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Higher education

Talk to other parents whose children are preparing for university on our Higher Education forum.

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Original poster

How accurate were your DC predicted grades?

79 replies

Evisam · 15/08/2025 16:01

They say only 17% of DC meet or exceed their predicted grades. Are schools way off in their predictions?

So how accurate were your DC predicted grades?
I'll start:

Predicted: A star, A star, A
Received: AAA

(over-predicted by 2 grades, accepted at 1st place university with offer of AAA)

OP posts:

Dery · 15/08/2025 16:12

Both DDs (elder sat A levels in 2023, younger has just sat them) were predicted and got A-starAA. Elder DD got her A-star in the subject for which it had been predicted; younger DD got hers in the subject in which it had never been predicted…

Great that your DC’s uni place was unaffected. Saves a lot of stress.

That said, a lot of both DDs’ friends did not get their predicted grades. In 2023, loads of elder DD’s friends went into clearing but were very happy with where they ended up and any initial disappointment has long since been forgotten. We did lots of clearing research before yesterday and were also reassured by how many great courses were available. But obviously it’s nice if you can avoid the stress of clearing.

Mapletreelane · 15/08/2025 16:13

Predicted 4 A stars
Received 3 A stars and 1 A
A in computer science. Missed it by 5 marks, no A Stars in CS at all in his year. Ironically he is going to study Computer science but it was his least favourite A level! I asked him if he wanted it recounted and he told me not to bother as it wouldn't make a difference and he was over the moon with his results and uni place 😀

SpanThatWorld · 15/08/2025 16:31

One was predicted 4 A stars. Got 3 A stars and an A.
One was predicted CCF and got CCD.

Anna20MFG · 15/08/2025 16:33

Predicted A star A star A
Got A star A star A star

The slightly lower predicted grade definitely spurred him on.

space99 · 15/08/2025 16:44

At the end of year 12 my DS was predicted A star, A star, B. He needed the B in maths to be an A to apply to the course he wanted which was asking for 3A.
He worked really hard over the summer and by October of year 13 his maths teacher was happy to change the prediction to an A. He got the offer for the course and uni he really wanted. On results day he got exactly what he was predicted in year 12 but thankfully still got his uni place. Phew!

DipsyDee · 15/08/2025 16:47

My DC predicted grades were bang on at 3 B’s however a lot of her class mates who were predicted A and A* got C’s or lower.

Sweetpeasaremadeforbees · 15/08/2025 17:27

Predicted ABA. Got ACD however the C was Spanish and she completely screwed up the talking paper and got an E in it. It was the two written papers that luckily brought up her grade. The D was 1 mark off a C but frankly she hasn't got a clue what she did wrong, is just relieved that she'll be leaving the subject behind! She still got her first choice thankfully.

1apenny2apenny · 15/08/2025 17:43

Originally predicted AAB, after conversations etc predicted AAA (I made the point that 1. for DCs subject AAA was needed for the unis they would consider and 2. Many unis let many in with a grade drop last year).

Outcome was offer of AAA, result AAB (B in subject that was originally B so teachers accurate) got preferred with the grade drop.

I would be spitting feathers if they’d refused the AAA predicted as many students have been let in with 1, often 2 grade drops, and these are all RG unis.

tartyflette · 15/08/2025 17:47

I can't remember the exact grades but i think DS did better in two subjects, both A* instead of A and worse in the third, a B instead of an A. He still got into the university he wanted, Durham so no problem.

Thelessdeceived · 15/08/2025 17:49

Predicted A, A and A. Got 3x A* so slightly under predicted.

Muchtoomuchtodo · 15/08/2025 17:55

We’ve only had AS level results so far for DS, but his predicted grades were exactly what he got.

MargaretThursday · 15/08/2025 18:04

DD1 predicted A star, A star, A got exactly that.
Dd2 covid years
Ds predicted CCD got DDA (ie the D got an A)

Piccolomaforte · 15/08/2025 18:13

Predicted 3 A stars. Due to the wheels suddenly coming off due to undiagnosed ADHD flaring and causing 50% attendance in last year of school and dropping their fourth A level. the outlook was not good.
Achieved 2 A stars and an A and got into his firm choice comfortably (hit the required grades on the nose).
It’s been a stressful year!

Piggywaspushed · 15/08/2025 18:14

You really ought to differentiate between predictions and UCAS predictions which are often a bartering process and are intended to be best case scenario grades.

LighthouseCat · 15/08/2025 18:18

Predicted 4 Astars. Got 3 Astars and an A. The A was v close to the Astar boundary though. I do wonder though if science and maths are easier to predict.

Sunnyafternooning · 15/08/2025 18:19

Three years ago now.

School predictions were ABC. They were happy to put ABB on UCAS as the C meant he was having to look at BBC courses.

His first choice offer was ABB, reduced to BBB if he firmed them (which didn’t influence his decision, it was his favourite). He held 5 offers from AAB to unconditional/publushed BBC.

On the day he got BBB and his first choice uni.

Sundaycrunch · 15/08/2025 18:27

Predicted 3 Astars.
DD thought all along that AstarAA was more realistic.
Got AstarAA.

Beamur · 15/08/2025 18:30

Got exactly as predicted.

Fourmagpies · 15/08/2025 18:30

Predicted AAB, got BCE.
He'd chosen a uni that was below his predicted grades anyway and then got a contextual offer which we hadn't anticipated, so all worked out okay and he still got his firm.

mondaytosunday · 15/08/2025 18:37

It wasn’t this year but my DD was predicted AAB. Her school made a point of being ‘realistic’, but I thought the B was harsh. Anyway she got AAA, with the predicted B (History) becoming 196/200. She applied after she got her grades which was much less stressful.

mondaytosunday · 15/08/2025 18:38

Ugh the silly MN - she got three A stars.

Stockpot · 15/08/2025 18:38

DD2, yr 2025:
predicted AstarAstarAstarAstar
achieved AstarAStarAstarAstar

DD1, yr 2022:
predicted AstarAstarA
achieved AstarAstarAstar

DD2 was offered Oxbridge, DD1 was not.

Under-predicting happens too. Especially at highly selective schools who are worried about journalists twisting statistics to make it sound like they are overpredicting Astar, when the real phenomenon is that the whole class is very close to the upper boundary.

Spirallingdownwards · 15/08/2025 18:40

I don't think your stats are quite right. I think it is 17% are accurate with some being underpredicted and the majority being overpredicted. However this shouldn't be a surprise bearing in mind the UCAS guidelines which state that predicted grades should be what the student could potentially achieve of the stars align on the day they take the exams!

Justlurkingmostly · 15/08/2025 18:42

Pretty spot on - predicted 3 x A stars and missed one of the stars but it was due to a particular issue that arose on one test day. Luckily their offer included one A so they made their firm, thank goodness.

MirandaWest · 15/08/2025 18:45

DS was predicted A star A star A and got A star A star A

DD predicted A star A star A star and got A star A star A star

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