A-level pass rate hits 99.7 per cent after algorithm is abandoned

Upgraded marks branded ‘staggering and unreliable’ as some subjects are revealed to have no failures

THE humiliating A-level upgrade forced on ministers led to 99.7 per cent of all exams being passed – and nine times fewer failures than last year, according to figures released yesterday.

Officials published data showing the full extent of the upturn in students’ fortunes following the outcry over the faulty algorithm that was finally ditched on Monday.

One leading educationist said the new grading had “little meaning” and branded the results “unreliable”.

In the space of a week, the proportion of A-level entries receiving an A grade or higher increased to a record high 38.1 per cent in England – compared to 27.6 per cent under the unfair formula used initially.

The overall pass rate for grades A* to E also rose to an all-time high at 99.7 per cent for England, up from the 98.2 per cent in last Thursday’s results, according to Ofqual. The new grades – based on assessments by schools and colleges rather than the algorithm – were implemented following a furore that threatens the political career of Gavin Williamson, the Education Secretary.

An analysis of the figures by The Daily Telegraph suggests that out of 718,226 Alevels taken this year, just 2,155 were failed – or just 0.3 per cent – while last Thursday, under the algorithm, the 1.8 per cent failure rate was equivalent to 12,928 exams being flunked.

Last year, 2.5 per cent of 736,734 Alevels were failed – equivalent to 18,418 – a figure roughly nine times higher than in 2020.

The new upgrades show four subjects had 100 per cent pass success. Anybody taking German, Spanish, Classical subjects and performing/expressive arts Alevels all escaped a fail. In Spanish, that meant all 8,031 students who took the exam passed. Prior to the Government’s about-turn, exam boards had downgraded nearly two-in-five (39.1 per cent) grades in England, according to data from Ofqual – equating to about 280,000 entries being adjusted down after moderation.

Prof Alan Smithers, director of the Centre for Education and Employment Research at Buckingham University, said the revised proportion of students receiving top grades was “staggering”.

He said: “These are not reliable Alevel results. These A-levels have little meaning.

“We have gone from something that was unfair to something that is just as unfair. Ofqual tried to moderate the grades to keep them in line with the proportion of top grades awarded in the last decade. But now, for political reasons, the Government has decided to accept teacher-awarded grades which are unmoderated. Some teachers have made it their responsibility to give the best possible grades and others have tried to get the grades as accurate as possible.

“As a result, we now have some very happy students but difficulties for universities and employers.”

Comparing Thursday’s original grades – determined by Ofqual’s algorithm – with yesterday’s data, it shows that History, English Literature and Biology were the three subjects hit hardest by the previous downgrades.

The algorithm lowered the share of A and above grades at A-level for History down from 36.7 per cent to 24.1 per cent – a drop of 12.6 percentage points, while English Literature saw top marks downgraded from 37.7 per cent to 25.4 per cent.

When it was announced that exams would be scrapped in March as a result of the pandemic, teachers were told to submit the grades they thought each student would have received if they had sat the papers, alongside a rank order of students.

But exam boards moderated the grades to ensure this year’s results were not significantly higher than previously and the value of students’ grades were not undermined.