UK board-level exam results cause concern as many marks downgraded

A-Level exam results, the equivalent of Class 12 board exams in India, released across England, Wales and Northern Ireland on Thursday have caused much upset among teachers and students after many were downgraded from those predicted based on past performance after examinations were cancelled due to lockdown. In England, 36 per cent of entries had a lower grade than teachers predicted and 3 per cent were down two grades. While the overall results, across the three regions of the UK, show record highs for A* and A grades, controversy brews over how they were decided.

"While there has been an overall increase in top grades, we are very concerned that this disguises a great deal of volatility among the results at school and student level," said Geoff Barton, leader of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) head teachers' union. "Something has obviously gone horribly wrong with this year's exam results. Nearly 40 per cent of young people have had their grades marked down and that's thousands of young people whose opportunities could have been dashed," said Opposition Labour Party Leader Sir Keir Starmer.

The Sixth Form Colleges Association, catering to 16 to 19 year olds, has called the system for calculating A-level grades "flawed and unreliable" after almost all colleges said grades were lower or much lower than predicted. Many college principals also reported results lower or "dramatically lower" than their historic exam performance. However, the government insisted that the system was "robust" because it included a new "triple lock" process for exam results under which students can accept the calculated grade received on Thursday, appeal to receive a valid mock result, or sit an exam in the autumn. "The triple lock will provide an important safety net for the minority of cases where students feel that the calculated grades do not reflect their achievements," said the Department for Education.

Schools are also able to appeal if they believe their historic data does not reflect the ability of their current students. "The majority of young people will have received a calculated grade today that enables them to progress to the destination they deserve, with the added safety net of being able to appeal on the basis of their mock results, as well as the chance of sitting autumn exams, thanks to our triple lock process to ensure confidence and fairness in the system," said UK Education Secretary Gavin Williamson.

"Receiving your results is always a huge moment, particularly this year after the disruption caused by coronavirus and the uncertainty that came with it, and I hope all students can take pride in their achievements. I know how difficult it was for students to find out that they were unable to sit an exam. It wasn't a decision that was taken lightly," he said. The results were released by the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation, or Ofqual, which is a non-ministerial government department that regulates qualifications, exams and tests in England.

In Scotland, where these results were released earlier, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon was forced to apologise for their handling as she acknowledged "we did not get it right" after results estimated by teachers for cancelled exams were downgraded. The Scottish Qualifications Authority was accused of lowering grades using an algorithm, causing much discontent, and it has since confirmed an upgrade of the results..

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