Michelle Meadows

Executive Director – Strategy, Risk and Research

The 2026 National Reference Test: rising attainment in maths and what this means for grades

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: A levels and GCSEs, Exams, Grading, Marking, National Reference Test, Qualifications, Results
Young person sitting at a small desk using a pencil to write on a notepad, with a window behind them.

The 2026 National Reference Test results are out. They show a long-term trend of slightly improved attainment in GCSE maths, but not in English language. To ensure standards are maintained, we told exam boards to take the NRT results into account when setting some GCSE maths grade boundaries. Here we explain what that means.

Further evaluation of summer 2020 awarding

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: A levels and GCSEs, Exams, Vocational and technical qualifications
Decorative picture of a hand sifting through a pile of reports

We have today published three evaluation reports looking at how grades were awarded in summer 2020. Taken together, they shine further light on the process of standardisation and on the differences between calculated grades, centre assessment grades and final grades. …