Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make it her Department’s policy that public examinations are handwritten other than (a) for candidates with (i) special educational needs and (ii) disabilities and (b) for practical skills.

The majority of GCSE and A level examinations are handwritten in England. The department has been working closely with Ofqual, the independent regulator of qualifications and assessments, to consider the potential benefits and risks of greater use of onscreen assessment in high stakes qualifications and to carry out research to understand the implications for schools and colleges, students and other stakeholders. The ongoing Curriculum and Assessment Review will also continue to consider evidence on this topic. Any final decisions about the future of onscreen examinations over the long term will be informed by evidence and the views of stakeholders.