Students lodge formal complaint against BPP alleging City favouritism – Law Society’s Gazette

‘A multifaceted complaint against legal educator BPP from students on its postgraduate solicitor programmes was formally submitted today.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 11th August 2020

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Jack Maxwell and Joe Tomlinson: Model students: why Ofqual has a legal duty to disclose the details of its model for calculating GCSE and A level grades – UK Constitutional Law Association

Posted July 28th, 2020 in coronavirus, disclosure, examinations, news, teachers by sally

‘On 18 March 2020, the UK Government cancelled GCSE and A level exams for students in England. The closure of schools and the need to slow the spread of COVID-19 made exams impracticable. But the Prime Minister confirmed that students would still get ‘the qualifications they need and deserve for their academic career.’ This created an obvious headache for public administration: the objective was to create a legitimate system of assessment, which could maintain confidence, without actual assessments.’

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UK Constitutional Law Association, 28th July 2020

Source: ukconstitutionallaw.org

Online invigilators will be watching Bar students’ every move – Legal Futures

Posted June 30th, 2020 in barristers, examinations, legal education, news by sally

‘Online invigilators for the Bar exams taking place in August have been trained to differentiate between candidates looking around naturally and trying to read hidden notes, students have been warned.’

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Legal Futures, 30th June 2020

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

‘Against natural justice’: father to sue exams regulator over A-level grades system – The Guardian

‘Fears Ofqual’s Covid-19 method of adjusting marks in line with a school’s prior performance will penalise bright pupils.’

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The Guardian, 20th June 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

BSB defends online exams after students raise discrimination concerns – Law Society’s Gazette

‘The Bar Standards Board has defended its decision to move exams online, saying “there was simply not enough time” to consult widely about the change. Students have claimed the computer-based assessments will discriminate against women, carers and disabled candidates.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 19th June 2020

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

SRA to press ahead with launch of SQE in autumn 2021 – Legal Futures

‘The Covid-19 crisis will not stop the introduction of the Solicitors Qualifying Exam (SQE) in September 2021, the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has decided.’

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Legal Futures, 8th June 2020

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Bar students urge online exams rethink – Legal Futures

‘Bar professional training course (BPTC) students have told the Bar Standards Board (BSB) that its plans for online examinations risk discriminating against women, carers and the disabled.’

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Legal Futures, 2nd June 2020

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

BSB approves online exams with “astonishing” anti-cheat rules – Legal Futures

‘The Bar Standards Board (BSB) has announced that Bar students will be able to take this year’s exams online – but barristers have expressed concern about the “astonishing” anti-cheating provisions.’

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Legal Futures, 14th May 2020

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

SRA allows trainees to qualify before completing PSC – Legal Futures

‘Trainee solicitors will be able to qualify without first completing the professional skills course (PSC) because of the Covid-19 outbreak, the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has decided.’

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Legal Futures, 24th April 2020

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Coronavirus: How Will Exam Cancellations Affect Students? – Each Other

Posted April 14th, 2020 in coronavirus, education, examinations, news, school children by sally

‘With the cancellation of all GCSE and A level summer exams amid the coronavirus pandemic, the system for awarding student grades been transformed beyond recognition.’

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Each Other, 9th April 2020

Source: eachother.org.uk

How will law exams be affected by coronavirus? – The Guardian

Posted April 3rd, 2020 in coronavirus, delay, examinations, internet, legal education, news by sally

‘Bar exams have been delayed until August, but trainees have called on regulators to move their assessments online.’

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The Guardian, 3rd April 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

SRA relaxes assessment rules for students and trainees – Legal Futures

‘The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has today outlined a significant relaxation of its rules for law students and trainees to allow their assessment to go online.’

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Legal Futures, 25th March 2020

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Bar students urge BSB to reconsider exam delay – Legal Futures

Posted March 20th, 2020 in barristers, coronavirus, delay, examinations, health, internet, legal education, news by sally

‘Students on the Bar professional training course (BPTC) have written a letter to the Bar Standards Board (BSB) to object to its decision to cancel the April sitting of the centralised examinations due to the coronavirus.’

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Legal Futures, 20th March 2020

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Online law school bursts onto scene for SQE – Legal Futures

Posted November 28th, 2019 in examinations, legal education, news, solicitors by sally

‘An online-only law school entered the market yesterday to deliver the new Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE), with heavyweight backing from leading academics and lawyers.’

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Legal Futures, 28th November 2019

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Pre-92 universities lead way with BPTC pass-rates – Legal Futures

Posted November 26th, 2019 in barristers, examinations, legal education, news, universities by tracey

‘The pre-1992 universities achieve the best results in the centralised exams taken by students on the Bar Professional Training Course (BPTC), it has emerged.’

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Legal Futures, 26th November 2019

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Approval of SQE not a foregone conclusion, LSB warns – Legal Futures

‘Approval of the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE) is not a foregone conclusion, the Legal Services Board (LSB) is to make clear to the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA).’

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Legal Futures, 12th November 2019

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

AQA could face class action suit from parents of children who were possibly given ‘incorrect’ grades – Daily Telegraph

‘The UK’s biggest exam board could face class action from parents, following revelations that answers were being “remarked” by the same examiners.’

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Daily Telegraph, 16th October 2019

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

‘Staggering’ Home Office disregard for innocent people saw thousands lose visas in cheating scandal, MPs say – The Independent

Posted September 18th, 2019 in delay, examinations, fraud, government departments, news, universities, visas by tracey

‘The Home Office showed “staggering” disregard for innocent people during the visa scandal that saw more than 50,000 overseas students accused of cheating and cost taxpayers nearly £20m, MPs have said. The Public Accounts Committee found that hundreds of people were still protesting their innocence at “great personal cost” more than five years after being accused of fraudulently passing English language tests due to the Home Office’s delay in responding to indications that some may have been wrongly caught up in the probe.’

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The Independent, 18th September 2019

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Alison Berridge, Alexandra Littlewood and Ciar McAndrew: Freedom of Information Journal – Recent decisions of the Commissioner and Tribunal – Monckton Chambers

‘Alison Berridge, Alexandra Littlewood and Ciar McAndrew, public law barristers at Monckton Chambers, highlight the points of interest from April-June decisions of the First-Tier and Upper Tribunals.’

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Monckton Chambers, 20th August 2019

Source: www.monckton.com

SRA considers ditching skills testing from first part of SQE – Legal Futures

‘The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) is considering whether to abandon the skills element of the first stage of the Solicitors Qualifying Exam (SQE), meaning it would consist entirely of multiple-choice questions.’

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Legal Futures, 31st July 2019

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk