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Original poster

What a shitshow A level marking and university admissions are this year

185 replies

IheartNiles · 17/08/2023 10:52

We’re in England. Loads of students at high performing school have missed their grades. The Oxbridge shoe-in students didn’t get a single A star.

The concessions made to students in 3/4 UK countries is not a level playing field.

International clearing is offering competitive courses at BCC at Russell groups.

it’s a mess.

OP posts:
noblegiraffe · 17/08/2023 17:22

I will say, I don't think, as a department, we predicted A and A star grade boundaries would go up at all- but that's obviously our mistake.

Look at the grade boundary changes for Edexcel and AQA maths - mad increase from 2019, anyone using the 2019 grade boundaries as a benchmark for predictions would have been utterly screwed.

I'm not entirely sure what's happened there tbh. The OCR grade boundaries look more like what you'd expect to see. But given those increases in grade boundaries, I don't think giving extra support like advanced info looks like it was needed.

What a shitshow A level marking and university admissions are this year
Postapocalypticcowgirl · 17/08/2023 17:31

Some teachers, looking at a list of 8s and 9s at GCSE are bound to think As were achievable. Tbf, I don't think I know of a single teacher who does this- I'm pretty sure everyone bases them on current assessment only.

I think GCSEs had more of an impact at the lower end, where students have got onto courses they might not have done otherwise, and so lower grade boundaries have been pulled down.

Postapocalypticcowgirl · 17/08/2023 17:33

noblegiraffe · 17/08/2023 17:22

I will say, I don't think, as a department, we predicted A and A star grade boundaries would go up at all- but that's obviously our mistake.

Look at the grade boundary changes for Edexcel and AQA maths - mad increase from 2019, anyone using the 2019 grade boundaries as a benchmark for predictions would have been utterly screwed.

I'm not entirely sure what's happened there tbh. The OCR grade boundaries look more like what you'd expect to see. But given those increases in grade boundaries, I don't think giving extra support like advanced info looks like it was needed.

I agree those are massive increases. What sort of grade boundaries were you using for mocks this year?

MolkosTeenageAngst · 17/08/2023 17:37

noblegiraffe · 17/08/2023 17:22

I will say, I don't think, as a department, we predicted A and A star grade boundaries would go up at all- but that's obviously our mistake.

Look at the grade boundary changes for Edexcel and AQA maths - mad increase from 2019, anyone using the 2019 grade boundaries as a benchmark for predictions would have been utterly screwed.

I'm not entirely sure what's happened there tbh. The OCR grade boundaries look more like what you'd expect to see. But given those increases in grade boundaries, I don't think giving extra support like advanced info looks like it was needed.

How do they decide the grade boundaries? Are they based on percentages after the papers are marked to try and ensure that there is a roughly even distribution of grades, are they determined based on how difficult the exam paper was perceived to be or are they decided in another way? Is there any logic in why the boundaries are not only so much higher than the last few years but higher than 2018?

lastdayatschool · 17/08/2023 17:47

@IheartNiles Its not a fair playing field for the devolved nations to have different grade boundaries

Are you also going to argue that it's not fair that different exam boards in England teach differing syllabuses and set different examinations, which won't all have the same grade boundaries ?

NI and Wales have different systems anyway from England - they do AS levels, which were formally examined/marked in 2022 (lower 6th) and account for 40% of the final A level result, so you're never comparing like to like.

Takoneko · 17/08/2023 17:48

I’m a Head of Sixth Form and this felt like a normal year to me… some students disappointed, some delighted. The vast majority had university places or apprenticeships lined up and had what they needed to progress. I’m also a history teacher and whilst I was surprised to see the grade boundaries so high (the boundary for an A* was 28 marks higher than last year and 12 marks higher than 2019) the grade distribution is in line with 2019, so I can only assume marking was lenient and they were awarding marks more
generously.

I think a lot of the media reporting around results day is incredibly irresponsible and it whips up stress and anxiety. Some of the kids were terrified of opening their results because they’d read all the headlines and panicked. It’s the same every year and really annoys me.

Askil · 17/08/2023 17:48

noblegiraffe · 17/08/2023 17:22

I will say, I don't think, as a department, we predicted A and A star grade boundaries would go up at all- but that's obviously our mistake.

Look at the grade boundary changes for Edexcel and AQA maths - mad increase from 2019, anyone using the 2019 grade boundaries as a benchmark for predictions would have been utterly screwed.

