Michael Gove sets out '21st century' exam reforms

The GCSE exam in England is to be replaced for core subjects by a qualification called the English Baccalaureate Certificate - which will be awarded for the first time in 2017.

The shake-up of the exam system will mean a single end-of-course test rather than modular assessments, and one exam board responsible for each subject.

Announcing his plans in the House of Commons, Education Secretary Michael Gove said that the old exam system had resulted in a "race to the bottom" and that it was time for radical reform "to equip children for the 21st century".