Editing GCSE (section)

====2010s reforms====
Under the Conservative government of [[David Cameron]] various changes were made to GCSE qualifications taken in England. Before a wide range of reforms, interim changes were made to existing qualifications, removing the January series of examinations as an option in most subjects and requiring that 100% of the assessment in subjects from the 2014 examination series be taken at the end of the course. These were a precursor to the later reforms.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ocr.org.uk/Images/82560-specification.pdf|title=GCSE 2012 French/German/Spanish Specification|date=May 2012|website=ocr.org.uk|access-date=27 November 2017}}</ref>

From 2015, a large-scale programme of reform began in England, changing the marking criteria and syllabi for most subjects as well as the format of qualifications and the grading system.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Get the facts: GCSE reform |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/get-the-facts-gcse-and-a-level-reform/get-the-facts-gcse-reform |access-date=2017-11-27 |website=Gov.uk |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/new-gcses-what-changes-exams-results-education-curriculum-9-1-department-for-education-a7906251.html|title=Here's what the new GCSE grades mean|date=2017-08-22|work=The Independent|access-date=2017-11-27|language=en-GB}}</ref>

Under the new scheme all GCSE subjects were revised between 2015 and 2018 and all new awards were to be on the new scheme by summer 2020. The new qualifications are designed such that most exams will be taken at the end of a full two-year course, with no interim modular assessment, coursework nor controlled assessment except where necessary (such as in the arts). Some subjects retain coursework on a non-assessed basis, with the completion of certain experiments in science subjects being assumed in examinations and teacher reporting of spoken language participation for English GCSEs as a separate report.

Other changes include the move to a numerical grading system to differentiate the new qualifications from the old-style letter-graded GCSEs, publication of core content requirements for all subjects and an increase in longer, essay-style questions to challenge pupils more. Alongside this a variety of low-uptake qualifications and qualifications with significant overlap will cease, with their content being removed from the GCSE options or incorporated into similar qualifications. A range of new GCSE subjects was also introduced for pupils to study from 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://newgcses.campaign.gov.uk/|title=GCSEs in England have changed|website=newgcses.campaign.gov.uk}}</ref>

GCSE examinations in English and mathematics were reformed with the 2015 syllabus publications, with these first examinations taking place in 2017. The remainder were reformed with the 2016 and 2017 syllabus publications, leading to first awards in 2018 and 2019 respectively.

For [[GCSE Science]] the old single-award "science" and "additional science" options are no longer available, being replaced with a double award "combined science" option (graded on the scale 9–9 to 1–1 and equivalent to 2 GCSEs). Alternatively pupils can take separate qualifications in chemistry, biology and physics. Other removed qualifications include a variety of design technology subjects, which are reformed into a single ‘design and technology’ subject with several options, and various catering and nutrition qualifications, which are folded into "food technology". Finally several "umbrella" GCSEs such as "humanities", "performing arts" and "expressive arts" are dissolved, with those wishing to study those subjects needing to take separate qualifications in the incorporated subjects.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/gcses-as-and-a-levels-new-subjects-to-be-taught-in-2015|title=Completing GCSE, AS and A level Reform – GOV.UK|website=gov.uk|date=6 June 2014 |language=en|access-date=2017-11-27}}</ref>