I'm not entirely sure what's happened there tbh. The OCR grade boundaries look more like what you'd expect to see. But given those increases in grade boundaries, I don't think giving extra support like advanced info looks like it was needed.

@noblegiraffe That table looks really odd. I thought they were trying to bring grade boundaries for this year in line with 2019, not higher than? those figures are a lot higher that even pre 2019??

Takoneko · 17/08/2023 17:56

@Askil It’a grade distribution that has been brought back to 2019 levels not grade boundaries. The approximate number of As, Bs etc is predetermined before students sit a single exam. There’s a fomula for each subject for each exam board based on the prior attainment of their cohorts. Then they put in the grade boundaries wherever it gives the closest to the “right” amount of each grade.

Grade boundaries have gone up in many subjects compared to 2019, but grades are actually slightly higher. This means that students were scoring significantly more marks than the 2019 cohort did. This could be because marking was more lenient, the cohort were better prepared or worked harder, the exam papers were easier etc. Likely a combination of a few things.

MumblesParty · 17/08/2023 17:57

I agree OP, it’s been a mess

noblegiraffe · 17/08/2023 17:57

It wasn't the grade boundaries that were supposed to be in line with 2019, but the grade distribution. But the grade distribution tables also look odd for maths, the cohort that sat AQA did worse than 2019, the cohort that sat OCR did (much) better than 2019. So it doesn't look like the grade boundaries within the exam boards were set to maintain parity of grade distribution with 2019. I'm not sure how OCR managed to argue with Ofqual that they needed to decrease the grade boundaries from 2019 to give more students better grades.

All a bit odd.

What a shitshow A level marking and university admissions are this year
Postapocalypticcowgirl · 17/08/2023 17:59

noblegiraffe · 17/08/2023 17:57

It wasn't the grade boundaries that were supposed to be in line with 2019, but the grade distribution. But the grade distribution tables also look odd for maths, the cohort that sat AQA did worse than 2019, the cohort that sat OCR did (much) better than 2019. So it doesn't look like the grade boundaries within the exam boards were set to maintain parity of grade distribution with 2019. I'm not sure how OCR managed to argue with Ofqual that they needed to decrease the grade boundaries from 2019 to give more students better grades.

All a bit odd.

Looks like studnets were way better off sitting OCR than another exam board!

Are these tables available for other subjects anywhere.

Takoneko · 17/08/2023 17:59

@noblegiraffe The grade distributions for exam boards change each year depending on the profile of their cohort. It could be an indication of schools switching exam board in the intervening years.

Ceci03 · 17/08/2023 18:02

Dd devastated. She was predicted AAB and got CCD. Coursework for drama counted for 60% and she got 92%. Requested a breakdown and school sat she scored 32% in the exam? How did that happen. She was told she scored the highest coursework mark in the year. Same for English. She got 92% in the coursework which was only 20% of the grade. But got low 40s for exam. One exam was marked as 36%. Am pushing for an appeal but too late now she has missed her first choice . She does have a place but is not sure she will take it as she doesn't really want to go there. Anyone any advice

Takoneko · 17/08/2023 18:06

It often goes in waves, you’ll have a year where there’s a perception that OCR is harder and if a load of schools with lower sets of results switch to another exam board then the grade profile for that exam board will go down and the profile for the one they have left will go up.

Now lots of schools will start switching to OCR and it will go back the other way. Some exam boards get a bigger share of the top grades because their cohort has a higher percentage of high prior attainment students.

Postapocalypticcowgirl · 17/08/2023 18:06

Ceci03 · 17/08/2023 18:02

Dd devastated. She was predicted AAB and got CCD. Coursework for drama counted for 60% and she got 92%. Requested a breakdown and school sat she scored 32% in the exam? How did that happen. She was told she scored the highest coursework mark in the year. Same for English. She got 92% in the coursework which was only 20% of the grade. But got low 40s for exam. One exam was marked as 36%. Am pushing for an appeal but too late now she has missed her first choice . She does have a place but is not sure she will take it as she doesn't really want to go there. Anyone any advice

If you get an appeal, you can ask the firm to hold the place for her- if she can get her offer via the appeal within a certain time frame, they should honour her offer.

Is the place she's holding her insurance or via clearing?

