A Level standards

Yet another record year for A Level results is being reported but does anyone believe the figures bear any relation to reality? This Government have devalued the GCSE and the A Level so as to make comparisons with the results of 20 years ago absolutely laughable. Research has shown that an A grade at A level in 2008 would have been worth a C grade in 1988. Of course the Labour government are using their standard line that we should all congratulate pupils on their hard work and not carp about comparisons, that should be left for another time, i.e. never.

So a 97%+ pass rate with 25%+ getting an A grade is not the result of grade-inflation and/or dumbing down of the exams; do you believe that? When I was doing A levels, an A grade was the sign of an exceptional candidate and even my school was a relative rarity. To get three or four A grades at A level was an incredible achievement, now it seems relatively commonplace. You cannot tell me that the candidates of 2008 are that much cleverer or even work that much harder than we did; the exams are easier...


I have covered this subject several times over the last year or so, maybe a re-reading of a few of these articles might prove interesting - July 2007, December 2007, June 2008 and July 2008.