Schools in England could sit digital GCSE exams under new plans

Schoolchildren in England could be asked to sit digital GCSE exams within the next few years under new plans.

AQA, the biggest exam board for GCSEs and A-levels in England, says it would like at least one major subject to be partly sat digitally in England by 2030.

It hopes to start rolling out on-screen exams in two GCSE subjects in three years time.

AQA says it believes paper-based exams are still useful but that digital exams are more inclusive, environmentally sustainable and are what young people want.

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The plans come after AQA has spent several years testing digital exams.

Students' devices will be offline in the exam hall so they would not be able to use the internet to search for information, nor will they be able to access artificial intelligence (AI) tools.

AQA said that digital exams have the potential to be more inclusive and fair and "allow young people to use their digital skills."

AQA said it will continue talking with teachers and exams officers about how the changes should come about.

If plans are approved, the exam board said that the reading and listening parts of its GCSE Italian and Polish exams will be the first to be assessed this way from 2026.

AQA will announce more detailed plans next year about what support will be available to schools and setting out which other subjects will next include digital assessments.