Changes to GCSEs in MFL (from Sept 2016)

(Sources: Ofqual and DfE)

• all four skills weighted 25%
• all exams are final
• Higher and Foundation tiers for all four exams (including writing and speaking)
• either Higher OR Foundation for all four exams (no mix and match)
• all exams to be marked by exam boards
• speaking exams are final “non-exam assessments” which means that they are not all at the same time but during an exam period (same as oral exams for Alevel and as the previous speaking exams)
• Translation (from English-TL and TL-English) will be part of the Reading/Writing exam at Higher AND Foundation
• Listening: 20-30% questions in TL
• Reading: 30-40% questions in TL (adapted literary texts will be included)
• New Topic areas: 

         1. Identity and culture

         2. Local, national, international and global areas of interest 

         3. Current and future study and employment

Current Year 8s will be the first to start the new GCSEs in Sept 2016 and sit the new GCSE exams in June 2018