The Cardiff-based exam board WJEC is facing a £350,000 fine after more than 1,500 students in England were issued incorrect GCSE grades in their 2024 food and nutrition examinations.
WJEC, Wales’ largest qualifications awarding body and a major provider in both England and Northern Ireland, runs the food preparation and nutrition course in England through its Eduqas arm. Although not offered in Wales, the course plays a critical role in many students’ academic progress across England.
According to England’s exam regulator Ofqual, the fine reflects “the serious nature of WJEC’s failures and our commitment to protecting the interests of students.”
Investigations revealed that WJEC failed to properly adjust teacher-marked coursework, which accounts for 50% of the qualification, to align with national standards. This failure resulted in 847 students receiving grades lower than they deserved, while 680 received higher marks than warranted.
Students who received lower grades eventually had their marks corrected. However, those who were awarded higher grades were allowed to keep them to avoid undue disadvantage.
In response, WJEC issued credit notes worth £219,000 to affected schools and colleges as financial compensation and has formally apologised. “We take full responsibility and acknowledge that we did not meet the usual high standards expected of us,” WJEC stated. “We want to reassure learners and centres that we have undertaken a thorough review of our processes and implemented appropriate measures to ensure such incidents do not occur again in the future.”
The £350,000 fine comprises two parts: £175,000 for errors related to external moderation of teachers’ marking, and another £175,000 for breaching rules around the review of marking.
Additionally, Ofqual found that between 2017 and 2023, WJEC allowed 3,926 exam papers to be reviewed by the same assessors who had initially marked at least part of them — a clear violation of protocol.
Amanda Swann, Ofqual’s Executive Director for General Qualifications, emphasized:
“Students must be able to trust that their results accurately reflect their performance and what they know, understand and can do. These proposed fines reflect the serious nature of WJEC’s failures and our commitment to protecting the interests of students, and maintaining the integrity of our qualifications system.”
WJEC also confirmed that Qualifications Wales is “currently considering the appropriate steps to take” regarding the proposed fine.
