Ofqual Student Guide to Exams and Assessments in 2025

This guide provides you with information about arrangements for qualifications regulated by Ofqual. It explains what you need to know before, during and after your exams and assessments. 

Ofqual regulates awarding organisations to develop, deliver and award qualifications in England. We set rules that awarding organisations must follow and ensure that qualifications and assessments meet high standards. We make sure that qualifications are fair and reflect what students know, understand and can do. So, students can be confident and trust in the grade they receive.

About this guide  

This guide is for students taking any of the following qualifications:  

• GCSEs  
• AS or A levels  
• other general qualifications, including International Baccalaureate, core mathematics and Pre-U  
• Technical Qualifications within a T Level (the core assessment and Occupational Specialism)  
• Vocational and Technical Qualifications (VTQs) taken alongside GCSEs and A levels in subjects such as engineering, health & social care and digital media 

We make clear in this guide where information only applies to a certain type of qualification. If you are not sure exactly which qualifications you are taking, check with your school or college. 

If you are an apprentice, the End-point assessment guide for apprentices sets out the end-point assessment (EPA) process, what to expect from your assessment and what to do if you have concerns about the quality of your EPA or how it is run. 

In this guide, we refer to schools and colleges as a collective term for all schools, colleges and other exam centres.  

This guide also applies to private candidates who may be home educated or re-taking a qualification after leaving school or college. You may be studying with a distance learning provider, tutor, parent, or without any support. If you are a private candidate, you will need to register at a school or college to sit your exams. You can find more information on how to do this in this guide.   

All organisations that offer qualifications regulated by Ofqual are called awarding organisations. The 4 awarding organisations that offer GCSEs, AS and A levels in England are also called exam boards.  Where we refer to exam boards specifically, it is because we are talking about their GCSE, AS or A level qualifications.