GCSE criteria

A document describing arrangements for the statutory regulation of external qualifications can be downloaded from this page. This document includes criteria for awarding bodies' procedures, common criteria for all GCSE qualifications, and additional criteria for GCSE.

The criteria that apply to all GCSE qualifications are designed to improve quality and coherence within and across all GCSE qualifications. The regulatory authorities refer to these criteria when considering draft specifications submitted by awarding bodies for accreditation (see links on this page).

The additional subject criteria provide the framework within which awarding bodies create the detail of a specification.

GCSE qualifications in MFL

These are listed on the 'Approved qualifications' page (see links on this page).

GCSE standards

QCA has a programme to review GCSE standards both over time and across awarding bodies. Further information and the most recent reports on GCSE French and GCSE German can be accessed via the links on this page.