On-screen GCSE exams: what Ofqual has proposed and what it means for typing
Not yet, and not for most pupils any time soon. In England, GCSE exams are still sat on paper, apart from pupils who use a word processor as an access arrangement. Ofqual, the exams regulator, ran a consultation from 11 December 2025 to 5 March 2026 on letting exam boards introduce a small number of on-screen GCSE, AS and A level specifications. Under the proposals, pen and paper would stay the main way of sitting exams, the biggest subjects (such as maths and English) would be left out, and Ofqual's Chief Regulator, Sir Ian Bauckham, has said pupils are unlikely to sit digital exams before the end of the decade. At the time of writing (October 2026) we could not find a published decision on the consultation. There is no need to panic, but good keyboard skills are worth building anyway, because pupils already type coursework and some already sit exams on a word processor.
This article covers GCSEs, AS and A levels in England, which Ofqual regulates. Wales and Northern Ireland have their own regulators (Qualifications Wales and CCEA Regulation), and Scotland has a separate exam system.
What has Ofqual proposed for on-screen GCSEs?
The full documents are on GOV.UK's Regulating on-screen assessment consultation page, and the starting point is reassuring for anyone worried about a sudden switch: pen-and-paper exams would remain central for the foreseeable future. On top of that, each of the four exam boards that offer GCSEs, AS and A levels in England could introduce up to two new on-screen specifications, and only after Ofqual had formally reviewed and signed off each one.
The largest subjects are kept out of this first phase. Anything with more than 100,000 entries nationally would not be eligible, which rules out GCSE maths, English and combined science. Where an on-screen version did exist, it would be a separate qualification from the paper one, with different questions, so the two could be compared fairly. Pupils would not bring their own laptops either: centres would provide the equipment, so that differences between home devices do not create unfairness. Ofqual's blog post what teachers need to know about our on-screen assessment proposals sets this out in plain terms.
What is confirmed, what is proposed and what is only reported?
| Statement | Status |
|---|---|
| Ofqual consulted on regulating on-screen GCSE, AS and A level exams (11 December 2025 to 5 March 2026) | Confirmed |
| Up to two on-screen specifications per exam board; subjects over 100,000 entries excluded; no personal devices | Proposed in the consultation, not a final rule |
| Ofqual was analysing a high volume of responses after the consultation closed | Confirmed in the Chief Regulator's report to the Ofqual board of 18 March 2026 |
| Some GCSEs and A levels could be on screen by around 2030 | Reported by Schools Week and FE Week; an indication, not a date |
| A final decision for GCSE, AS and A level | Not found at the time of writing; Ofqual said it would publish its response and next steps |
Separately, Ofqual has allowed on-screen assessment in some of the new vocational V Levels. That decision concerns vocational qualifications, not GCSEs, and does not tell us what will happen to them.
What have the exam boards said?
AQA, Pearson Edexcel and OCR all announced on-screen GCSE plans in recent years, and all three were delayed, as Schools Week reported. AQA had proposed moving the reading and listening papers of GCSE Italian and Polish on screen, then postponed it. Pearson Edexcel had planned an optional on-screen route for GCSE English language and literature, which under the proposed 100,000-entry limit would not be eligible in the first phase anyway. OCR had announced a fully digitally assessed GCSE computer science, and says it will confirm a first teaching date once Ofqual approval is in place.
The boards do not all see it the same way. In its consultation response, AQA, England's largest exam board, warned that Ofqual risked "moving too slowly" and described the two-specification limit as "unduly restrictive", as Tes reported in March 2026. Eduqas (part of WJEC), the fourth board, has said it understands the balance in Ofqual's approach and shares schools' concerns about whether pupils are ready. The pattern is clear: some exam boards want to move faster than the regulator is proposing, but nothing has been confirmed for mainstream GCSE subjects.
What would on-screen exams mean for typing?
If a pupil sits an exam on screen, any extended answer has to be typed, and that is where keyboard skills matter. Ofqual's own research review, On-screen assessment and mode effects, notes that pupils' computer familiarity and typing speed can interact with writing mode. It also raises the possibility of a "dual task" effect for pupils less used to a physical keyboard, who have to think about the answer and about the keys at the same time.
Exam boards have made the same point. Ian Morgan, chief executive of Eduqas, told Tes that typing with two thumbs on a phone is not the same as using a QWERTY keyboard on a laptop. Being comfortable with screens does not mean a pupil can type a long, accurate answer under time pressure. Slow typing could cost time in any typed answer, just as slow handwriting does on paper. Exam conditions are also stricter than homework: in current word-processed exams, spelling and grammar checks and predictive text are switched off, as our guide to using a word processor in GCSE and A level exams explains, so pupils who lean on autocorrect at home may find typed exam answers harder than expected.
Where does typing already matter for GCSE pupils?
Even without on-screen exams, many GCSE pupils type a lot of assessed work. Non-exam assessment in subjects such as history, geography, design and technology and computer science is often word-processed, and our guide to typing your NEA covers that side. Some pupils already sit paper-based exams on a laptop because it is their normal way of working, under JCQ access arrangement rules. And beyond Year 11, A level essays, university work and most office jobs are typed, so the skill keeps paying off long after the last GCSE paper.
How can pupils prepare without overreacting?
No pupil needs to change how they revise because of a consultation. Steady keyboard practice is useful whatever Ofqual decides, and a sensible approach for Years 7 to 11 looks like this:
- Take a baseline with a free typing test and note words per minute and accuracy. A 5-minute test gives a more realistic picture of exam-length typing than a 1-minute burst.
- Learn proper finger placement. Touch typing, typing without looking at the keys, frees attention for the content; if you are starting from scratch, read how to position your fingers on the keyboard.
- Practise little and often. Ten to fifteen minutes a few times a week is easier to keep up during term than long sessions.
- Once a week, type a timed paragraph or short answer with spell check and predictive text switched off, to mirror exam conditions.
- Keep handwriting going. Almost all GCSE exams are still on paper, so timed written answers remain essential.
Teachers and SENCOs can use the same steps. A typing baseline in Year 9 or Year 10 also helps show whether a word processor is genuinely a pupil's normal way of working.
Where Kluppy fits
Kluppy is one option for this kind of practice. It runs in the browser, including on Chromebooks, with nothing to install and no adverts. The typing test (1, 3 or 5 minutes) and the typing exercises are free with no sign-up. A free account covers the finger-placement level and levels 1 to 7 of the free typing course, with no card required; paid plans from level 8 add AI-generated exercises built from your own errors. Schools in the UK can see prices in pounds on the UK pricing page, and family plans for the UK are coming soon. Kluppy is not affiliated with Ofqual or any exam board.
Frequently asked questions
Are GCSE exams going on screen in 2027?
Nothing we have found confirms that. Ofqual's proposals would allow only a small number of new on-screen specifications after a formal review by Ofqual, and its Chief Regulator has said pupils are unlikely to sit digital exams before the end of the decade. Check Ofqual's consultation page on GOV.UK for the outcome.
Will GCSE English or maths be on screen?
Not in the first phase as proposed. Subjects with more than 100,000 entries, including maths, English and combined science, would not be eligible at this stage.
Could my child use their own laptop for an on-screen exam?
Under the proposals, no. Centres would provide the devices. Word processor access arrangements in today's paper-based exams follow separate JCQ rules, which your child's school can explain.
What typing speed will pupils need?
No speed has been set or proposed. Aim for comfortable, accurate touch typing rather than a target number, and keep practising handwriting for the exams that remain on paper.