Top A-level grades in England, Wales and Northern Ireland have fallen from the record highs of the past two years as exam assessments returned to pre-pandemic standards.
About 36.4 per cent of A-level assessments were graded between A* and A this year, according to data released on Thursday by the Joint Council for Qualifications.
The rate was lower than the 44.8 per cent achieved last year when teacher assessments replaced formal examinations, but higher than the 25.4 per cent in 2019.
The declining pass rate marked a guided return to pre-pandemic assessments in academic and vocational qualifications, increasing pressure on students to meet their university offers after two years of disrupted education.
At Portsmouth High School, an independent girls school in southern England, headteacher Jane Prescott said the atmosphere was “one of euphoria and celebration”.
Head girl Annalee Macfarlane will next year begin a degree apprenticeship with Rolls-Royce and Warwick university, after securing top grades in maths, physics and chemistry.
However, university admissions showed a near-record number of students gained a place at their preferred universities this year, according to data released by UCAS, the university and college admissions service, on Thursday.
Kath Thomas, interim chief executive of JCQ, said the figures were a “huge milestone” in Britain’s recovery from the Covid crisis. “As intended, these results are higher than the last set of summer exams in 2019, but lower than last year’s teacher-assessed grades,” she said.
In recognition of last year’s record grade inflation, and to compensate for the disruption to learning during successive lockdowns, students were given support materials such as advance information on subjects or equation sheets in exams.
At Harris City Academy Crystal Palace in London, Genevieve Boateng received an offer from Manchester to study medicine, while her friend Kirsti Jones will study veterinary medicine at the University of Cambridge. “I think it was the most stressful thing I’ve done in my life it was really competitive,” she said.
Ofqual, England’s exam regulator, in September announced it would fix grade distributions at a “midpoint” between those of last year and pre-pandemic levels.
However, figures on Thursday showed the proportion of top grades this year was slightly closer to the record highs of the past two years than 2019.
Pupils taking BTECs, vocational qualifications that are taken in college or school, will also receive their results on Thursday, as will those sitting the government’s new T-Level exams, which focus on employment skills, for the first time.
At Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College in Darlington in north-east England, Joseph Scott was predicted three A*s, but did not gain an offer from his preferred university choices, which he said was a “right kick in the teeth”.
But he used clearing to secure a place at Northumbria University to study business management after gaining top grades in business, law and geography. His friend Andrew Ormroyd will study maths at St Andrews university.
“Students in particular wanted a chance to prove themselves,” said Jo Saxton, chief regulator of Ofqual. “Today’s results are a testament to their hard work and resilience.”
UCAS said that 19 per cent more 18-year-olds were accepted to their firm or insurance choice of university compared with 2019.
The offer rate reflected a more cautious approach from universities, many of which made fewer offers in order to stabilise student numbers after two years of record admissions.
Claire Marchant, chief executive of UCAS, said this led to a more “precise” admissions cycle, with many students and universities making decisions about places ahead of results day.
However, she added that while many were celebrating, some students would be disappointed. UCAS figures showed 20,360 students found out they did not have a higher education place on Thursday, down from 24,360 in 2019.
Marchant advised this group to “take advantage” of clearing, which will take place over the coming days and weeks as students apply for a place on one of 27,000 courses not yet filled.
“This year has seen a growth in the number of 18-year-olds in the population, which will continue for the remainder of the decade, and creates a more competitive environment for students in the years to come,” she said.
Additional reporting by Ella Hollowood.
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