Onscreen assessment
The natural choice for students
The pandemic brought teaching and learning online. Onscreen assessment is the natural evolution.
Pearson is proud to be leading the way in onscreen assessment as the first awarding body to offer onscreen International GCSE exams alongside traditional paper-based exams.
What started as a pilot in 2020, became a reality in 2022 when students sat their Pearson Edexcel International GCSE English Language exams onscreen for the first time.
In 2023, we have seen entry numbers double for onscreen exams as thousands of students around the world have chosen to take their International GCSE exams onscreen not on paper.
Students love it!
The results are clear
Students love sitting their exams in a format that is familiar to them.
Students said...
‘More time to plan’. ‘More time to review my work.’ ‘I could write more’. ‘I could manage my time better’.
Exams must keep up
Students have told us they want exams to keep up with how they use technology, now and in the future
Our rich heritage in creating onscreen assessments
Onscreen assessment isn’t new to Pearson. We introduced the first completely computer-based English test with Pearson Test of English over 12 years ago.
Our rich heritage and experience of developing and delivering onscreen assessments at scale with the Pearson Test of English, the Egyptian Ministry of Education, GCSE Computer Science qualification, and currently two years of delivering high-stakes International GCSEs have ensured our onscreen platform is tried and tested.
It's a platform you can trust.
Onscreen exams now available in more subjects
Now in their second year, Pearson Edexcel onscreen examinations are available for students to sit in the following International GCSE and International A Level (IAL®) subjects:
| Available for first onscreen assessment from 2022 and 2023 | Available for first onscreen assessment from 2024 | Available for first onscreen assessment from 2025 |
International GCSE English Language A International GCSE English Literature
|
International GCSE Business International GCSE Economics International GCSE History International A level English Literature International A level English Language |
International GCSE Geography International GCSE Pakistan Studies International GCSE Islamic Studies
|
Onscreen assessment in action
NEW: International A Levels
Students across the world can take onscreen exams for our Pearson Edexcel International A Level qualifications as well as our International GCSEs as more subjects are added from May 2024.
GCSE (9-1) Computer Science
Pearson Edexcel's GCSE in Computer Science allows students to be assessed in programming online, in a practical, two-hour onscreen exam to assess real-world skills in an engaging way.
Pearson Edexcel Mocks Service
Students can sit an International GCSE English and Maths past paper onscreen and have it marked by our expert marking team. Over 4,000 students sat onscreen Pearson Edexcel GCSE mock exams in 2021.
Onscreen assessment in Egypt
Working with the Egyptian Ministry of Education, we deliver over 14 million high-stakes onscreen assessments to over 1.6 million students each year.
Pearson Test of English
Our fully automated, AI-based test is used worldwide to certify English Language proficiency, automatically marking constrained and open-ended responses.
Read our FAQs
Got a question? Check out our frequently asked questions for more details including the technology requirements for onscreen assessments, invigilation ratios, the qualifications involved and how assessments are awarded.
What international schools say
This year we saw the number of schools adopting onscreen assessment double for the summer 2023 exam season, meaning thousands of students sat their International GCSE exams onscreen. The results are clear:
Teachers love it - 100% of teachers who registered students for onscreen exams in 2022 have registered for the 2023 exam series too
Students love it - 90% of students who sat their exams onscreen in 2022 said they wanted their school to offer more onscreen exams in the future.
What's more, our success in onscreen assessment has led to us becoming a BETT Award Finalist for Transformational Impact.
View our onscreen assessment infographic here
Onscreen assessment at British School of Bahrain
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Onscreen assessment at Qatar International School
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What we're exploring next
Every student, subject and assessment is unique. That’s why continuing our work with schools, employers and policymakers across countries and curricula is crucial to unlocking the opportunities of onscreen assessment.
Together, we will shape assessments that are accessible, inclusive and equip students for the future.
What are the barriers and opportunities with onscreen?
Our 'Onscreen Assessment Spotlight' report draws on expert views and surveys to identify the opportunities of technology in assessment and the barriers to change.
How can we shape accessible assessments?
We partnered with Assessment MicroAnalytics™ to explore how onscreen assessment might benefit students with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).
What does the future of assessment look like?
We asked students, teachers, parents, employers and parliamentarians for their thoughts on the future of assessments for 14–19-year-olds in England.