Academics’ faith in A levels plummets post-pandemic

Academics in England increasingly believe A-level standards are falling and the pivotal examinations do not prepare students for work or further study.

The lingering effects of what happened during the pandemic – when most exams were cancelled and replaced with teacher-assessed grades – and a lack of understanding over how marks are awarded and maintained has contributed to the increased disillusionment, experts said.

A recent annual survey by the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual) highlighted the negative views of academics, who were polled alongside other interest groups on their opinions of the 2022 examinations; the first year exams returned following the Covid hiatus.

Of the 250 academics who took part, 35 per cent said A-level standards are not maintained year-on-year – up from only 20 per cent two years previously.

The sector is the most sceptical of the examinations of all stakeholders – including the general public (24 per cent), young people (18 per cent), parents (18 per cent), headteachers (13 per cent), teachers (15 per cent) and employers (28 per cent). The figures also show that just half of academics think the marking of A levels is accurate.

The impact of the pandemic has affected academic performance at all levels of education, including A level, according to Michelle Meadows, associate professor in educational assessment at the University of Oxford.

“In the interests of fairness, the standard expected of A-level students has been adjusted. Academics are quite right to identify that standards have not been maintained in recent years.”

However, she added that a lot has been demanded of students in recent years so it was perhaps understandable that taking A levels had not prepared undergraduates for university as much as academics might like.

Mary Richardson, professor of educational assessment at UCL, agreed that many of the concerns were connected to the pandemic – particularly following some of the “disastrous” decisions by the government during that period.

“It really damaged confidence across the board because there was a sense that some students got into university who in another world might not have got the grades.”

She said many academics have low opinions of A levels because they do not understand how they are awarded or maintained – they just see the end output.

“There needs to be a better understanding in terms of admissions, because the whole process has changed significantly,” she added.

“We as academics have very little to do with the admissions process now, we rarely have any input there.”

A fifth of academics said the end-of-school exams are not good preparation for further study and just a quarter think they are good preparation for work.

Matt Finn, senior lecturer in human geography at the University of Exeter, said the increased difficulty of A levels, and the scaling approach used, means students can get good grades but still lack mastery over a significant amount of knowledge and skills.

For example, a student may progress to university with a high tariff score of a B, he said, but may have answered nearly half the questions they were assessed on incorrectly.

Dr Finn said A levels are assessed in quite different ways from university and what may be rewarded at school does not align with what is expected in higher education.

Overall, 83 per cent of academics still believe that A levels should be seen as trusted qualifications – up slightly year-on-year.

patrick.jack@timeshighereducation.com