| Revision as of 09:14, 24 May 2010 editShrewsagain (talk | contribs)85 edits The Facebook information is trivial and irrelevant for an encyclopedia entry - mentioning it in the BBC story is enough. Ditto the detail of the textbook. Ofqual decision puts and end to this.← Previous edit | Revision as of 10:07, 24 May 2010 edit undoShrewsagain (talk | contribs)85 edits This is now balanced, it mentions the students' concerns, AQA's response and the overall outcome in terms of Ofqual's investigation.Next edit → | ||
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| == Biology A-Level controversy == | == Biology A-Level controversy == | ||
| The |
The Awarding Body attracted criticism of its Biology Unit 4 exam sat on the 25th of January 2010,<ref>Coughlan, Sean (January 27, 2010). . ].</ref> due to the fact that many students felt that it did not test what they had learnt but rather included questions on irrelevant material. AQA issued a statement on January 26th 2010 explaining that in the first year of a new specification candidates are often uncertain about what will be required of them in the examinations but they would take account of students' concerns when marking the examination.<ref>http://web.aqa.org.uk/news/messages.php</ref> | ||
| A subsequent investigation by Ofqual later concluded that the papers were fair and that the grades awarded were a fair and accurate measure of the candidates' performances<ref>http://www.ofqual.gov.uk/news-and-announcements/130/256</ref> | A subsequent investigation by Ofqual later concluded that the papers were fair and that the grades awarded were a fair and accurate measure of the candidates' performances<ref>http://www.ofqual.gov.uk/news-and-announcements/130/256</ref> | ||
| ==References== | ==References== | ||
Revision as of 10:07, 24 May 2010
| File:Assessment and Qualifications Alliance logo.svg | |
| Formation | 1997 (alliance) 2000 (merger) |
|---|---|
| Purpose | Awarding Body |
| Headquarters | Manchester, UK |
| Region served | England, Wales and Northern Ireland |
| Website | www.aqa.org.uk |
AQA (Assessment and Qualifications Alliance) is an Awarding Body in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. It compiles specifications and holds examinations in various subjects at GCSE, AS and A Level and offers vocational qualifications. AQA is a registered charity and independent of the Government. It is regulated by Ofqual, which is the regulator for the public examinations system in England and Wales.
AQA is one of five Awarding Bodies which are recognised by the regulators of the public exams systems for England, Wales and Northern Ireland to offer GCSE, AS and A Levels in the United Kingdom. AQA also offers the AQA Baccalaureate, a qualification also intended for students in Year 12 and 13.
AQA began as an alliance of the the Associated Examining Board/Southern Examining Group (AEB/SEG), Northern Examinations and Assessment Board (NEAB) and City & Guilds' GNVQ qualification in November 1997. In September 1998, it was registered as an educational charity. AEB/SEG and NEAB agreed to formally merge in October 1999, with this happening in April 2000.
The organisation has several regional offices, the two largest being in Guildford and Manchester. The current Director-General of AQA is Dr. Mike Cresswell.
Biology A-Level controversy
The Awarding Body attracted criticism of its Biology Unit 4 exam sat on the 25th of January 2010, due to the fact that many students felt that it did not test what they had learnt but rather included questions on irrelevant material. AQA issued a statement on January 26th 2010 explaining that in the first year of a new specification candidates are often uncertain about what will be required of them in the examinations but they would take account of students' concerns when marking the examination.
A subsequent investigation by Ofqual later concluded that the papers were fair and that the grades awarded were a fair and accurate measure of the candidates' performances
References
- Company details. AQA.
- http://www.aqa.org.uk/qual/bacc.php
- Coughlan, Sean (January 27, 2010). A-level Facebook protest widens. BBC News.
- http://web.aqa.org.uk/news/messages.php
- http://www.ofqual.gov.uk/news-and-announcements/130/256
External links
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