The impact of A Level exam scheduling on performance

This article examines whether the scheduling of A Level examinations in England influences student performance. Using data from the OCR awarding organisation from 2016 to 2019 and 2023, we analysed the exam results of candidates taking at least three A Levels. Three exam scheduling measures were considered: (i) days since the candidate’s previous exam; (ii) days since the candidate’s first exam; and (iii) number of previous exams taken by the candidate. Multilevel regression models controlled for concurrent attainment, gender, subject group, centre type, and exam session. Results show no evidence of a cumulative fatigue effect linked to days since the first exam. However, performance was slightly lower when multiple exams occurred on the same day, with gaps of one or more days associated with modest improvements (2 to 3.5 percentage points). The number of previous exams had a small negative effect overall but interacted strongly with concurrent attainment: high-attaining students performed better as the number of exams increased, while low-attaining students performed worse. Overall, the findings suggest that current scheduling practices have limited impact on performance, though reducing same-day exams could offer minor benefits.