**Welsh Exam Board Faces Record Fine After Issuing Incorrect GCSE Results to Over 1,500 Students**
The Welsh exam board, WJEC, has been hit with a substantial £350,000 penalty following revelations that more than 1,500 pupils in England received incorrect grades for their 2024 GCSE Food Preparation and Nutrition qualification. The course, administered under the Eduqas brand, is not available to state schools in Wales but is delivered by WJEC as part of its external qualifications portfolio, including schools in England and Northern Ireland.
The incident has sparked concern just weeks ahead of the publication of this year’s GCSE outcomes, casting a shadow over the forthcoming results day. Wales’ own results in the past year saw a decline in top grades, raising broader questions about the robustness of exam marking and moderation.
At the heart of the matter is Ofqual, the exams regulator for England, which has imposed the hefty fine and cited the “serious nature” of WJEC’s failings. According to Ofqual, over 1,500 candidates received the wrong marks, with approximately 847 students unfairly downgraded and a further 680 in receipt of grades above what they should have achieved. Ofqual underscored its determination to uphold the interests and integrity of students sitting these critical qualifications.
The fine itself is split into two equal parts of £175,000. The first addresses shortcomings in the moderation of teachers’ coursework marking, a process intended to ensure consistency and fairness across all centres. The second relates to breaches in procedures for reviewing marks after initial results had been issued.
A spokesperson for WJEC responded, clarifying that the incident and resulting penalty relate solely to qualifications awarded in England. “The fine issued by Ofqual pertains to our operations in England,” the statement read. “The first fine relates to our Eduqas GCSE in Food Preparation and Nutrition, a qualification that is not offered to state-funded schools and colleges in Wales.” They further noted that the implications for Wales are still under consideration by Qualifications Wales, with further comment pending their review.
Further details emerged, via BBC reports, indicating that the WJEC had failed to adjust teachers’ coursework marks appropriately for the Eduqas GCSE in Food Preparation and Nutrition. This coursework component constitutes half of the overall qualification, making moderation errors especially impactful.
Among the affected students, those who were unjustly given a lower grade have since seen their marks corrected. However, those who received grades higher than warranted will keep their original results, presumably to avoid any further disruption to their educational progression.
WJEC administers exams throughout maintained and independent schools in Wales, and has long served as a leading provider of external qualifications for English and Northern Irish schools as well. This incident will likely prompt a review of quality assurance and moderation practices not only at WJEC, but across other awarding bodies, as students and educators alike demand stronger safeguards against similar errors in future.
The timing of the revelation, so close to another exam cycle and results release, is bound to heighten anxiety for students, parents and teachers. The fine serves as both a punitive measure and a signal from regulators that exam boards must uphold the highest standards in assessment and fairness.
Amidst ongoing debate about the merits and pressures of public examinations, and as the education sector grapples with change post-pandemic, maintaining public trust in qualifications is more important than ever. It remains to be seen what further steps WJEC and the wider exam board community will take to restore confidence in the system and prevent such mistakes from reoccurring.