National Reference Test

What is the purpose of the National Reference Test?

Ofqual’s National Reference Test (NRT) was introduced to provide additional information to support the awarding of GCSEs. It provides evidence of how performance has changed over time.

Each year the results of the NRT are considered by Ofqual and the exam boards prior to GCSEs in English language and maths being awarded. Results from the NRT may be used to inform standard setting in these subjects. This happened for the first time in 2019. More information about the NRT is available at http://www.gov.uk/government/collections/national-reference-test-information.

Ofqual has appointed NFER to develop, administer and analyse the test on its behalf.

How have schools been selected to take part?

A sample of schools is selected to take the statutory NRT, in the spring term each year. To reflect the importance of the test and to ensure high participation rates, the government introduced legislation that requires the participation of most schools. For maintained schools, this obligation is placed on the school directly through legislation. For academies and free schools, it is a requirement of your funding agreement to comply with The Education (National Curriculum) (Key Stage 4 Assessment Arrangements) (England) Order 2016 and the relevant guidance as they apply to maintained schools, to ensure that students at the school take part in assessments, and in teacher assessments of students’ performance. These supplementary provisions, approved by the Secretary of State, form that guidance. 

How are students selected to take part?

Headteachers are required to provide NFER with the number of students in year 11 who will be aged 16 by 31 August in the calendar year in which the test will be sat; and who will be entered for either or both of GCSE English language and GCSE maths. (Note: students are not eligible to take and NRT if they are only entered for the International GCSE, sometimes referred to as a level1/level 2 certificate, in that subject.)  

NFER will ask for a list of all these students comprising forename and surname, gender, date of birth and subjects eligible for. From this list, NFER will randomly sample up to 30 students to sit the English test and a separate group of up to 30 students to sit the maths test. Students will only be selected to take the test if they are entered for the GCSE in that subject. Please note that 30 students is the upper limit of the number of students NFER will sample for each subject; there is no lower limit. Instructions on how to access a list of the students selected to take the test and the subject they have been allocated will be provided to your school in January each year. Each student will be assigned to either the English or maths test; no student will take both subjects. 

All selected students are required to take the test in order to avoid bias in the sample. The legislation passed by the government allows the test provider to specify reasons for which the headteacher may decide under article 3(6) that a pupil should not take an NRT.  

A headteacher may withdraw a student from the test only for one of the following reasons: 

  • a student requires an access arrangement when taking their GCSE in English language or maths that is either not included in JCQ’s Access Arrangements and Reasonable Adjustments, or not available to the student for the NRT for example, due to confidentiality concerns.
  • a student has exceptional, temporary circumstances which, had they occurred during a student’s GCSE exams, would have resulted in the student not taking a GCSE exam or being eligible for special consideration, for example:  
    • personal illness;  
    • bereavement of a close family member or friend shortly before or at the time of the assessment; 
    • serious domestic crisis shortly before or at the time of the assessment which results in the student being emotionally affected at the time of the assessment; and 
    • participation in sporting events or other competitions at an international level at the time of the assessment. 
    • other circumstances which the headteacher assesses, and NFER agrees, could cause significant distress for the student were they to take the test, such as exacerbation of an existing medical condition. 

If unsure whether a student’s particular circumstances warrant withdrawal, please contact NFER for guidance. 

What does taking part involve?

The NRT will take place in schools from 24 February to 7 March 2025. This testing window is in spring to avoid the main GCSE exam period, but also chosen to be at a time when students are likely to have completed most of their course of study so that the test will give a good indication of GCSE performance.

What do I do if the testing window coincides with our GCSE mock exams?

You will be asked to identify three possible dates for testing between 24 February and 7 March 2025. If you are unable to provide three dates within this period, please contact NFER and we will work with you to find a mutually convenient testing date within the above timeframe.

How will the test be administered?

One or two representatives from NFER will visit a school a to administer the test. All of NFER’s test administrators are qualified teachers and have enhanced DBS checks. One of NFER’s administrators will contact your school before they visit to arrange the time of day for the testing to take place and to confirm all arrangements. They will bring all the materials required for testing along with them on the day and they will take away with them the completed tests for NFER to mark. Please arrange for a teacher or another member of school staff also to be present throughout the session.  

What is the composition and timing of the test?

For both English and maths, the test lasts one hour. Schools should plan for a total test administration time of at least one hour and 30 minutes, to allow for students to be seated and have instructions read to them by the test administrator. After the test, students will be asked to complete a five minute survey about their experience of the NRT and their preparation in general for their GCSE exams. 

How will the tests be kept secure?

The security of the test materials is paramount. The NFER administrator is responsible for the security and confidentiality of the test materials. No photocopies of the test may be made by anyone. Test materials must not be taken out of the room during the administration of the test. All teachers or other adults who are present in the test room (for example those providing support with access arrangements) will be required to sign a statement of confidentiality, declaring that the content of the test will not be discussed with any other person. 

What arrangements will schools need to make for the test?

It is the responsibility of the headteacher, or a nominated member of school staff, to ensure that all the selected students are brought to the test room at the time agreed with NFER’s test administrator. Late arrivals can be disruptive for all students taking the test.   

