'One Set Is Likely Sufficient': Ofqual's Mock Exam Warning

Autumn mocks, spring mocks, a third round before study leave — many schools run more assessment cycles than Ofqual's own guidance says are needed. An assessment lead and a class teacher work through what "one set is likely to be sufficient" actually means, and what to do with results once you have them.

Sources:

• Ofqual guide for schools and colleges 2026 (pub. 15 Jan 2026, updated 3 Feb 2026), gov.uk
• EEF blog: New case studies, making effective use of diagnostic assessment
• Printable one-pager for this episode: theeducationcommute.co.uk

What's covered:

• The honest finding: no statutory date or format for mock exams exists anywhere in DfE or Ofqual guidance, January is a scheduling convention
• Ofqual's real, current, named purpose for mocks: contingency evidence for Teacher Assessed Grades, should exams be disrupted
• The same guide's warning against over-assessment, verbatim: one set of mocks likely to be sufficient for evidence purposes
• What makes a mock cycle worth the disruption: sorting scripts by gap, not just rank, and reteaching before the next set, per EEF's diagnostic-assessment evidence

Actions for consideration:

• Before scheduling a second or third mock cycle this year, check whether it's gathering genuinely new evidence or just repeating what the last one already showed.
• Sort marked scripts by topic gap, not just by score, before any report goes home.
• Build a reteaching slot into the calendar straight after each mock cycle, the evidence only pays off if something happens with it before the next paper.
• Be ready to show a governor or LA reviewer one clear evidence-gathering cycle rather than several disconnected mock folders.

Disclosure: Both voices on this show are synthesised (NotebookLM, Google); the research, reading and editorial judgement are done by a serving practitioner.

Strand: Leaders