EDUCATION minister Peter Weir has again told assembly members there are no plans to cancel public exams next summer.
A day after he rejected calls in the assembly to scrap GCSE and A-levels, Mr Weir made similar comments before the education committee.
Several schools have indicated they will not enter pupils into exams due to take place early next year.
Some English and maths GCSE units begin on January 11.
A-level equivalents in Scotland have been cancelled, while pupils in Wales will not be required to take A-levels or GCSEs.
On Tuesday, Mr Weir said cancelling exams next year would put young people at a disadvantage over peers in Britain and the Republic.
In yesterday's committee, he was asked about the issue again.
He told members that exams remained the fairest method of assessing and awarding qualifications.
"My priority is to ensure that public examinations go ahead. Exams are the best way of giving young people the opportunity to show what they can do," he said.
"While Wales and Scotland have cancelled some public examinations, it now appears that young people in Wales will face externally-set examinations and these will be taken earlier than usual.
"There is a high degree of uncertainty across the Welsh system about what will happen."
Additional changes to reduce the number of exams pupils will take in 2021 are to be announced next week.
It has already been agreed that GCSE students will sit fewer papers.
"I am considering both adjustments for individual candidates to take account of differences in the loss of face-to-face teaching time and also system-wide adjustments to qualifications to reduce the assessment burden for all young people," Mr Weir said.
Meanwhile, Lisnagarvey High School in Lisburn has announced it has closed early for the Christmas holidays.
The school revealed it had two separate Covid-19 cases, which meant about a fifth of its staff were forced to isolate.
Pupils will be taught online for the rest of the term.
Elsewhere, Scoil na Fuiseoige in Twinbrook has said any child that remains at home after Thursday will be marked as present.
In a letter, principal Caoimhín Williamson told parents that if there were any positive cases in the school from Friday, entire class bubbles would have to isolate on Christmas Day.
He said he was removing his own two children from school from today so they could spend Christmas with their grandparents.
"I understand that some of you may be returning to work this Friday and have no other option but to send your children to school," he wrote.
"Therefore the school will remain open until 22nd December as planned. Any child that remains at home after Thursday 10th and engages in remote learning, will be marked present for the remainder of term."
