Assessment of University-entrance level mathematics in England: an analysis of key influences on the evolution of the qualification during the period 1951-2001

This paper tracks the evolution of the mathematics qualification, usually called GCE A-level, originally developed and commonly used for University-entrance in England. The analysis focuses on key influences on the evolution of the qualification during the period 1951-2001, looking at how, and by whom, change was initiated, and what provided the catalysts for changes to syllabuses and schemes of assessment. The analysis describes the infrastructure of the particular qualification, identifies a stakeholder model, and proposes catalysts for change in terms of issues relating to syllabus content, standards, validity and reliability. The analysis suggests that a significant feature of the qualification framework in England is the ‘market’ created by having multiple examining agencies delivering a single qualification. Whilst this does create problems of comparability, and can lead to pressures which are not wholly educationally desirable, the market does create a dynamic for change which a public examination monopoly might not readily achieve.

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