This article covers the assessment of pupils in compulsory full-time secondary education aged 11-16 (in Key Stages 3 and 4, ISCED 2 and 3).

Pupil/students assessment 

Responsibility for pupil assessment is shared.

The Department of Education (DE) has overall responsibility for statutory assessment arrangements and the examinations system. Under The Education (Northern Ireland) Order 2006, the DE specifies the assessment arrangements for the areas of learning, cross-curricular skills, and other skills (thinking skills and personal capabilities) of the Northern Ireland Curriculum. Under Section 81 of the Education (Northern Ireland) Order 1998, the DE also approves all qualifications taken by young people under 19 years of age, including GCSEs taken at age 16.

The Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment (CCEA) oversees examinations and assessment, alongside the curriculum, and keeps assessment arrangements under review. It also advises the DE on matters concerned with assessment, and on the external qualifications to be offered to pupils of compulsory school age in grant-aided schools. It is a non-departmental public body operating under Part VIII of the Education (Northern Ireland) Order 1998.

Awarding organisations, or AOs, design qualifications in line with regulatory requirements set by the CCEA.

The Education and Training Inspectorate (ETI) is responsible for post-primary school inspection. The effectiveness and impact of planning, teaching and assessment in promoting successful learning contributes to the school inspection judgement on the overall quality of provision. The legal basis for the ETI’s work is The Education and Libraries (Northern Ireland) Order 1986.

Schools are responsible for planning the whole school curriculum for their pupils, for assessing pupil learning, for informing parents of progress, and for complying with statutory assessment and examinations requirements. Responsibility is shared between the principal, the board of governors, and individual teachers who are responsible for evaluating pupil learning through a range of assessment strategies (see page 15 of the ‘Teacher Competences’). 

Post-primary school teachers use a range of formative, summative, evaluative and diagnostic assessment strategies to evaluate pupils’ learning, and use the information from this assessment to improve their own planning and teaching. There is a focus on using Assessment for Learning (AfL) to place formative assessment at the heart of teaching and learning. AfL gives pupils an active role in the assessment process, working with the teacher to determine what is being learned and identify next steps.

Key features of the assessment framework in compulsory secondary education are:

• statutory teacher assessment in all years of Key Stage 3 (Years 8-10, ages 11-14) in each of the areas of learning, in the cross-curricular skills, and in thinking skills and personal capabilities
• statutory summative teacher assessment at the end of Key Stage 3 (age 14) in the cross-curricular skills of communication, using mathematics, and using ICT
• external examinations at the end of Key Stage 4 (age 16). 

Assessment in Key Stage 3 

In Key Stage 3 (age 11 to 14), the emphasis is on continuous formative assessment in each area of learning, and across the thinking skills and personal capabilities and cross-curricular skills of the Northern Ireland Curriculum. The main objectives of assessment at this stage are to chart student progress, and to use assessment information for lesson planning and feedback and so help students to improve their performance.

Teachers are required to assess pupils in all areas of learning, in the cross-curricular skills, and in thinking skills and personal capabilities at the end of each school year during Key Stage 3. This is set out in The Education (Assessment Arrangements) (Foundation to Key Stage 3) Order (Northern Ireland) 2007.

This statutory annual assessment of pupil progress is the responsibility of schools and information on progress is not collected centrally, except for the results of the statutory teacher assessment of the cross-curricular skills at the end of Key Stage 3 (Year 10, age 14). Schools must report the results of this assessment to the Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment (CCEA). No assessment method is specified, but schools may choose to use CCEA-approved tasks.

Teachers assess each pupil in each component part of:

• communication
  • talking and listening
  • reading
  • writing
• using mathematics
• using ICT
  • explore
  • express
  • exchange
  • evaluate
  • exhibit.

In Irish-medium post-primary schools and units, students are also assessed in each component part of communication in Irish (listening, understanding and talking; reading; and writing).

Throughout Key Stage 3, teachers must record the results of their assessment of the cross-curricular skills with reference to ‘levels of progression’. At the end of the key stage (Year 10, age 14), they must report the numerical level a pupil has achieved.

