Be part of the future of assessment: join our Student Advisory Group
Published: Tuesday 6 Sep 2022
We’re looking for new students to join our Student Advisory Group and help shape the future of assessment.
The group is made up of young people who’ve recently taken exams, and provides our Board of Trustees with a young person’s perspective on exams and assessment.
Student members have trialled materials, been central to the development of online assessment and provided feedback from themselves and their peers about students' mental health in relation to exams.
They receive briefings from senior colleagues at the board and comment on matters as diverse as website content, equality, diversity and inclusion across the curriculum and specifications, and AQA’s long term strategic direction.
We’re looking for new students to replace some of our outgoing members. The students selected will attend a series of meetings, where they’ll provide AQA with a student perspective on key topics to help inform important decisions, as well as developing valuable skills that will help them in their future careers.
We’re keen to hear from students who’ve completed AQA specification GCSEs since 2021, as well as from those taking AQA AS and A-levels and any of our non-general qualifications (which include functional skills, ELC, FCSE, Tech levels, Tech Awards and Applied Generals).
You can apply to be part of the Student Advisory Group and the application window closes on Friday 23 September.
The successful candidates will join the group for one year, with the option to extend for a further year.
Alison Wang, current chair of the Student Advisory Group, said:
“My experience with the Student Advisory Group has been so much fun.
“The AQA staff are fully dedicated to the cause of empowering students to be change-makers and speaking up.
“Not only is being part of the group – having your concerns, advice and insight heard directly by your own exam board – an extremely rare opportunity, but being part of our group is great for meeting like-minded people and gaining real world experience with a national organisation.”
Elizabeth Kitcatt, from AQA’s Board of Trustees, said:
“Our vision as AQA trustees was always that the group would provide insights for the board and executive about their experiences as examinees, providing an authentic student voice that would inform and improve our thinking and planning.
“I don’t think any of us anticipated just how important the group would become to AQA, especially through the pandemic. Members are always thoughtful, considered and well-informed in their contributions, and interacting with them is always a real pleasure.
“The students have also developed their own networks and meet peers from schools across the UK, thereby broadening their vision of educational experiences nationally.
“Given these opportunities, I would recommend membership of the group to any student who is interested in education and assessment and who wants to make a real difference to school and college students by engaging with, and influencing AQA, the largest exam board.”
