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: Practical 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 no longer possible to split the qualification and take some assessments at one centre and the rest at another, unless you are studying one of the qualifications with one of the distance learning providers listed.
- 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 awarding body.
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 awarding body.