Reimagining Assessment: A Fresh Lens on Mastery

Global education crisis: UK education needs a shift towards practical, mastery-focused learning.

This week, the UK government announced a significant shift in its education policy: the proposal to scrap endless resits of GCSE English and Maths. For years, students who did not achieve a pass grade were required to retake these exams, often multiple times, until success. Yet the statistics told a sobering story—only 18% of students resitting Maths and 23% resitting English achieved a passing grade, despite repeated attempts. Rather than building confidence, the system left many students disheartened, locked in cycles of frustration, and further alienated from learning.

The new proposals suggest a different path. Instead of relying on repeated high-stakes exams, policymakers are exploring more competency-based approaches, such as functional skills assessments or “driving test”-style evaluations. These would aim to measure whether students can meaningfully apply knowledge in everyday life, rather than simply recalling information under exam conditions. This change signals not only a reassessment of policy, but also a deeper reflection on what education should be designed to achieve.

At its heart, this is about mastery. For too long, assessment has been equated with endurance—try again, and again, until you break through or burn out. But true mastery is not forged by repetition alone. It emerges from meaningful engagement, reflection, and the application of knowledge in diverse contexts. When education becomes little more than an obstacle course of repeated trials, the result is fatigue, not expertise. In our work on Mastery, we argue that genuine progress follows a different rhythm. It is not a straight line of attempts and failures but a spiral of growth, where each encounter with knowledge reshapes our understanding and strengthens our ability to act. The current debate around GCSE reform highlights three vital lessons that resonate deeply with this perspective:

1. Learning Beyond the Loop

Endlessly repeating the same test is rarely the path to mastery. Instead, learning thrives when challenges vary, when contexts shift, and when knowledge is applied in new, creative ways. It is this variety that deepens understanding, allowing learners to connect ideas and adapt them flexibly.

2. Significance over Simulation

The proposed move toward competency-based assessment reflects the truth that education must be meaningful. Mastery is not about rehearsing for artificial tests but about demonstrating skills in ways that matter beyond the classroom—just as a driving test proves readiness for real roads. Our journey toward mastery is strongest when shaped by tasks that carry purpose, rather than drills that merely simulate success.

3. Dignity Fuels

Growth Education is not simply the transfer of knowledge; it is the cultivation of confidence, resilience, and curiosity. Systems that honour the dignity of learners—treating setbacks as feedback rather than failure—create the conditions where mastery can flourish. Respect, support, and encouragement are not optional extras; they are central to growth.

As the conversation about GCSE reform unfolds, we are reminded that the principles of mastery extend far beyond exams. They apply to personal development, professional growth, and the pursuit of excellence in any field. What the news reveals is that our systems are catching up with a truth long known: mastery is not a destination marked by one more resit, but a journey defined by depth, relevance, and resilience.