Cambridge OCR, one of the country’s major exam boards, has been fined £270,000 by the qualifications regulator Ofqual for a series of significant errors in its 2025 physics A-level and AS-level papers.
The penalty follows an investigation which found 12 separate mistakes in exam questions and their corresponding mark schemes. The most serious consequence was that 40 students in total were issued with incorrect final grades as a direct result of the board’s failures.
Post-results discovery and grade changes
While many errors were caught and corrected before students sat the exams or received their results, two critical mistakes were identified only after results day. This late discovery meant 37 of those affected – 33 AS-level and four A-level candidates – saw their final grades increased by one. In a further separate failure, OCR did not have clear arrangements for schools to request mark adjustments, which led to three other students receiving incorrectly high results. The board chose not to lower these grades.
Ofqual’s executive director for delivery, Amanda Swann, stated: “Students deserve quality exam assessment materials. After years of hard study, these unacceptable failures caused anxiety for students during their exams. Some were issued incorrect grades.”
The regulator concluded that Cambridge OCR had failed to ensure its paper content was fit for purpose. A root cause analysis identified inadequate systems of control, issues with workplace competence, and insufficient capacity within the board’s operations.
Board’s apology and action plan
A spokesperson for Cambridge OCR said: “We accept this judgment and we are very sorry to the students and teachers who were affected by these mistakes. We did not meet the high standards that students and teachers deserve, and that we set for ourselves.”
The board, which is owned by the University of Cambridge and operates as part of Cambridge University Press & Assessment, has provided Ofqual with a formal undertaking and an action plan to prevent a recurrence. This includes strengthening technical checking processes specifically for physics exams. The spokesperson confirmed a detailed root cause analysis had been undertaken to improve processes.
This incident is not an isolated one for OCR. In 2017, the board was fined £175,000 for an error in a GCSE English literature paper. It was also reprimanded in 2019 over breaches of re-mark rules. Concerns about the standard of its 2025 physics papers had been raised earlier in the year by the Institute of Physics, whose chief executive Tom Grinyer warned that repeated issues could jeopardise growing student demand for the subject.
Broader shift towards digital exams
The fine comes as Ofqual consults on proposals that could see a significant shift in how exams are taken. The regulator is considering allowing exam boards to propose new GCSE and A-level specifications for on-screen assessment, with the aim of some being introduced by 2030.
Under the consultation, launched last week, GCSEs in subjects with smaller entry numbers and most A-levels – excluding maths – could move to digital formats. Each of the four exam boards in England would be permitted to propose two new on-screen specifications, potentially creating eight new qualifications with a digital component. The proposals are partly driven by pupil complaints about “writing fatigue” during traditional pen-and-paper exams.
Ofqual has emphasised that any move would be controlled, with personal devices prohibited and schools managing secure devices. The watchdog states that pen-and-paper exams would remain central to the system, with the consultation aiming to ensure fairness and maintain public confidence. Previous proposals from boards including OCR for on-screen assessments were delayed in December 2024.
