A-level results day and UCAS clearing: Universities accept thousands fewer students as pass rates hit lowest level since 2010 - as it happened
Teenagers opened their A-level results across the country
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Your support makes all the difference.Tens of thousands of teenagers received their A-level results across the country amid major changes to exams.
The number of students who secured pass grades at A-level dropped to its lowest point in eight years - but the proportion of students who received top grades (A* or A) rose slightly.
Last year, grades were awarded in the first 13 reformed A-level subjects in England - which have moved towards final exams after two years. Students received grades in a further 11 reformed subjects on Thursday.
See below how we covered A-level results day
For the second year running, boys outperformed girls at the top grades. Experts had predicted that the linear structure of the new qualifications – with less coursework and AS levels no longer counting towards the A-level grade - would favour boys.
Tens of thousands of courses were still available in clearing on the morning of results day – including at the Russell Group, which are considered to be the top universities.
To reiterate, here's the news from Ucas this morning, if you're just joining us:
Fewer students have been accepted on to UK degree courses this year, initial figures show.
Ucas data shows that 411,860 have taken up places so far, down one per cent on the same point last year.
It also shows that 353,960 UK students have been accepted on to courses, down two per cent.
The drops come in the wake of a drop in applications to start degrees at UK universities this autumn, fuelled by factors including a fall in the UK's 18-year-old population.
The British Academy has published an analysis which highlights that there has been a decline in A-level entries in modern languages, English, history and geography, with similar trends seen in undergraduate and postgraduate numbers.
They warn that fewer students studying humanities, particularly languages, could put the UK at a major disadvantage in a post-Brexit world.
On the reformed A-levels, Sally Collier, chief regulator of Ofqual, has said: “The new qualifications remain of the same high standard as the ones they replaced and have been updated with input from universities.
"They have more effective assessment arrangements and also allow additional time for study.
"Against this backdrop of change, it is pleasing that the exam series has gone smoothly and that standards have been maintained.
"Students, schools and colleges should be congratulated on their achievements."
Students need to get around 55% of the answers right in their Biology A-level in order to secure an A grade, grade boundaries for one exam board suggest.
The A grade pass mark required for the reformed OCR advanced Biology A-level is 54.8%, the figures on its website show.
Those wanting an A in the reformed maths exam would need to get 65.6% of the answers right, and those who sat the English language A-level would be looking for 77% of the marks in order to secure an A.
Sixth-formers across the country are waking up on Thursday to their A-level results in the wake of major exam reforms, with around one in four entries expected to be awarded the highest grades.
Many of the courses have been redesigned with coursework and modules scrapped.
More than half a million students in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are receiving A-level results today.
Last year, 26.3% of A-levels scored an A or A*, national figures showed.
Reminder: Ucas's Track service lets you follow the status of your entry into higher education.
At this time of the year, it’s common to point to inspirational celebrities who have gone on to achieve success despite struggling in their exams: Sir Richard Branson, Lord Sugar, Jon Snow, Simon Cowell, Benedict Cumberbatch, Sarah Millican etc.
Satirist David Schneider has his own spin:
And the national A-level results are in:
- The overall pass rate (grades A* to E) is down to its lowest rate since 2010 - to 97.6 per cent from 97.9 per cent last year
- The number of students achieving an A* - the top grade - has also fallen from 8.3 per cent last year to 8 per cent - the lowest level since 2013
- 26.4 per cent entrants scored either an A or A* - which is up slightly on 26.3 per cent last year
Here is our story from Westminster on the headline A-level results figures from today:
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) subjects at A-level continue to grow in popularity - especially amongst females, the statistics show today.
Overall, 36.2 per cent of all entries were in one of these subjects - a rise on 34.5 per cent last year.
Male students are more likely to study a STEM subject - but the balance is starting to shift.
Female students are closing the gap in these subjects.
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