Last updated: 07 Mar 2008

As part of the review of GCSE qualification and subject criteria, QCA commissioned a report on internal assessment in GCSEs. The report was published in June 2007 and recommended that coursework be replaced in the majority of subjects with controlled assessment.

In line with these recommendations, controlled assessment regulations have been developed for all GCSE subjects with internal assessment. The controlled assessment regulations are available to download from this page.

Examples of controlled assessment in these subjects are also available from this page:

• Art and design
• Citizenship studies
• Design and technology
• Drama
• Geography
• History
• Media studies
• Modern foreign languages - speaking
• Modern foreign languages - writing
• Statistics

In controlled assessment, the levels of control are designated at three key control points: task setting, task taking and task marking. In addition, the level of control at each of these key control points falls into one of three categories: limited, medium or high. Definitions of the key control points and the categories within them can be found in the glossary of terms at the end of the regulations document.

The controlled assessment regulations must be read in conjunction with the qualification and subject criteria which are available from this page.