Higher grades on this year’s exam results since the pandemic means more than 250,000 18-year-olds can go to university.

Statistics show that the highest grade, A*, was given to 3% higher proportion of students in England – 9.4% to 9.7% this year. To compare with the rest of the UK, (Scotland’s results released last week, taking different exams) Northern Ireland had the highest, with 30.7% of grades reaching A-A*s. Wales is second with 29.6%, then England, with 28.7%. Scotland’s a proportion of students receiving Highers and Advanced Higher qualifications rose above pre-pandemic levels.

1% more of students get to go to their first-choice of university. That is partly due to more 18-year-olds this year, as well as improved results across the board. Interestingly, a popular subject was economics, now 5th place from 10th place last year. 

The managing director of the Cambridge OCR exam board, Myles McGinley, gives a possible explanation. Sixth-form leavers were born around 2008, at the time of the financial crisis, and may be interested in how economics may explain the impact of Covid and beyond. As well as the subject offering impressive career options.  

Differences In Grades and Rise of T-Levels

There are still substantial regional disparities though grades increased nationally. For example, the East Midlands saw 23.1% getting As and A*s, compared to London’s 32.7%, reflecting persisting structural inequalities.

Compared to last year, more students completed T-levels and with higher grades. T-levels were introduced as the technical equivalent to A-levels by the government. Students are graded by an exam, project, and tested through a specialised industry placement. While A-levels are still the preferred qualification, T-Levels are rising in popularity, and with decreasing dropout rates. 

Exam boards reject notions os grade inflation, reasoning that student’s grades mean the same thing in terms of underlying knowledge and skills, compared to previous years.

Students not receiving the grades they hoped for are reminded there are alternative options, such as over 26,000 courses available through clearing.

Sources: The Guardian, FeWeek, and the Social Market Foundation

Written by Ejemen