Education minister guarantees Welsh student’s A-level grades won’t be lower than their AS results

Students in Wales “can be assured” that their A Level grades reflect their work and externally assessed exams, education minister Kirsty Williams has said this afternoon.

The minister has also said that all appeals will be free to ensure there is no financial barrier if learners feel their exam grades are unfair.

Learners across Wales are set to receive their A-level and AS results on Thursday.

Exams were cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic so grades will be based on how teachers believe a student would have performed, as well as a formula applied by the exam board.

Regulatory body Qualifications Wales has already indicated many estimated results are likely to be lowered after describing them as “generous” and highlighting inconsistencies.

Concerns have been voiced that it will result in a repeat of what happened in Scotland, where many pupils were unhappy that they had been awarded lower grades than they had been predicted.

In England, A-level and GCSE students are being promised their final results will be no lower than their mock exams.

In a statement related this afternoon, Kirsty Williams said:

I am confident that the system overseen by Qualifications Wales (QW) and WJEC, in response to the current emergency, is fair for students and robust in what it measures and signals to employers and universities.

However, governments in other parts of the United Kingdom have introduced changes to their systems and we must make sure that these alterations do not disadvantage Welsh students.

Students in Wales, and prospective employers and universities across the UK, can be assured that their A Level grades reflect their work and externally assessed exams.

Almost half the final grade comes from AS Level exams – this is not the situation elsewhere.

Therefore in building on that completed work, I am giving a guarantee that a learner’s final A Level grade cannot be lower than their AS grade. If a student receives a final grade tomorrow that is below that of their previous AS grade, then a revised grade will be issued automatically by WJEC.

This will mean – and I have received assurances from UCAS and universities – that students can speak with confidence to their prospective universities regarding their A Level grades.

OFQUAL are yet to publish the details of the new appeals process following the English Government’s announcement.  I have asked Qualifications Wales, working with the WJEC, to work closely with the qualifications bodies of the other UK nations as they develop their plans.

I will be asking Qualifications Wales to move forward quickly on relevant adjustments to a Welsh appeals process as soon as these plans are clearer, in order to ensure Welsh students are not disadvantaged.

I am confirming today that all appeals will be free for Welsh students, to ensure there is no financial barrier to ensure learners feel their exam grades are fair.