The return to formal exam arrangements means A-level results day will not be a “pain-free” experience for students, the head of Ucas has warned.
This year’s race for university places is expected to be one of the most competitive yet, with almost 40 per cent of students thought likely to make use of the clearing system to get a place on a course.
Clare Marchant, Ucas chief executive, was commenting on this week’s results during a webinar hosted by the Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI) today.
Ofqual, the exams regulator for England, has previously announced that this year’s grades would aim to reflect a midway point between 2021 and 2019 following the return to exams for the first time since the Covid pandemic started.
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Ms Marchant said that, while Ucas expects either a record or near-record level of students getting their first choice, the experience will not be easy for everyone and support for students will be needed.
She added: “A return to either an intermediary position or, as Ofqual have said, a midpoint, was never going to be pain-free and I think we would kid ourselves to say that that is going to be pain-free, although necessary to do.
“So I think there is lots of positive news in terms of potentially looking at record or near-record students getting into their first choice. But similarly, we all know that a return to [a] midpoint is something that potentially needed to be done, but is not easy.”
Ucas has acknowledged that universities’ approach to making offers to students this year has been a cautious one.
In a report published at the weekend, Professor Alan Smithers, director of the Centre for Education and Employment Research at the University of Buckingham, said there could be 80,000 fewer A* or A grades awarded than for 2021‘s A levels, where teacher-assessed grades were used.
‘Not meaningful’
However, in an open letter to students published yesterday, Ucas and Ofqual said that universities understood what grades will look like overall this year and took this into account when making offers.
It added: “It’s not meaningful to compare this year’s results to those in 2021, because it was a different form of assessment.”
Ms Marchant said government departments and regulators are “working to make sure that, through all of our social media messaging, that support is around” for students on Thursday.
She also said that through their tracking of students using their website, they know that almost 40 per cent intend to use clearing this year.
According to a survey of 941 students with university offers, conducted by Ucas in late June, the proportion looking at staying at home for university has reduced slightly after rising during the pandemic, but people are “potentially looking to stay closer to home”, Ms Marchant said.
She also said that, amid the soaring cost of living, more than two-thirds of prospective university students are already considering part-time work.
