By Gavin Mackintosh-
A-level students in England and Wales have produced their best grades in the past 5 years, despite the new higher standards.
Teenage boys and girls in the Uk have attained the highest proportion of As and A*s in the last 5 years after preparing well for the highly academic and challenging end of two year exams. A levels in the Uk have been toughened in the last year as part of the British Government’s scheme to raise the standard of education. The new higher standards also mean that G.C.S. E students who also have to prepare for higher standard exams will be stronger academically by the time they sit their A levels.
Students raised their levels, with 26.4% of entries have been awarded the top grades this year, although A*s dropped 0.3 percentage points to 8%.Most entrants passed their A levels , with 97.6% of A-level entries were awarded A* to E grades.Alex Scharaschkin, from the exam board AQA, said this sort of change was “exactly what you might expect to see from a year-to-year cohort”.Regulator Ofqual had promised grade boundaries could be lowered, once papers were marked, if the new exams were tougher than expected.
Maths continues to be the most popular subject at A Level, with the number of entries up 2.5% on last year – up 26.8% compared to 2010.
Entries into STEM subjects continue to rise, up 3.4% on last year and up 24% since 2010. Over half of the entries were in subjects that open doors to the widest range of courses at Russell Group universities, with the proportion continuing to rise year on year.
In what is the second year of reformed A Levels, the percentage of UK entries awarded the A* grade remained stable at 8.0% this year, compared with 8.1% in 2010. The overall UK pass rate also maintained its stability at 97.6%, compared to 97.9% last year. This means under 3% of all A level entrants failed their A levels, getting below the minimum grade C mark.
Under these reformed A Levels students are expected to have an in-depth understanding of the subject, better preparing students for future study or the workplace. This follows universities saying many students lacked some of the skills and knowledge essential for undergraduate learning.Thanks to Government reforms that have raised standards in our schools and targeted support to help students from low income families access higher education, university is now an option for more young people than ever before.
It comes alongside measures to create more, high-quality options for 18 year olds, including radical reforms to apprenticeships that are combining work with training in fields such as engineering and design; in some cases combined with a degree.
Secretary of State for Education Damian Hinds said:
”I want to congratulate everyone getting their results today. It is the culmination of a lot of hard work and dedication – from both those receiving their marks and the teachers who’ve been supporting them every step of the way. They should rightly feel proud of their achievements.
We’ve worked to improve education for every child – from their early years through to secondary school and beyond. I also want young people to have wider choice, whether that’s going to university, earning through an apprenticeship or in future taking technical qualifications that match the best in the world.
Today is a significant milestone in the lives of many young people. No matter what path they choose to take next, we are working to make sure it provides them with a world-class education and a passport to an exciting future”.
Pic Credit: DOE