What do this summer’s exam results mean for students?

The highest proportion of A-level entries have been awarded top grades outside the pandemic-affected years, figures show.

Ciara Wilson (left) and Leah Horan after receiving their A-level results at Belfast High School as they receive their A-level results (Liam McBurney/PA) (PA Wire)

Hundreds of thousands of students have received their exam results to help them progress on to university courses, an apprenticeship or employment.

– Who received results on Thursday?

A-level and AS results were awarded to students in England, Wales and Northern Ireland in a year when grading was due to be restored to 2019 levels in all three nations.

Around 250,000 results were also issued to students who took level 3 vocational and technical qualifications (VTQs) this year, which include BTecs.

In England, more than 7,300 students also received their results for T-level qualifications – which were launched to provide high-quality technical alternatives to A-levels.

– How did results differ from previous years?

Overall, more than a quarter (27.8%) of UK A-level entries were awarded an A or A* grade, up on 27.2% in 2023 and 25.4% in 2019.

It is the highest proportion of entries scoring top grades outside the pandemic-affected years of 2020-22, the data from the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ) showed.

Nearly one in 10 (9.3%) of entries in England, Wales and Northern Ireland were awarded the top A* grade this year, compared with 8.9% in 2023 and 7.7% in 2019.

Excluding 2020-2022, the years of the pandemic, this is the highest proportion of A* grades awarded since they were first handed out in 2010.

– Has grading returned to pre-pandemic levels?

In England, exams regulator Ofqual had said it expected this year’s A-level results to be “broadly similar” to last year, when grades were restored to pre-pandemic levels.

In Wales and Northern Ireland, exam regulators said they aimed to return to pre-pandemic grading this summer – a year later than in England.

The move comes after the pandemic led to an increase in top grades in 2020 and 2021, with results based on teacher assessments instead of exams.

But the proportion of A-level entries awarded top grades this year was higher than in 2019 – the last year that summer exams were taken before Covid-19.

Ofqual’s chief regulator Sir Ian Bauckham said there was no grade inflation this year and standards had been maintained from 2023, adding that any change is “largely due to the ability of the cohort”.

Most pupils who took their A-level exams this summer were in Year 9 when schools closed after the national lockdown in 2020, and they were the first year group to sit GCSE exams after they were cancelled for two years in a row.

– Were pupils in schools affected by crumbling concrete given extra help?

A report by Durham University academics in January called for pupils at schools where teaching has been badly affected by collapse-risk reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac) – such as St Leonard’s Catholic School in Durham – to have their exam results lifted by up to 10%.

But the JCQ said “special consideration” – which is given to a candidate who has temporarily experienced illness, injury or some other event outside their control at the time of their assessment – would not be granted for disruption to teaching and learning due to Raac.

Department for Education (DfE) figures, as of February 8, show 234 education settings in England have been identified as having Raac in their buildings.

Of these, 94 are listed as secondary or all-through state schools, while 11 are post-16 colleges.

This year, exam boards have offered extended coursework deadlines to schools and colleges which have struggled to access specialist facilities for non-examination assessments due to Raac.

Schools and colleges can also apply under the established “special consideration” process – where marks can be adjusted to take into account unforeseen circumstances – if they feel their results have been affected by Raac disruption during exams – such as a “noisy environment” in the exam hall.

– Have more students been accepted onto degree courses?

Ucas figures released on A-level results day showed that the number of applicants accepted on to UK degree courses has risen this year.

The higher education admissions service said 82% of UK 18-year-old applicants awaiting a decision on results day secured their first choice – which was up from 79% last year and 74% in 2019.

Education experts had predicted that British universities would be competing for school and college leavers on A-level results day in a bid to fill their places amid financial pressures.

A decline in the proportion of UK school leavers applying to higher education and a fall in demand from overseas has led to increased competition between universities for domestic undergraduates, it has been suggested.

Data from Ucas, released on Thursday, showed that accepted applicants from China (10,950) are down 6% compared with last year.

The number of 18-year-olds from the most disadvantaged backgrounds in the UK to gain places on courses has reached a record high, Ucas figures showed.

But regional disparities in access remain, with 25.3% of 18-year-olds from the North East securing a university place on results day compared with 42.5% of 18-year-olds from London.

What can students do if they are not happy with their results and they do not get accepted to their first choice university?

Clearing is available to students who do not meet the conditions of their offer on A-level results day, as well as those who did not receive any offers.

Students who have changed their mind about what or where they wish to study, and also those who have applied outside the normal application window, can also use the clearing process through Ucas.

Applicants are able to add a clearing choice on A-level results day.

In England, if a student is unhappy with their grade they can ask their school or college to request that the exam board review the marking.

If there are still concerns after the review, the student can ask their school or college to appeal against the result.

– Have students in Scotland received results?

Scotland has a different qualification system and students received their results on Tuesday last week.

Figures released by the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) showed that 77.2% of those sitting National 5 exams passed with grades A to C – down from 78.8% last year.

For Highers, 74.9% passed with the top bands, down from 77.1% last year, and for Advanced Highers 75.3% of students achieved A to C grades, falling from 79.8% in 2023.