Petition · past parliament · Department for Education
Scrap national exams for Key Stage 4 permanently
Closed
32 signatures
What the petition asks
National exams at ages 15/16 are no longer necessary because it’s compulsory to stay in full- or part-time education until 18, or start an apprenticeship/traineeship. This makes GCSEs defunct, and they should be scrapped and replaced with teacher assessment, ending unnecessary pressure on students.
As was demonstrated in 2020 when GCSEs were cancelled due to the covid-19 pandemic, educators are able to make their own assessments of appropriate grades for pupils aged 16-18 without the need for a national exam. Scrapping GCSEs should allow pupils in Key Stage 4 to have a more rounded education not defined by final exams, remove pressure on teenagers at a vulnerable stage of development and eliminate the cost and bureaucracy GCSEs unnecessarily burden schools with.
Timeline
| 12 Mar 2021 | Petition opened for signatures |
| 12 Sep 2021 | Closed to new signatures |
Key facts
Signatures
32
Status
Closed
Department
Department for Education
Opened
12 Mar 2021
Closed
12 Sep 2021
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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 15 Jul 2026.