GCSE courses usually begin at the beginning of Year 10 and are completed in the summer term of year 11, when written examinations are then taken. Oral work will be assessed and makes up a proportion of the mark awarded for the final grade in English and in Modern Foreign Languages.

English GCSE

Oral work is called 'Speaking and Listening'

• It usually gets 20% of the total mark for English
• This is the same as the written coursework
• The course usually takes 2 years and pupils normally start it at the beginning of Year 10. In English the subject tutor will set oral tasks for your child over the whole period of his course for GCSE, from the number of tasks set (usually about 12-15), 3 will be selected to be assessed for the final GCSE grade. The selection must show evidence of the student's oral work to cover the skills of:
  • Talking in many different ways to suit the audience and also listening attentively to others and responding as appropriate
  • Explain. Describe. Narrate.
  • Explore. Analyse. Imagine.
  • Discuss. Argue. Persuade.

Modern Foreign Languages

The setting and assessment of oral work does vary considerably according to the syllabus and the Examination Board selected. Generally it does carry 25% of the total mark. Parents and students need to know exactly what form of testing and assessment is being used in the school and should request the name of the syllabus and the Examination Board for that. Some syllabuses involve the Examination Board in the assessment and therefore any major adaptations to oral work for your child through access arrangements will have to be considered by the Board.

Further information

Parents and/or students should ask the subject tutors the exact name of the examination syllabus and the name of the Examination Board, so they can get details of the correct syllabuses and check what is involved in the oral work.

Contact details of Examination Boards from which copies of syllabuses can be downloaded

AQA
Devas Street
Manchester
M15 6EX
Tel: 0161 953 1180

Edexcel
Cribbs Business Centre
Hollywood Lane
Cribbs Causeway
Bristol
BS10 7TW
Tel: 0117 950 1908

OCR
1 Regent Street
Cambridge
CB2 1GG
Tel: 01223 552552

WJEC
245 Western Avenue
Cardiff
CF5 2YX
Tel: 029 2026 5129

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Text for this whole section: GCSE Oral work