Overview
- Schools minister Georgia Gould has asked Ofqual to maintain equation and formula sheets for maths, physics and combined science for the lifetime of the current GCSE specifications.
- Ofqual opened a three‑week consultation that closes on 23 March, with chief regulator Sir Ian Bauckham saying any extension is expected to cover exams up to and including 2030 or 2031 and subsequent resit series.
- The sheets were introduced in 2022 as a post‑Covid measure and were previously extended to at least 2027 under Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson.
- A wider curriculum review plans revised content by spring 2027, first teaching from September 2028, and updated GCSEs from 2029, when ministers will decide whether memorisation should return.
- Shadow education secretary Laura Trott criticised the plan as lowering standards, while government proposals also include reducing overall GCSE exam time by roughly two‑and‑a‑half to three hours.