Schools Minister Says GCSE and A-Levels Need to Have ‘Credibility’ for Employers

Exams regulator says 2023 exams should be closer to 2019 results

Schools minister Nick Gibb at the Department for Education in London on July 26, 2023. Victoria Jones/PA

Schools minister Nick Gibb said exam results in England need to return to pre-pandemic levels this year to carry “weight and credibility” with employers.

During the COVID-19 pandemic teachers, rather than external examiners, were marking mock exams and assessing classwork, which led to overall inflated grades across subjects.