Rejected petition Make GCSE English Literature exams open-book

The exams should be open-book to encourage deeper understanding and critical thinking. This approach would allow students to engage with the text more analytically, focusing on interpretation rather than memorisation. It fosters long-term comprehension, preparing students for real-world application.

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Making the exams open-book would better apply skills needed in real-life scenarios, where people can access resources to inform their decisions. This would shift the focus from recall to analysis and deeper understanding of texts. Students would be encouraged to engage more with literature, using texts to support their interpretations, rather than relying on recall. It also reduces unwanted stress, allowing students to express their analytical abilities rather than their ability to memorise.

This petition was rejected

Why was this petition rejected?

There’s already a petition about this issue. We cannot accept a new petition when we already have one about a very similar issue.

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You may wish to sign the following petition, which calls for similar action:

Replace GCSE and A-Level memory-based exams with open-book formats
https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/730126

We only reject petitions that don’t meet the petition standards.

Date submitted 22 June 2025
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