To think that the education system is mad

[Applebun]

What is the point of A levels, when you don't need the grades anyway.

Everyone I know this year who did A levels, told me that if they didn't get the grades that they needed, the University still offered them a place anyway.

Eg the Uni says you must get ABB to get into the course. The student got CCC. The student was offered a place in the Uni anway.

I was talking to my colleague about it. He said that he got really bad grades in his A levels, way lower than what was required to get in, and the Uni still let him in to the course straight away.

The point then is - what is the point of A levels at all.
The Unis want paying students to go to their Uni to keep them going. A lot of them let any student in, no matter what grades they get.

So why make students go through the farcical system of A levels?

You seriously need to ask this question?

Absolutely.

If the Unis lets students in to courses, no matter what grades they get, what is the point of students spending two years doing A levels.

Did you want to contribute anything to the thread?

They don’t, most offers are conditional

They let them in with lower grades if there are spaces. They don't let everyone in. They need a certain number of students to make a course financially viable. Q

You aren’t anywhere near as wrong as you should be! I agree - it’s mad! And sooooo unpredictable…

I have genuinely wondered this about the English system.

If you don’t study the A-level curriculum then how would someone academically keep up at uni ? You need the A-level to be ready for the next lot of content and skills.

University is the biggest con ever. Its far too focused on money and the standards have suffered massively. A lot of courses are worthless. If I was young now I'd go into a trade.

Good unis with worthwhile, competitive courses generally dont do this...for all other courses, presumably because the uni is desperate for the money and doesn't care.

I went to Uni in a different country. The Unis there never lowered the grades to let people in.

I just find it really strange. Like whats the point of studying for A -levels at all them. My colleague said that his Uni course wanted an AAB. He got a CCC and got in.

If you look online, loads of teenagers this year are saying that they didnt get their required grades, and they still got into their Uni course.

Its a strange system.

A lot of it is definitely about money alright.

That’s because there are less international students this year, so they have room and need to fill up the places.

But then why make students study for two years and tell them you need to achieve these grades to get in.

Instead, its about the Unis needing money so they let people in whatever grades they get!

ALevels are not worthless if you believe education is useful though. Learning, in and of itself, is valuable. Actually too many young people are lacking in basic skills, let alone a broader level of knowledge.

Also not everyone is suited to trades either. Maybe we need earlier streaming than we have now, something like the German system, where you are segregated into academic or non academic. Something like a Grammer school and secondary modern system.... Oh wait.......

The whole education system is mad.

Paid job apprenticeships are better than three years of unpaid Uni , getting people into debt

DD missed her first choice offer by one grade and didn’t get in.

There could be a variety of reasons people are accepted without the grades they initially needed.

They may have demonstrated skills other ways on the application/interview that they are prepared to accept with slightly lower grades than initially needed.

There may have been less people apply for the course than expected, so they are prepared to lower the grade requirements slightly.

They may have for what was needed, or higher in a key subject.

Whilst taking a levels a student learns subject matter and develops skills needed for their degree.

An exam tests knowledge, memory of the knowledge on the day, application of the knowledge in the exam, exam technique etc.

People can sometimes demonstrate in interview that they can apply things they have learnt during a levels, even if they don't then get the grade they needed.

Not necessarily. You can also go to uni after studying because or other qualifications. Doesn't have to be A levels

My DD’s friend slipped one grade and didn’t get in! Good universities are picky over who they take

And you have people who can't pass maths and English GCSE

Really its about the Uni needing paying students.

I went to Uni in a different country. There were set grades to get in. You had to get them. If you didnt get the grades you didnt get in.

I was surprised at the UK system. It seems to be very dishonest and unprofessional , with so many changing grade boundaries, to fit with how much a Uni needs money

The more prestigious, in demand universities do not do this.

You won't get a place at Oxbridge or Imperial or UCL, with CCC.

DD needed AAB, (she got 3As) and would have lost her place (on a four year integrated Masters) and a top rated university. Her friend lost her place at LSE due to one grade.

Why make kids do A levels/other L3 quals? What would you have our 16-18 year olds doing instead?

Do you think the kids with ABB offers, who gained places having got CCC, would have been offered if they had EEE, or nothing?

Other countries either properly fund their HE systems from taxation or allow their unis to charge what the courses actually cost. Or offer a cheap as chips model with very high drop out and no expectation that kids leave home.

So how would YOU do things OP?

Yeah I know that the top prestigious Unis are picky.

It's the rest of them that I am talking about