Student and parent support
Non-exam assessment (NEA)
Non-exam assessment (NEA) appears in some GCSE, AS and A-level qualifications. This includes A-level science practicals and GCSE English Language spoken language endorsement.
Schools and colleges must provide the opportunity for all candidates, including private candidates, to complete NEAs/practical skills endorsement. They must only accept entries from a private candidate if they are willing to do this.
For A-level Science practical assessments, please see the Private candidates: A-level Science Practical Assessment Guidance document.
What you need to know
- A single entry is now required for new specifications, rather than individual unit entries in the outgoing specifications.
- It's the responsibility of a private candidate to find a centre which must accept responsibility for all aspects of the qualification.
- The school or college must:
- supervise the NEA work
- authenticate the NEA work
- meet the administration requirements described in the specification
- mark (assess) the NEA work
- make the entries and provide accommodation for the exams.
NEA marked by AQA
For these specifications only, AQA will mark your NEA. The numbers in brackets are the component codes:
- AS French Component 3: Speaking tests (7651/3T and 7651/3V)
- A-level French Component 3: Speaking tests (7652/3T and 7652/3V)
- AS German Component 3: Speaking tests (7661/3T and 7661/3V)
- A-level German Component 3: Speaking tests (7662/3T and 7662/3V)
- AS Spanish Component 3: Speaking tests (7691/3T and 7691/3V)
- A-level Spanish Component 3: Speaking tests (7692/3T and 7692/3V)
- AS Dance Component 1: Performance and choreography (7236/X)
- A-level Dance Component 1: Performance and choreography (7237/X)
- AS Music Component 2: Performance (7271/P)
- AS Music Component 3: Composition (7271/C)
- A-level Music Component 2: Performance (7272/P)
- A-level Music Component 3: Composition (7272/C)
- GCSE French Component 2: Speaking tests (8658/SF and 8658/SH)
- GCSE German Component 2: Speaking tests (8668/SF and 8668/SH)
- GCSE Spanish Component 2: Speaking tests (8698/SF and 8698/SH)
- GCSE Bengali Component 2: Speaking tests (8638/SF and 8638/SH)
- GCSE Chinese (spoken Mandarin) Component 2: Speaking tests (8673/SF and 8673/SH)
- GCSE Italian Component 2: Speaking tests (8633/SF and 8633/SH)
- GCSE Modern Hebrew Component 2: Speaking tests (8678/SF and 8678/SH)
- GCSE Panjabi Component 2: Speaking tests (8683/SF and 8683/SH)
- GCSE Polish Component 2: Speaking tests (8688/SF and 8688/SH)
- GCSE Urdu Component 2: Speaking tests (8648/SF and 8648/SH)
Carrying forward marks for NEA
When re-sitting, private candidates will be able to carry forward a previous result for an NEA.
If you are re-taking an A-level Biology, Chemistry, Geology or Physics qualification you can request to carry forward a previous grade for the practical skills endorsement, even if it was awarded by a different exam board.
If you are re-taking the GCSE English Language qualification you can request to carry forward a previous grade for the spoken language endorsement, even if it was awarded by a different exam board.