Levels of progression set out, in the form of ‘can do’ statements, a continuum of skills that pupils should be able to demonstrate if they are to build the literacy, numeracy and ICT skills needed to function effectively in life and in the world of work. It became mandatory for schools to use them for the cross-curricular skills of communication and using mathematics in 2012/13, and for using ICT in 2016/17. There are seven levels of progression for each requirement of the cross-curricular skills. The expected level for most pupils at the end of Key Stage 3 is level 5. The levels of progression for all cross-curricular skills are included on pages 9-23 of Key Stage 3 – Assessment Arrangements from 2017-18.

To ensure reliability and consistency in statutory teacher assessment at the end of Key Stage 3, schools submit samples of pupils’ work to the CCEA for moderation. They do this in February of the final year of Key Stage 3, before they complete the statutory teacher assessment. These samples represent the range of levels that the school intends to award for each of the cross-curricular skills.

Assessment in Key Stage 4 

At the end of Key Stage 4 (age 16), assessment is mainly through external qualifications, such as the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) and other qualifications. The results from these examinations are important for student progression and for secondary school accountability and performance monitoring. The key measure is the proportion of pupils achieving five GCSEs at grades A*-C (or equivalent), including GCSE English and GCSE mathematics. The introduction of the Entitlement Framework has aimed to broaden the study and qualification options available for pupils in Key Stage 4. Further information on GCSEs is provided under the subheading 'Certification' below.

In addition, schools must assess pupils in Key Stage 4 in the cross-curricular skills, in the thinking skills and personal capabilities of the Northern Ireland Curriculum, and in each subject they study. There is no requirement to make reference to levels of progression for assessment judgements in the cross-curricular skills at Key Stage 4, as there is in Key Stage 3. The means of assessment is delegated to schools; most are likely to align their internal assessment standards with those of the most common external qualifications such as GCSEs.

For further information, see pages 29-40 of Guidance on Teaching, Learning and Assessment at Key Stage 4.

Pupil records and reports 

Grant-aided schools must provide the parents / carers of each pupil registered with an annual written progress report. This is required under The Education (Pupil Reporting) Regulations (Northern Ireland) Arrangements 2009.

In Key Stage 3 (ages 11 to 14), this progress report must include the results of the annual statutory teacher assessment in the areas of learning, the cross-curricular skills,  and the thinking skills and personal capabilities of the Northern Ireland Curriculum. This is specified in the 2009 regulations and The Education (Levels of Progression for Key Stages 1, 2 and 3) Order (Northern Ireland) 2012.

The results of the statutory annual teacher assessment of the cross-curricular skills must be reported with reference to the levels of progression. For pupils in the final year of Key Stage 3 (age 14), the report must include the numerical level of progression the pupil has achieved for each cross-curricular skill.

Reports for pupils at the end of Key Stage 3 must also include:

• a statement of the expected numerical level for pupils at the end of this key stage
• comparative information on the percentage of pupils in the school achieving, exceeding, or working towards the expected levels for each cross-curricular skill
• brief information on the pupil’s interests and strengths, and on any areas of focus for development.

In Key Stage 4 (ages 14 to 16), the report must include details of any approved qualification, award or certificate gained by the pupil, including any credit towards a qualification. This is in addition to information on a pupil’s progress and achievement in the cross-curricular skills, thinking skills and personal capabilities, and areas of learning studied.

The results of GCSE qualifications and specified equivalent qualifications for the whole of Northern Ireland are published online. Individual schools must also publish the educational achievements of pupils in the school – such as their results in GCSE examinations - in their school prospectus, on their website, and in the governors’ annual report to parents. This information does not include individual pupil results.

Progression of pupils/students 

Progression of pupils from one class to the next is a matter of custom and practice, rather than a legal requirement. In practice, pupils almost always progress automatically to the next year.

Low attainment of individual pupils is addressed through differentiated teaching and the provision of additional support, rather than by repetition of a year. Academically gifted pupils are similarly supported through differentiated teaching and support. Pupils are placed out of their age-related year group only in exceptional circumstances.

