B & C A level grades were ‘RG’ worthy in 80s? What’s changed

[Peverellshire]

Why are required A level grades so high now? Is it easier to get an A or A star now compared to early to mid 80s? Well A star wasn’t a ‘thing’ back then but…

In past B,C,C and certainly A,B,B enough to get on relatively prestigious courses at top universities, so what’s changed?

Actually that resonates with our Geography GCSE

We had a double lesson on a Monday and would turn up and write throughout it all the blackboard was full when we arrived and he just kept writing and drawing throughout.

Homework was to read it and learn it.

Friday lesson was teacher testing us on it and, in between answers, explaining stuff.

Every now and then the Monday session would be a revision test on everything that had been done so far.

Grade B was the lowest that class achieved but we were bored to tears and hated the tests

Would this teaching system work nowadays?

This. I did law which has always had high entry requirements and I did get AAAAA but you could get into great degrees at top institutions with BBBB at higher. Now my son has AAAAA and even with that it’s not a given he’ll get onto the course he wants. As for highers themselves I don’t think they’re any easier than when I did them for sure

Well said @Bestinshow25.
I hope no 18 year old is reading this thread. The minimisation of our young people's achievements is horrible.

DD worked damn hard for her AAA at A level (achieved before the pandemic), and her first class degree.

I'm not sure exams have necessarily got easier, in terms of the demand of the questions. Or at least not in all subjects. I did a big clear out of some science department cupboards a few years back and found an O level Biology paper from 1983. Gave it to my top set (so the ones who would have taken O levels back in the day), and they could do most of it. They couldn't draw and label the ventral surface of an earthworm, but then I hadn't taught them that. There was less content covered I think, but then I think there is too much content in the GCSE Sciences now, even with the absence of earthworm anatomy.

Grade inflation (which there certainly was prior to 2010) doesn't necessarily mean lower demand courses, just a higher grade for poorer performance in it.

You could get into medical school with 3 Cs in the early 90s. At my highly academic selective school a max of 5/60 would get 3As (no stars then). Seems that the kids in most educated MC families get 3A*s now. The kids definitely haven’t got cleverer.

I remember when I got my A Level results my siblings joking about grade inflation. I think they were semi serious though as there was talk that A Levels had become easier even during the 90s. Five people in my very good comp got three As.

I'm not convinced they are easier. I think grade boundaries have shifted. Young people aren't any cleverer than we were.

As people are saying; far fewer people going to Uni in 80s. About 5% - there has absolutely been grade inflation but also exams and teaching have changed. Take English Lit as an example- in 80s no Assessment Objectives and little help with how to write essays and that has changed hugely. That doesn’t mean today’s students have an easier time but it is easier to navigate your way through than it once was.

My brother got 4 grade As in 1990 and was considered a prodigy. I got AAB the year before and was extremely chuffed with myself. My shy friend gave us strict instructions not to tell anyone she got 3 As as she didn't want the attention.😀

These days, all our grades would be pretty mundane.
Our lessons were pretty much lectures and you scribbled notes frantically throughout. There wasn't very much guidance other than 'do it better next time'.