 Almost 100,000 fewer A and A* grades could be awarded to A-level students this year as grades return toward pre-pandemic levels, a top schooling expert has said. This summer marks the end of a two-year government plan to bring results 'back to normal' by telling exam boards to set tests as they would have in 2019. The Covid pandemic led to a spike in top grades in 2020 and 2021, when papers were marked by teachers instead of exam boards. Last year's exams were designed so grades would fall around half-way between 2021, when 45% of all A-levels were graded A or A*, and 2019 levels, when the proportion was 25.5%. Alan Smithers, professor of education at Buckingham University, said a return to 2019 levels this year would see 59,000 fewer A* grades and 35,500 fewer A grades awarded. His analysis suggests around 30,000 pupils in England, Wales and Northern Ireland who would have got A* grades last year won't this year, while 20,000 will miss out on A grades. However, while he expects the number of top grades to fall, Prof Smithers predicted they won't fall quite as far as the government asked. Prof Smithers predicted widespread disappointment among school leavers this year (Picture: Getty) 'Teacher assessment has given subjective subjects a taste for awarding top grades, which they will be reluctant to relinquish,' he explained. 'There are many who would welcome slower progress including lots of parents who are worried that their sons and daughters will miss out on university places that would have been open to them last year or the year before. 'During the teacher assessment years many students and their parents will have developed unreasonable expectations. 'Whatever the extent to which top grades are brought down this year, the drop will lead to a lot of disappointment and probably a huge increase in the number of appeals.' The government has tapered down results from their i){kind=link}
NEWS… BUT NOT AS YOU KNOW IT
Almost 100,000 fewer A and A* grades could be awarded to A-level students this year as grades return toward pre-pandemic levels, a top schooling expert has said.
This summer marks the end of a two-year government plan to bring results ‘back to normal’ by telling exam boards to set tests as they would have in 2019.
The Covid pandemic led to a spike in top grades in 2020 and 2021, when papers were marked by teachers instead of exam boards.
Last year’s exams were designed so grades would fall around half-way between 2021, when 45% of all A-levels were graded A or A*, and 2019 levels, when the proportion was 25.5%.