Certification 

Nationally recognised external qualifications are the main means of assessment at the end of compulsory secondary education (Key Stage 4, age 16).

Grant-aided schools can only offer a course to learners under the age of 19 that leads to a qualification that is approved by the Department of Education (DE). This is set out under Section 81 of the Education (Northern Ireland) Order 1998. The DE seeks the advice of the Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment (CCEA) before deciding on these approved qualifications.

The CCEA has responsibility for the regulation, accreditation and quality assurance of all qualifications offered to learners in Northern Ireland, including the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) and professional and technical (vocational) qualifications.

Approved qualifications are provided by awarding organisations (AOs), which are regulated and monitored by the CCEA to ensure that they have the capability to deliver the qualifications and that they meet CCEA’s General Conditions of Recognition. Details of all approved qualifications for use in Northern Ireland are contained within the Register of Regulated Qualifications.

At the end of Key Stage 4, students take qualifications that fall into three main groups:

• GCSEs (the main method of student assessment at this stage)
• non-GCSE technical and vocational qualifications
• Entry Level qualifications. 

The subheadings which follow provide further information.

General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) 

The qualification most commonly taken at the end of Key Stage 4 (age 16), following a two-year programme of study, is the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE). Although the GCSE is the main method of assessment in this phase of education, the qualification may also be taken at any age (e.g. by adults in further education colleges).

GCSEs are available in a wide range of subjects, including some vocational (applied) areas. There are no regulations governing the minimum or maximum number of subjects to be taken by a pupil at any one time. Key Stage 4 students typically take around eight GCSEs in a range of subjects.

The qualifications are available from a range of awarding organisations recognised by the Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment (CCEA), and are developed in line with the GCE and GCSE Qualifications Criteria and the GCSE Design Principles. For further information on the regulation of qualifications in Northern Ireland, see the article on the ‘National Qualifications Framework’.

Individual schools choose the GCSE qualifications to offer to their students from those available from the awarding organisations (AOs), and may choose to offer GCSEs from different AOs, in Northern Ireland, England or Wales, for different subjects. As policy on qualifications across the three nations has begun to diverge, however, schools may be constrained in their choice of specifications by the requirement that they meet Northern Ireland-specific criteria (see the subheading ‘Reform of GCSEs’ below). Schools must also be approved and registered with an awarding organisation as an examination centre in order to conduct GCSE examinations.

Assessment methods 

Assessment arrangements form part of individual qualification specifications; all available qualification specifications can be accessed via the Register of Regulated Qualifications.

The subject criteria for each GCSE subject outline the assessment arrangements for the qualifications. Subject criteria in many subject areas were published in 2011, revised subject criteria for English, Irish, mathematics and digital technology were published in 2015.

GCSEs are mainly assessed by timed, written examinations. For some subjects, the final GCSE grade awarded may be based partly on non-examination assessment. This is usually a form of internal (‘controlled’) assessment under teacher supervision. It takes place in those subjects where this is regarded as the most appropriate method of assessing content, such as art, technology and design, and music.

Some GCSE subjects are also examined by tier, that is, different examination papers are targeted at specific ability bands. For subjects where evidence suggests that it is possible to set questions in examination papers which can apply to the whole ability range, there is usually only one tier. For others, e.g. mathematics and modern foreign languages, there may be a foundation tier and a higher tier.

Marking and grading

After students have taken their GCSE exams in May and June, their papers are marked by the awarding organisation’s examiners. Examiners are trained to mark to a required standard using a mark scheme and, once all exam papers have been marked, grade boundaries are set.

Until the recent reform of GCSEs (see below), results from all GCSEs in Northern Ireland were reported on an eight-point scale: A*, A, B, C, D, E, F and G (where A* is high). GCSEs developed by the CCEA awarding organisation continue to be graded on the letter scale. However, where centres choose to offer GCSEs approved for use in Northern Ireland which have been developed by awarding organisations based in England, these GCSEs are now graded on a numerical 1-9 scale where 9 is high.

