The number of A-Level students receiving top grades has reached a record high after the coronavirus pandemic meant exams were cancelled for a second year in a row.
Hundreds of thousands of sixth formers across the country are this morning receiving their A-Level and AS-level results.
However, their grades have been determined by teachers, rather than exams, with pupils only assessed on what they have been taught during the pandemic.
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And figures released this morning show 44.8 percent of candidates have received an A or A*.
That is a record high, up from 38.5 percent in 2020.
Nearly one in five entrants, 19.1 percent, received an A* according to figures published by the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ), which cover A-level entries from students in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
This is another record high, and is up from around one in seven, 14.3 percent, last year.
According to an analysis by governing body Ofqual, some 6.9 percent of students in England were awarded three A*s this year – compared with 4.3 percent in 2020 and 1.6 percent in 2019.
However, one leading figure in education said it was "invidious" to try and make direct comparisons between this and others years and that it was "vital that we celebrate the achievements of this year’s cohort who have had to endure so much over the past 18 months.”
The overall pass rate (grades A* to E) was 99.5 percent.
That is down very slightly from 99.7 percent last year.
Some 88.5 percent of pupils received a C or above, up from 88. percent in 2020 and the highest since at least 2000.
Girls have also extended their lead over boys in the top grades.
The proportion of girls who got A or higher was 46.9 percent, 4.8 percentage points higher than boys, which was 42..1.
Last year, girls led boys by 3.2 percentage points (39.9 percent girls, 36.7% percent boys).
Maths was the most popular subject, being taken by 97,690 entrants, up 3.6 percent on 2020.
Whilst psychology remains the second most popular subject, being taken by 71,235 entrants, up 9.2 percent on last year.
Chinese saw the biggest percentage drop in candidates for a single subject with more than 1,000 entrants, falling by 18.9 percent from 1,617 to 1,312.
Geography saw the biggest percentage jump in candidates of any subject with more than 1,000 entrants, rising by 16.8 percent from 30,203 to 35,268.
There were a total of 824,718 A-levels awarded, up 5.1 percent on last year’s total of 784,959.
Last summer, the fiasco around grading led to thousands of A-level students having their results downgraded from school estimates by a controversial algorithm before Ofqual announced a U-turn.
This year, no algorithm was used to moderate grades.
Instead, schools and colleges in England were asked to provide samples of student work to exam boards, as well as evidence used to determine the grades for the students selected, as part of quality assurance (QA) checks.
Random and targeted sample checks of evidence were also carried out after grades were submitted.
Ofqual said that student work from 1,101 centres in England – around one in five schools and colleges – was scrutinised by exam boards.
For 85 percent of the schools and colleges whose students’ work was scrutinised as part of QA checks, the regulator said the subject experts were satisfied that the evidence supported the teacher-assessed grades that were submitted.
It said the remainder were subject to further scrutiny, including conversations between subject experts and staff from the school or college.
Following this, “in most cases” the exam boards were satisfied with the original grades or with the revised grades which they submitted.
But Ofqual said that, at the time of writing its report, exam boards were in continuing discussions with “a small number of centres” and grades would be withheld for these schools should concerns remain unresolved on results day.
Dr Philip Wright, director-general of JCQ, said: “On behalf of JCQ and the exam boards, I would like to congratulate all students receiving their results today.
“The impact of Covid has undoubtedly provided a difficult chapter in their education journey and their resilience is to be applauded. We wish them all the best as they take their next steps in life.
“We would also like to express our sincere thanks to teachers, exams officers, heads of centre and colleagues, who have all worked exceptionally hard to determine grades this summer.
“Teachers used their professional judgment and submitted the grades and evidence in good time for us to check and award grades today.
"Their efforts will allow students to swiftly progress on to the next stages of their education, training or employment.”
Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), said: “It is important to understand that the system used to assess students this year is different from both formal exams and the approach that was used last year too, when an attempt to use an algorithm to standardise grades nationally went wrong and had to be abandoned.
“It is therefore invidious to make direct comparisons with other years and vital that we celebrate the achievements of this year’s cohort who have had to endure so much over the past 18 months.”
He added: “The majority of university applicants will now go on to their preferred university, and those who have missed grades and go through the clearing process will receive support from universities, schools and colleges to find a course which fulfils their aspirations.
“It will be important that universities provide educational and pastoral support to their new undergraduates given the extreme disruption they have faced during the course of the pandemic, and we are sure this is fully understood already.”
The Health Secretary Gavin Williamson tweeted saying: "Congratulations to everyone receiving their A Level and Vocational results today – well done for your hard work this year, of all years. I hope the whole country will join me in celebrating everything you and your fantastic teachers have achieved."
