GCE 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 qualifications, and additional criteria for GCE.

The criteria that apply to all GCE qualifications are designed to improve quality and coherence within and across all GCE qualifications. The regulatory authorities refer to these criteria when considering draft specifications submitted by awarding bodies for accreditation.

The additional subject criteria provide the framework within which awarding bodies create the detail of a specification. This can be found in the 'Subject criteria for GCE modern foreign languages' link above.

GCE qualifications in MFL

These are listed on the 'Approved qualifications' page (see link above).

GCE standards

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

QCA, working in partnership with awarding bodies, has developed descriptions of performance at key grade boundaries for AS and A2 for MFL and other subjects. These are available from the 'Performance descriptors for modern foreign languages AS/A level' link above, together with examples from AS and A2 examination papers, including extracts from candidates' examination scripts.

Teaching AS/A level MFL

Guidance on teaching and learning for AS/A level MFL, including case studies for how schools and colleges have designed French and German courses, is available on the 14–19 learning website.