What impact is A-level reform having on university hopefuls?

When the exams watchdog Ofqual announced plans to scrap January exams, it may have brought an end to so-called “resit culture”. But there are concerns whether some students, particularly those from less affluent backgrounds, will find it harder to get into their university of choice or even end up abandoning the prospect entirely, writes Ellie Thomson.

Brian Lightman, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, believes these reforms, which come into force next month, will have an impact.

He told Channel 4 News: “If A-Level students don’t get the grade they need or fail outright and need to retake the exam, they now have to wait a whole year in order to do so and that is a lot of time lost.

“One would assume that for people without funding, who are forced to wait a whole year, that rules out university completely rather than taking a gap year. I think most people are put off taking a gap year because you would have to find work and that is increasingly difficult.”

This cap on resits, which was announced in November 2012, will also impact on students who are unable to sit exams in the summer for reasons such as illness, bereavement or a disability.

The view that less affluent students could suffer under the reforms is shared by other leading education professionals.

David Igoe, chief executive of the Sixth Form Colleges’ Association, told Channel 4 News: “When modular schemes first came in and you were able to do A-Levels in a progressive way and build up your marks, it did seem to be an advantage for those students not from such supportive and affluent backgrounds doing it in bite-size chunks.

“On balance we were persuaded that the resit culture was a bit of a problem and in some ways it was probably abused by some students taking far too many exams when their result didn’t improve.

“The exam became everything and the emphasis was off learning.”

The great education divide

Some experts say students from wealthy backgrounds are better positioned to achieve top grades and access universities because of their study ethos and exam preparation, alongside additional support many receive with their UCAS application.

And students from all backgrounds are now under increased pressure to perform well in exams when their future hinges on just a few letters of the alphabet.

Mr Lightman added: “There are some things you can’t test so reliably in exams and so there should be a combination of different forms of assessment to include things such as projects and coursework. There is real inconsistency and an over reliance on the examinations system when it is clearly not an accurate science.”

A spokesperson for the Department for Education said: “While exams are part and parcel of school life, education should not be an endless treadmill of revision and testing.

“The removal of the January exam window will reduce the burden of exams. The shift from modular to linear A-Levels will mean less time spent on exams and more time spent on learning benefiting all pupils. It will also address the impact of modules and resits on grade inflation.”

Ellie Thomson is a student at the University of Bristol.