Exams cost too much, say colleges

Colleges say they face unacceptably high exam bills

Colleges are spending more money on entering students for exams than they are on heating, cleaning or computers, they say.

The Association of Colleges says the cost of entering students for exams has gone up by 36% in the past three years.

Some larger colleges have seen their exam bill rise by more than 25% in one year and face annual bills of over £1m.

The government ordered a review of exam fees last year and has said the results will be published later this year.

The concern comes as the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority is considering a cap on what exam boards can charge.

The association welcomed the QCA's review, saying many colleges faced too-high bills.

For example, the annual bill for exams at the City of Bristol College is £1.5m.

Vice principal Judith Stradling said this was a rise of about 30% in four years.

"It's a cost that needs to be recognised - particularly for 16 to 18-year-olds," she said.

"It's a reflection of your success in a way, because it shows you've got a lot of students achieving qualifications."

Mrs Stradling said the increasing number of modular exams would put costs up further.

'Unacceptable'

Truro College in Cornwall spent just under £1m on exam fees last year.

Principal Jonathan Burnett said students lost out as a result.

"The proportion of funding that we have to spend on exam fees at the college reduces what is available for students," he said.

"We think that that is unacceptable."

Transparency

Last week the board of England's exam watchdog, QCA, heard that exam fees had been rising "well above the rate of inflation".

The QCA is now considering whether a price cap is necessary for the revised A-levels and new specialised Diplomas.

It also wants greater "transparency" in the pricing, and aims to publish all the boards' fees on its website.

AoC chief executive, John Brennan, said: "The AoC welcomes the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority's new review on exam fees and their commitment to taking college concerns seriously.

"Examination costs are higher because government policy requires colleges to use external qualifications as a pre-condition for receiving funding.

"The continuing rise in exam-fee expenditure above 10% a year is unsupportable and will deny other resources to students."

The Higher Education Minister Bill Rammell said there would be a review of exam fees, although the government believed expenditure on exam fees had increased in line with the greater number of learners taking qualifications.

"More and more young people and adults, are achieving the qualifications they need for sustained employment and to meet the skills needs of the economy," he said.

"We have asked QCA to look at the exam fees charged by awarding bodies for GCSEs and A-levels and to make recommendations for a clear pricing structure.

"The findings and recommendations from the review will be published later this year."