Editing GCSE (section)

====Modular and linear GCSEs====
In the past, many GCSE qualifications used a modular system, where some assessment (up to 60% under the "terminal rule") could be submitted prior to the final examination series. This allowed for students to take some units of a GCSE before the final examination series, and thus gave indication of progress and ability at various stages, as well as allowing for students to resit exams in which they did not score as highly, in order to boost their grade, before receiving the qualification. Various qualifications were available as both modular and linear schemes, and schools could choose whichever fit best for them.

Under the [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]] government of David Cameron, reforms were initiated which converted all GCSEs from 2012 (for assessment from 2014) to de facto linear schemes, in advance of the introduction of new specifications between 2015 and 2018 (for first assessment from 2017 to 2020). These new rules required that 100% of the assessment in a GCSE be submitted in the final examination series, at the same time as applying for certification of the full qualification.<ref name="edexcel.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.edexcel.com/Aboutus/press-room/press-releases/Pages/ks4-announcement.aspx|title=GCSE reforms|website=Edexcel.com|access-date=14 June 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Changes to A levels |url=http://www.education.gov.uk/nctl/examsadmin/news/archive/a00217355/alevels |url-status=dead |archive-url=http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20140430095946/http://www.education.gov.uk/nctl/examsadmin/news/archive/a00217355/alevels |archive-date=30 April 2014 |access-date=14 June 2015 |website=Education.gov.uk}}</ref><ref name="ocr.org.uk">{{cite web|url=http://www.ocr.org.uk/qualifications/gcse-and-a-level-reform/gcse-reform/|title=Latest news and information on the GCSE reform programme – OCR|website=Ocr.org.uk|access-date=14 June 2015}}</ref> The examination boards complied by modifying the syllabi of the remaining GCSE qualifications to remove modular components.<ref name="edexcel.com" /><ref name="ocr.org.uk" /><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.edexcel.com/quals/gce/gce15/Pages/default.aspx|title=Edexcel A levels|website=Edexcel.com|access-date=14 June 2015}}</ref>