators that artificial intelligence tools might have been used
- considered the different risks for its non-examination assessments
- explored how the suspected use of unpermitted artificial intelligence systems would be investigated and the proof that would be required
- using anti-AI software to support the identification of potential instances of using software to detect plagiarism, including content generated by artificial intelligence
In the summer of 2023 the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ) took a range of actions to support fairness for learners taking assessments.
JCQ has now updated its guidance for centres in relation to identifying risks linked to the use of artificial intelligence tools.
We have been meeting with WJEC, the main awarding body in Wales. WJEC agree that longer-term actions and systems need to be implemented to detect malpractice linked to artificial intelligence tools.
We will work actively with WJEC to consider this during the development of new Made-for-Wales GCSEs, and with other awarding bodies involved in developing new National 14-16 Qualifications.