Isle of Man students will not sit GCSE or A-level exams this summer and instead have their grades determined by their schools.
The move to cancel Cambridge Assessment International Education (CAIE) exams for Year 11 and 13 students is fully supported by secondary headteachers on the Island.
Pupils and teachers were already aware that exams regulated by the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual) and those offered through the Welsh Joint Education Committee (WJEC) would not be held this summer.
A new grading system will be built around a range of assessments between now and early June - with secondary schools using the evidence from these to arrive at their judgements.
This could include mock exams, coursework, essays and classroom based tests and schools will work together to ensure the system is fair.
Dr Alex Allinson MHK, Minister for Education, Sport, said:
‘It is important to put the needs of our young people first and provide clarity to our teachers at this challenging time. That is why we have taken this decision to cancel all exams.
‘The new system will give students the best possible chance to achieve the grades they deserve and progress to the next stage of their education or career.
‘These outcomes are extremely significant and we will be working closely with schools to support our young people and our hard working teachers through the process.’
This year’s changes affect most general courses (IGCSE, GCSE & A-level) and technical courses (BTEC and OCR National Courses at Levels 1, 2 and 3).
However, there are some vocational courses that require skills to be assessed through practical exams that will still go ahead as normal.
The Department will continue to work with schools and exam boards in coming weeks and will keep pupils, parents and teachers informed.
