A Level Results 2021: Grades at Record High

A Level results in England, Wales and Northern Ireland reached a record high, with 44.8% achieving top grades of A* or A.

Although some argue it’s not possible to compare this year’s results to previous ones. This is the second year in a row that exams were cancelled due to the pandemic. For the past two years teacher assessed grades replaced tests instead. However, this years results are even higher than last year when 38.5% achieved top grades.

As well as A Levels, over 200,000 students are receiving results for vocational BTecs.

Meanwhile, in Scotland, pass rates for Highers and Nationals slightly dipped, although remain well above levels before the pandemic.

Grade inflation

The significant increase means the proportion of students achieving top A* and A grades has risen by almost 75% since 2019, when conventional exams last happened. Pressure is now on universities who already have record numbers of applications. Now more students are achieving top grades, competition is high for the top universities and courses. Admissions service UCAS say a record 396,000 students have confirmed places on their first choice. This is an increase of 8% from last year.

The chief executive of the Russell Group of leading universities warns that a rise in the number of people achieving top grades means some university courses “may not be able to accept students who narrowly missed their offer grades”.

With university places in high demand, young people should “explore all the options open to them”. This includes apprenticeships and vocational courses.

The interim chairman of Ofqual, the body who regulates exams, says they always knew “outcomes from this year were likely to be different”. But he assures students they were “fairly treated” and grades based on teacher judgements are trustworthy.

The good A Level results show that students had “multiple chances” to prove they can do well. A range of evidence was available for schools to use to determine grades. It included mini exams, coursework and mock exams.

Exam boards checked over the sample grades of one in five schools, to ensure pupils were graded fairly. 15% of schools and colleges had submitted grades queried, but only 1% were changed.

A challenging year

England’s Education Secretary, Gavin Williamson, praises students for their hard work in an “extraordinary and challenging year”. They have faced a lot of disruption to their education, like never seen before. He says, “we should all celebrate their resilience and ability to overcome adversity”.

However, Labour’s shadow education secretary says the government did not do enough to support young people and “let them down at every turn”.

Reduced numbers collected their results in person, as Covid took its impact. This year has been hard for everyone, affecting their mental and emotional health. Students had to adapt to remote learning and get used to not having other people around them.

Many students breathed a sigh of relief at seeing their results, following a strange year. Some felt it wasn’t quite real or that they didn’t really deserve it, as they had not sat any exams. But the process is out of everyone’s control. Students are now rewarded for their resilience, as they and the school staff all worked hard.

One student, who is in a state of “slight disbelief” at getting the grades he needed, is glad after all the uncertainty of the experience. He appreciates that grade inflation is a “real concern”, but thinks that under the circumstances, other alternative methods would not be fair.

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