GCSE Coursework vs Exam-Only Subjects: What Parents Need to Know

Since 2017, most GCSE subjects in England have moved to exam-only assessment, with no traditional coursework contributing to the final grade. A smaller number of subjects retain a non-exam assessment (NEA) component — including art and design, music, drama, design and technology, and PE — where practical or portfolio work counts towards the grade.

Why did most GCSEs move to exam-only assessment?

The move away from coursework at GCSE was a deliberate policy change introduced by the government as part of the broader reform of the 9–1 grading system, which came into effect from 2017. The rationale was to make assessment more consistent and to reduce concerns about the reliability and authenticity of coursework submitted under varying conditions — including questions about the extent of teacher or parent support in some cases.

Ofqual, the qualifications regulator, oversaw the transition. The result is that the core academic GCSE subjects — English language, English literature, mathematics, the sciences, history, geography, and modern foreign languages — are now assessed entirely through written examinations taken at the end of Year 11. There is no coursework, portfolio, or controlled assessment that contributes to the final grade in these subjects.

Which GCSE subjects still have non-exam assessment?

Non-exam assessment (NEA) — the modern term for what was previously called coursework or controlled assessment — remains in a defined set of practical and creative subjects where the skills being assessed cannot be fully demonstrated through a written exam alone. The following GCSE subjects commonly include NEA components:

Subject | NEA type | Typical NEA weighting
Art and Design | Portfolio of artwork + personal investigation | 60% portfolio + 40% exam (externally set assignment)
Design and Technology | NEA project (design and make task) | 50%
Music | Performance + composition portfolios | 60%
Drama | Devising log + performance (live or recorded) | 40–60% depending on board
Physical Education (GCSE PE) | Practical performance in two activities | 40%
Computer Science | Programming project (NEA) | 20% (AQA and OCR)
Food Preparation and Nutrition | Food investigation + food preparation assessment | 50%

Note that exact weightings vary by exam board. Always check the specific board's specification for your child's subject.

What is the difference between coursework and controlled assessment?

These terms are sometimes used interchangeably, but they refer to different assessment models. Traditional coursework was completed largely at home over an extended period, with relatively open conditions. Concerns about plagiarism, ghostwriting, and inconsistent support led Ofqual to introduce controlled assessment as an interim approach — work completed under defined conditions in school, with limits on the type of support allowed.

Since the 2017 reforms, the term "non-exam assessment" (NEA) is the standard term used by Ofqual and exam boards. For practical and creative subjects, NEA is produced in school under teacher supervision and submitted to the exam board for moderation. In most cases, students cannot complete NEA work at home unsupervised — it must be completed under the conditions specified in the subject specification.

What does exam-only assessment mean in practice?

For the majority of GCSE subjects, the entirety of a student's grade is determined by their performance in written examinations taken in May and June of Year 11. There is no prior work submitted to the exam board. This means:

No ongoing grade pressure from coursework deadlines during Year 10 and Year 11 (in subjects without NEA)

All eggs in one basket — a student who underperforms in exams due to illness, anxiety, or a bad day cannot offset this with prior work

Revision is the primary lever — since the whole grade is determined by exam performance, structured revision throughout Year 10 and Year 11 matters more than in a mixed-assessment model

For subjects with NEA, the timeline is different: students typically begin NEA work in Year 10 or early Year 11, and the submitted work is assessed by the teacher and moderated by the exam board before the final grade is awarded in combination with the exam result.

How does NEA affect revision strategy?

For subjects with NEA components (art, music, drama, D&T, PE, food technology, computer science), the revision strategy is necessarily split:

NEA component: preparation, drafting, and submission happen throughout the school year under teacher guidance. Parents can support by ensuring their child has the materials, time, and space to complete this work — but the content must be the student's own.

Exam component: written exam preparation proceeds as for any exam-only subject — past papers, topic consolidation, and timed practice.

The risk in NEA subjects is that students treat the exam component as secondary once NEA is submitted, then have insufficient time to prepare for the written paper. For many students, the exam component carries 40–60% of the final grade and deserves equal revision attention.

Does NEA give an advantage over exam-only assessment?

Not necessarily. Students who are stronger in practical or creative work may find NEA an opportunity to build a cushion of marks before the exam. However, NEA is moderated by exam boards to ensure that grading is consistent across schools — a teacher's raw assessment may be adjusted up or down after moderation.

Students who are strong writers and exam-takers but less confident in practical work may find exam-only subjects better aligned to their strengths. The subject choice at GCSE should reflect both the student's interests and their assessment style preferences where possible, though the core subjects (English and maths) are compulsory regardless.

Frequently asked questions

Can parents help with GCSE NEA work?

Parents can support their child's wellbeing, time management, and access to materials during the NEA period. However, they must not contribute to the content of the NEA itself — the work must be the student's own under exam board rules. Teachers are required to authenticate NEA submissions. If a teacher suspects external assistance beyond what is permitted, they must report it to the exam board, which can result in disqualification from the subject.

Can a student retake the NEA component if they are unhappy with their grade?

In most cases, no — or not without effectively retaking the full qualification. NEA is submitted once and moderated once per assessment series. If a student retakes a GCSE in a subsequent exam series, they would typically be expected to produce new NEA work for subjects where it applies, unless the exam board's rules allow a "carry-forward" of a previous NEA mark (which is rare and time-limited). Check the specific exam board's specification for details.

Does GCSE Computer Science still have a programming project?

At the time of writing, AQA and OCR GCSE Computer Science include a programming project (NEA) contributing 20% of the final grade. However, there have been ongoing policy debates about whether NEA in computer science should be retained, owing to difficulties in authenticating student work. Parents should check the current specification for their child's exam board, as this may change between academic years.

How are NEA marks moderated between schools?

Exam boards use a process called moderation (or statistical moderation) to adjust school-assessed marks. A sample of students' NEA work from each school is submitted to the exam board, where external moderators review the teacher's marking against the mark scheme. If a school has been marking consistently higher or lower than the national standard, all marks from that school in that subject are adjusted accordingly — upward or downward. This means a student's final NEA mark may differ from the mark their teacher gave them.

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