A major change to the way A level results will be graded in Wales has been announced at the very last minute before students get their results early tomorrow.
Education Minister Kirsty Williams announced no learner will receive an A level grade less than the AS grades already awarded to them.
If a student receives a final grade on Thursday that is below that of their previous AS grade, then a revised grade will be issued automatically by exam board the WJEC.
All appeals will also be free, following that decision already made in Scotland.
The Welsh Government was forced to backtrack on the grading method agreed with regulator Qualifications Wales after an outcry over students being downgraded led to a u-turn in Scotland and changes in England.
The last-minute review in Wales was carried out on Wednesday after England and Scotland announced major concessions to ensure that students didn't lose out.
If Wales had not responded with it's own last moment review that could lead to pupils here being put at a disadvantage compared with peers in Scotland and England.
The minister said the system previously agreed in Wales - based on teacher assessment and past performance of pupils and schools - was "fair and robust" but as other parts of the UK had changed their systems Wales had to respond.
Announcing the review after a day of hastily arranged emergency meetings with the exam regulator Qualifications Wales and others Ms Williams said: "I am confident that the system overseen by Qualifications Wales (QW) and WJEC, in response to the current emergency, is fair for students and robust in what it measures and signals to employers and universities.
"However, governments in other parts of the United Kingdom have introduced changes to their systems and we must make sure that these alterations do not disadvantage Welsh students."
All exams were cancelled and results assessed after schools were shut by the coronavirus in March.
In Wales exam grades had been arrived at based on a range of data, including teacher assessments, known as Centre Assessment Grades, past performance of pupils and schools, mock exams, national tests and coursework. For A level AS level results were also in the mix.
These measures and assessments were "standardised" by the regulator looking at past performance in order to keep this year's results similar to those in previous years. But the method prompted fears it would disadvantage some pupils unfairly as it had done in Scotland when tens of thousands of teenagers saw their teachers' marks for them downgraded.
Head teachers in Wales have been warning standardisation worked was unfair and could lead to high achievers in low achieving schools being marked down to fit in with previous years' results.
Regulator Qualifications Wales said last week that teachers had been "generous" in their assessments. Results were downgraded to keep the overall systen credible and ensure this year's results did not differ too much from the norm.
In a statement regulator Qualifications Wales said: "
This Direction requires us to pay due regard to Welsh Government’s new policy that A level learners should not receive a grade outcome in a subject in Summer 2020 that is lower than their corresponding AS level grade.
"This rule is being introduced after the initial release of results by WJEC to schools and colleges. Therefore, learners receiving their A level grades tomorrow should look at the grade awarded to see if it is the same, higher or lower than their AS level grade in that subject.
"If the grade is the same or higher, then no action is required.
"If, however, the grade is lower it will be replaced with the same grade as that received for the AS level - revised grades will be issued by WJEC as soon as possible.
"If necessary, learners wishing to progress to Higher Education should contact their prospective university to advise them of the change. Universities will already be aware of the AS grades awarded as they will have been reported on the UCAS application form. Some learners may have taken AS units, but not made a request to ‘cash in’ for the AS level award.
"In these circumstances, WJEC will reissue the A level grade as though the AS had been cashed in.
"We have contacted UCAS for this statement to be shared with admissions staff in higher education.
Grounds for appeal
Qualifications Wales said: "The minister’s Direction also asks us to consider whether the grounds for appeal can be broadened for all A level, AS level and GCSE qualifications.
"We have already published guidance outlining the grounds for appeal and will now reconsider the grounds already cited. We expect to provide more information on appeals early next week."
Dr Jennifer Hampton, researcher at Cardiff University’s Wales Institute of Social and Economic Research Data and Methods, who has been researching the methodology used for exam results this year, said: “It’s a welcome announcement.
"Although the timing leaves something to be desired, this new step in the system of allocating grades adds a level of assurance that mitigates much of the detriment faced by A-level pupils who couldn’t sit their exams this year.
“The system in Wales was already one of the fairest in the UK, this extra step should offer reassurance and confidence to those picking up their exam results.
“It also highlights the importance of AS-levels: the retention of AS-levels as part of the A-level course has allowed pupils to be awarded grades based on consistent and relevant evidence of their own performance.”
School and college leaders welcomed the announcement but said the algorithm used to arrive at grades should have ironed out any differences between AS and A level.
Eithne Hughes, director of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) Cymru, said: "I welcome the announcement there will be no charge for appeals and that there should be no added detriment but there should never have been anyway.
"But if anomalies were created then at least this will correct some of those, should they appear in tomorrow's results.
"But, if we had an algorithm that works then that should have taken into consideration the natural progression from AS to A-level a year later. So it would be an anomaly if A-level grades were lower than AS. There should be no detriment built into an algorithm."
Welsh Conservative Shadow Minister for Education, Suzy Davies MS, said: “What has been absolutely crucial is to ensure there is a fair system for grading our young people on their A-level results.
“It was vital to see a safety net being implemented in Wales to make sure pupils achieved the grade they had worked towards. So tomorrow, I am pleased that pupils’ final grades are guaranteed to not be lower than their previous grade at A- level.”