The test will be administered under exam conditions similar to those at GCSE: 

  • Prepare a seating plan in advance of the test date, as is done for GCSE exams. 
  • Ensure any relevant displays and posters in the test room are covered and desks are positioned an appropriate distance apart and so students cannot see each other’s test papers.  
  • Mobile phones and other smart devices are strictly prohibited in the room where the testing is taking place. 
  • For the test, students require a black pen or sharp HB or 2B pencil. Students must not use gel pens. If the student is using a pencil, they must write firmly. 

What access arrangements will be made available to students?

NFER will apply access arrangements similar to those used at GCSE. The following access arrangements and reasonable adjustments can be used for any student who is expecting to receive the arrangement/adjustment in their GCSEs: 

  • extra time; 
  • rest breaks and the use of a prompter to help students progress through the test; 
  • a reader (for the English reading test, a reader can only be used for the instructions at the beginning of the test); 
  • a scribe; 
  • a sign language interpreter; 
  • read aloud; or 
  • examination reader pen – only the following two JCQ approved pens are acceptable:  
    • C-Pen Exam Reader 
    • WizCom Exam Pen 

Reading pens are only suitable for assisting with reading one or two words in a sentence and are not suitable for all candidates who qualify for a reader. Candidates should be familiar and experienced with using these pens in order to get an accurate reading. 

The following modifications to the test can be used: 

  • Online answer tool or word processor; 

NFER will provide students expecting to use a word processor for their GCSE exams with access to a secure tool in order to type their answers to the test. For this access arrangement, schools will need to provide computers with internet access for each student. If internet access is not available NFER can supply a laptop for the student to use. 

Under no circumstances should a student use their own laptop to type answers into any software or tool other than the secure tool provided by NFER, as this could compromise the security of the test.

  • modified large print or enlarged papers
    • modified large print papers available are:
      • 18pt or 24pt on A4 paper
      • 24pt or 36pt on A3 paper.
    • enlarged papers will be an enlargement of the original paper from A4 to A3 (font size not specified)
  • test printed on coloured paper
    • NFER will endeavour to provide the requested colour or as close a match as possible.
  • Braille versions of the test
    • a Unified English Braille (UEB) version of the test will be available.

Translated versions of the test will not be available. The use of a dictionary is not permitted in the English test. The use of a bilingual dictionary is permitted in the maths test for students for whom English is not their first language and provided that it only provides a translation of the mathematical term, not the definition or illustration.  

How will the access arrangements be organised?

NFER will ask the headteacher of a designated school to provide details of any selected students requiring a modified test or the use of an online answer tool or word processor no later than end of January each year. Instructions will be provided on how to make these requests.  

The school is responsible for the provision of other arrangements such as the provision of a scribe or reader. Please advise NFER’s test administrator if any students will be given extra time. 

Discuss any access arrangements with the lead test administrator to allow sufficient time for the preparation of these arrangements. 

Students that require access arrangements should ideally be accommodated in the main examination room under the supervision of the administrator. If this is not possible due to the specific requirements of the student, please discuss this with NFER’s test administrator or with NFER staff ahead of the test date.  

How will parents be informed?

NFER will provide an information sheet for students that have been selected to participate in the NRT in January. It will give students an overview of the test and why it is important they take part. 

How will NFER use and protect the data collected?

The data collected by NFER will be shared with Ofqual for the purposes of analysis. All data relating to this project will be kept confidential by NFER and Ofqual, and no individual school or student will be identified in any way in any ensuing reports about the analysis. Ofqual will publish national measures of performance each year. The test is designed in such a way that the results cannot be used in any measure of school performance and cannot be used to influence or determine any student’s individual GCSE award. All data collected on access arrangements for individual students will be securely destroyed after the testing has been completed.  For the purposes of this project, Ofqual remain the data controller and NFER the data processor. Please refer to Ofqual’s privacy notice for more details on how personal data is processed and protected. (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-reference-test-your-information-and-your-privacy). If NFER is alerted to a potential safeguarding concern based on the responses given by a student during the NRT, we will contact the school.

How will my school benefit from taking part?

We aim to make participation in this test as easy as possible for schools. We will make every effort to select the date and timing of the test to suit schools, our test administrators will administer the test and NFER will mark it. We will however require a member of staff from the school also to be present during the test to ensure arrangements run smoothly and to help finalise arrangements before the day of the test.

In recognition of the time and resource required to participate in the NRT we will provide each participating school with a BACs payment of £190. Participating students will be entered into a national draw with a prize of a tablet computer.

We know that schools would like to receive feedback on how their students have done in the test. The test is not designed to measure the performance of individual students. It provides information about the overall performance of the national sample of students who take it. Therefore, we do not provide scores, marks or feedback for individual students. The test is not analysed to compare schools’ performance and we therefore cannot provide an overall result for individual schools.

Who can you contact for more information?

If you have any questions or queries about the test, please contact NFER by telephone on 01753 637 383 or by email to [email protected].