I have said in previous blog posts that the education system is "failing". I stand by my word but today, we can place our concerns aside as hundreds-of-thousands of students across the nation pick up their A-Level results. Some will celebrate with joy, but others will panic over losing their preferred University course and quickly apply through clearing.
A-Level Results Day appears to be the easiest news the government can cope with after a manic last month, and at the same time proves that not all youth are looters. The pass rate (grades A*-E) in the UK is up for the 29th consecutive year while more students are achieving grade A, which equates on average around 80% or higher. Despite these promising results, that perhaps indicate that the current generation are statistically, and educationally more capable and dedicated to their studies than their parents, and grandparents etc., some "experts" suggest that exams are getting much easier.
I completed, and passed all my A-Levels back in 2009 and I can promise you, they were not easy. Each subject has its own great demand and requirements as people hope to clinch a University place. Everyone is getting more competitive because youth unemployment is almost at its peak and in order to get the lifestyle and career you always wanted, then getting the best grades is the way forward. But there are different reasons and effects to why I think why people are getting better grades now, compared to previous years.
Psychological urge: I wasn't a straight "A student" - as long as I had enough marks to get to where I want to be, I'm happy. I am easily pleased, but there are some that if they didn't get high marks, the psychological effects could be unbearable. If someone was told they missed out on higher education by less than five marks, they will be unhappy and therefore encouraged to get even higher marks at the following year. It's persistence which get people forward in life.
Technological aspect: As I said earlier, youth unemployment is at a high which sounds bizarre as there are more jobs available to us than ever before due to the revolution of technology. Between the decades 60s-80s, there was no such job involving "social media" or titles like "computer analysts" and many today are influenced by Web 2.0 and the potential Web 3.0 in the near future. The demands for these jobs, and others are large and with people's passion in technology and expertise in social networking, it will encourage them to excel in their subjects.
Variety of subjects: Technology can be linked with this point as people twenty-or-so-years ago can would never dream of taking advanced Information Communication Technology, Media Studies or Film Studies. There are more choices for students to pick subjects which could help them build their preferred careers. With these options, students can enjoy their chosen subjects and the more comfortable they get, the higher chance they will pass with good marks.
Grade boundary changes: I thought to myself today how more people can achieve A grades, or other marks to proud of. I've done a little bit of research on the AQA examination board website and compared the percentage guidelines in achieving an A grade and a U grade (fail) for popular subjects at Comprehensive Schools and Further Education Colleges, cited by The Guardian in summers of 2007 and 2011.
The three popular subjects remarkably are Design & Technology, Drama and Religious Studies while the most unpopular are Classical Subjects, Communication Studies and Law.
These calculations I made here ranged from different modules for each of the subjects mentioned so if perhaps a 62% in Drama four years ago was from a minor topic which bared little significance to the overall grade, it's clear to me why the subjects in question are popular and others aren't so. Take Design & Technology for example, it will be unlikely for a candidate to fail for that subject compared to Classical Studies where you need to work extra hard to get the best possible grade. But you'd think, due to the introduction to the A* grade last year that getting an A would have been a little easier to achieve but obviously not.
A-Level Results Day appears to be the easiest news the government can cope with after a manic last month, and at the same time proves that not all youth are looters. The pass rate (grades A*-E) in the UK is up for the 29th consecutive year while more students are achieving grade A, which equates on average around 80% or higher. Despite these promising results, that perhaps indicate that the current generation are statistically, and educationally more capable and dedicated to their studies than their parents, and grandparents etc., some "experts" suggest that exams are getting much easier.
I completed, and passed all my A-Levels back in 2009 and I can promise you, they were not easy. Each subject has its own great demand and requirements as people hope to clinch a University place. Everyone is getting more competitive because youth unemployment is almost at its peak and in order to get the lifestyle and career you always wanted, then getting the best grades is the way forward. But there are different reasons and effects to why I think why people are getting better grades now, compared to previous years.
Psychological urge: I wasn't a straight "A student" - as long as I had enough marks to get to where I want to be, I'm happy. I am easily pleased, but there are some that if they didn't get high marks, the psychological effects could be unbearable. If someone was told they missed out on higher education by less than five marks, they will be unhappy and therefore encouraged to get even higher marks at the following year. It's persistence which get people forward in life.
Technological aspect: As I said earlier, youth unemployment is at a high which sounds bizarre as there are more jobs available to us than ever before due to the revolution of technology. Between the decades 60s-80s, there was no such job involving "social media" or titles like "computer analysts" and many today are influenced by Web 2.0 and the potential Web 3.0 in the near future. The demands for these jobs, and others are large and with people's passion in technology and expertise in social networking, it will encourage them to excel in their subjects.
Variety of subjects: Technology can be linked with this point as people twenty-or-so-years ago can would never dream of taking advanced Information Communication Technology, Media Studies or Film Studies. There are more choices for students to pick subjects which could help them build their preferred careers. With these options, students can enjoy their chosen subjects and the more comfortable they get, the higher chance they will pass with good marks.
Grade boundary changes: I thought to myself today how more people can achieve A grades, or other marks to proud of. I've done a little bit of research on the AQA examination board website and compared the percentage guidelines in achieving an A grade and a U grade (fail) for popular subjects at Comprehensive Schools and Further Education Colleges, cited by The Guardian in summers of 2007 and 2011.
The three popular subjects remarkably are Design & Technology, Drama and Religious Studies while the most unpopular are Classical Subjects, Communication Studies and Law.
| SUBJECT | Grade A % 2007 | Grade A % 2011 | Grade U % 2007 | Grade U % 2011 |
| Design & Technology | 55-79 | 61-93 | 31-47 | 28-42 |
| Drama | 62-80 | 70-93 | 33-52 | 31-38 |
| Religious Studies | 57-67 | 81-91 | 26-31 | 35-44 |
| Classical Subjects | 75-78 | 78-85 | 36 | Up to 49 |
| Communication Studies | 69-75 | 85-88 | 48 | Up to 46 |
| Law | 66-72 | 86 | 35-49 | 35-48 |
These calculations I made here ranged from different modules for each of the subjects mentioned so if perhaps a 62% in Drama four years ago was from a minor topic which bared little significance to the overall grade, it's clear to me why the subjects in question are popular and others aren't so. Take Design & Technology for example, it will be unlikely for a candidate to fail for that subject compared to Classical Studies where you need to work extra hard to get the best possible grade. But you'd think, due to the introduction to the A* grade last year that getting an A would have been a little easier to achieve but obviously not.
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