Postapocalypticcowgirl · 17/08/2023 18:08

Takoneko · 17/08/2023 18:06

It often goes in waves, you’ll have a year where there’s a perception that OCR is harder and if a load of schools with lower sets of results switch to another exam board then the grade profile for that exam board will go down and the profile for the one they have left will go up.

Now lots of schools will start switching to OCR and it will go back the other way. Some exam boards get a bigger share of the top grades because their cohort has a higher percentage of high prior attainment students.

Okay, sure, except if you look at the other tables linked upthread, they're also the only exam board to lower their grade boundaries (I assume for maths) from 2019.

Which does make it look a bit dodgy.

noblegiraffe · 17/08/2023 18:08

Takoneko · 17/08/2023 17:59

@noblegiraffe The grade distributions for exam boards change each year depending on the profile of their cohort. It could be an indication of schools switching exam board in the intervening years.

It could be, but it's really odd. Why would the cohort sitting OCR suddenly be much higher prior-achieving while the others be lower? Wondering whether the OCR cohort is more likely to be private, as we know their TAGS/CAGs for GCSE were more boosted than state schools.

Ceci03 · 17/08/2023 18:09

Thanks @Postapocalypticcowgirl . The one she accepted is thru clearing. She didn't want her insurance when she thought about it . I mean if she had dropped one grade to Bs and and C I would put it down to COVID etc and grade boundaries. But this does seem very odd . What are the chances of a mistake in 2 a level results tho. It's just being told so much she would def get at least 2 As for 2 years to get Cs is just odd.

SunnyEgg · 17/08/2023 18:09

Is your dc in private op? Or grammar

Ceci03 · 17/08/2023 18:12

@Takoneko do you think my dds results are strange

Takoneko · 17/08/2023 18:18

noblegiraffe · 17/08/2023 18:08

It could be, but it's really odd. Why would the cohort sitting OCR suddenly be much higher prior-achieving while the others be lower? Wondering whether the OCR cohort is more likely to be private, as we know their TAGS/CAGs for GCSE were more boosted than state schools.

Show quote history

In my experience it only takes one PIXL adviser, Headteacher network group or well-respected EduTwitter type saying that X board is easier or more accessible for a subject and you get a wave of schools who have lower results switching to another in the hopes that it will improve things. Anecdotally, I think OCR does have higher proportions of private and selective schools.

I know that since the new GCSEs have come in, there’s been shifts away from some boards towards others. It would be interesting to see if the relative cohort size has changed much.

Postapocalypticcowgirl · 17/08/2023 18:19

Ceci03 · 17/08/2023 18:09

Thanks @Postapocalypticcowgirl . The one she accepted is thru clearing. She didn't want her insurance when she thought about it . I mean if she had dropped one grade to Bs and and C I would put it down to COVID etc and grade boundaries. But this does seem very odd . What are the chances of a mistake in 2 a level results tho. It's just being told so much she would def get at least 2 As for 2 years to get Cs is just odd.

If she's not very keen on the offer she's accepted, then it might be worth looking at other choices tomorrow?

But it sounds a bit like she only wants her firm. What was her reasoning for rejecting her insurance? Presumably she liked it at the time?

Postapocalypticcowgirl · 17/08/2023 18:21

Takoneko · 17/08/2023 18:18

In my experience it only takes one PIXL adviser, Headteacher network group or well-respected EduTwitter type saying that X board is easier or more accessible for a subject and you get a wave of schools who have lower results switching to another in the hopes that it will improve things. Anecdotally, I think OCR does have higher proportions of private and selective schools.

I know that since the new GCSEs have come in, there’s been shifts away from some boards towards others. It would be interesting to see if the relative cohort size has changed much.

Show quote history

But those schools by definition aren't high prior attaining? Also, for a lot of subjects, switching boards means quite a bit of additional work for staff. I really don't think people do switch at a drop of a hat like that, as often as you think.

I accept there are longer term trends with people switching etc- but if schools aren't getting the results they want with one board, how does it follow their students are high prior attaining?

Ceci03 · 17/08/2023 18:24

@Postapocalypticcowgirl yes she liked it sort of at the time but has gone off it. There's not much else left tbh

Spirallingdownwards · 17/08/2023 18:26

Fortunately this is not the experience round our way where the selective schools are still reporting their usual prepandemic levels of A*/A grades and even local village colleges seem pleased with their grades.

It seems some schools didnt adjust for the know return to pre 2019 levels or have had their lack of support during covid found out.