Thousands of GCSE students are set to have their grades marked up after the government abandoned its algorithm to decide final marks.
It means students' final results will be based on grades predicted by their teachers, rather than through an algorithm that took into account their schools' results in previous years.
It meant that 40% of A-level results were downgraded, with hundreds of students missing out on their first-choice universities, or a place at uni altogether.
Now, the algorithm has been scrapped, with beleaguered Education Secretary Gavin Williamson apologised to children.
“We worked with Ofqual to construct the fairest possible model, but it is clear that the process of allocating grades has resulted in more significant inconsistencies than can be resolved through an appeals process," he said.
“We now believe it is better to offer young people and parents certainty by moving to teacher assessed grades for both A and AS level and GCSE results."
How will GCSEs grades be awarded?
Instead of the algorithm, most students will receive either the grades teachers predicted after assessing their work to-date or moderated results, called 'Centre Assessment Grades' (CAGs).
For the small minority of students (2.3%) whose grades were revised up during moderation by exam boards, they can keep those revised, higher grades.
The controversial algorithm - now scrapped - decided grades by combining students' own performance to-date with their schools' GCSE results in previous years.
However it meant 25,000 results were marked down by two or more grades - to "standardise" results and stop them inflating.
Official figures show students in the poorest areas were marked down by 10.4% while those in the richest were marked down by 8.3%.
What do you think of how grades have been decided and this change? Join the conversation in our comments below or if you're affected, email your story to webnews@mirror.co.uk.
Will GCSE results be postponed?
Despite the last-minute changes, GCSE results day is not expected to be delayed.
That means students should be able to pick-up their results on Thursday August 20.
Earlier on Thursday, a Number 10 spokesperson said. "We will not be delaying GCSE results."
Schools will be opening their doors to welcome students to collect their results in person - in a Covid-secure way - with others also able to send results out via email.