An additional C* letter grade (higher than C) was added to the letter scale for GCSE results from summer 2019. The intention is to better align the letter grade system with the numerical 1-9 grades. More detailed information on the changes to GCSE grading in Northern Ireland is available on the CCEA website.

On the letter scale, GCSE grades A* to C are classed as ‘good’ grades and achieving at least a Grade C is an important influence on future options available to students. On the numerical scale, grade 4 – a ‘standard’ pass - is the important grade for a student’s future options; grade 5 and above are classed as ‘strong’ passes.

Results and certificates 

Awarding organisations release GCSE results to schools (centres) and candidates in late August. They are deemed to be provisional to allow any queries to be resolved before certificates are issued. Certificates are sent to schools about eight weeks after results day. They include the following information:

• date of exam series (e.g. May/June 2019)
• awarding organisation
• centre
• student details
• qualification name and number
• grade awarded.

Reform of GCSEs 

GCSEs in Northern Ireland were reformed during the period 2015-2018. The reforms aimed to ensure that the qualifications remained high quality and fit-for-purpose, and reflected the changing needs of Northern Ireland learners as well as of the  local and global economy.

The first revised qualifications were available to schools in September 2016, for first examination in 2018. Since then, further revised GCSEs have been accredited for first teaching from September 2017 and September 2018.

The changes introduced in Northern Ireland take account of reforms in England and Wales, and of a 2013 review of GCSEs and A Levels in Northern Ireland. They are summarised below.

• Schools / examination centres in Northern Ireland can offer GCSEs which continue to use the A*-G grading system, alongside those developed by awarding organisations in England that use the numerical 1-9 system.
• Schools remain free to choose between modular (unitised) GCSEs (where examinations can be taken throughout the two years of the course), and linear GCSEs (where assessment is through examinations taken only at the end of the two-year period). (Modular GCSEs were discontinued in England from September 2012.)
• Where GCSEs are modular, pupils only have one opportunity to retake each unit, and 40% of the assessment must take place at the end of the course.

Technical and vocational qualifications 

In addition to applied (vocational) GCSE qualifications, a small number of technical and vocational qualifications are approved for teaching during Key Stage 4. These are at Level 1 and Level 2 of the Regulated Qualifications Framework.

The Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment, for example, offers a range of vocational qualifications. These include qualifications in occupational studies, preparation for adult life, understanding business enterprise, space science technology, and working in the creative crafts industry.

Details of all approved technical, practical and vocational qualifications for use with pupils in Key Stage 4 in Northern Ireland are contained within the Register of Regulated Qualifications.

Entry Level qualifications 

For students whose ability is below the level of GCSEs (or equivalent qualifications), or who have special educational needs, approved Entry Level qualifications are available. These qualifications constitute the first level of the Regulated Qualifications Framework and aim to encourage progression to higher-level awards.

Entry Level qualifications are available in:

• general subjects, for example, science, mathematics, English, geography
• life skills, for example, learning for life and work, life skills and extended life skills
• practical or vocational subjects, such as hairdressing and office practice.

They are offered at three levels - Entry Level 1, 2 and 3. All approved Entry Level qualifications for use in Northern Ireland are contained within the Register of Regulated Qualifications. Some Essential Skills qualifications are Entry Level qualifications (see the article on ‘Assessment in Vocational Upper Secondary Education’ for further information on Essential Skills qualifications).

Entry Level qualifications consist of a number of separately assessed units. Students complete a portfolio to provide evidence that they meet the assessment criteria for the learning outcomes for each unit. Teachers assess the portfolios and usually submit them to the awarding organisation for external moderation in the summer term.

Results are usually reported on a three-point scale which corresponds to the Northern Ireland Curriculum Levels 1, 2 and 3. Candidates who pass the qualification at each level, receive a certificate. Where candidates do not achieve the required level of performance, they receive a statement of results. Results are distributed by the examination centre (which is the pupil’s school or college).

Entry Level qualifications are also available for 16- to 19-year-olds and adult learners.

Article last reviewed April 2021.