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University Admissions Service Chief Warns of "New Normal" in A-Level Grades Following Covid-19

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on A-level grades has left a lasting legacy, with the University Admissions Service (Ucas) chief, Jo Saxton, warning that it may become the "new normal" for students to receive higher grades in A-levels. This year's A-level results are expected to reflect the return to pre-pandemic grading, with more students meeting the entry requirements for A-level courses than in recent years. However, this increase in grades may mask a more nuanced picture of student attainment, with Ucas data suggesting that fewer students than in recent years actually met the entry criteria for progression into A-level subjects.

Key Takeaways:

  • The number of A-level entries awarded an A or A* grade increased to 27.8% in 2023, up from 27.2% in 2022 and 25.4% in 2019.
  • The Covid-19 pandemic led to an increase in top A-level and GCSE grades in 2020 and 2021, with results based on teacher assessments instead of exams.
  • Professor Alan Smithers, director of the Centre for Education and Employment Research, suggests that a higher percentage of UK A-level entries awarded top grades could become the "new normal".
  • Ucas chief, Jo Saxton, warned that the return to pre-pandemic grading in 2023 means that fewer students than in recent years actually met the entry criteria for progression into A-level subjects.
  • Provisional exam entries data shows that A-level entries decreased by 0.4% from 825,355 last summer to 821,875 this summer.
  • Dr Saxton suggests that there could be "fractionally higher" prior attainment across the cohort this year, compared to previous years.
  • Clearing is no longer perceived as the "bargain basement" for students who are not successful on A-level results day, with Ucas data showing that nearly 22,700 courses with vacancies were available on the clearing site as of last week.

Statistics:

  • 27.8% of A-level entries were awarded an A or A* grade in 2023, up from 27.2% in 2022.
  • 25.4% of A-level entries were awarded an A or A* grade in 2019.
  • A-level entries decreased by 0.4% from 825,355 last summer to 821,875 this summer.
  • Provisional exam entries data shows that the size of the 18-year-old population increased by 3.8% this summer.

Sources:

  • [PA News Agency]
  • [University Admissions Service (Ucas)]
  • [Centre for Education and Employment Research at the University of Buckingham]
  • [Higher Education Policy Institute think tank]
  • [Ofqual]
  • [Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson]
  • [PA News Agency]

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