A-level passes and A grades up

Thursday 14th August 2008, 9:39AM BST.

wd2970725a-level-results.jpgThere has been another increase in the A-level pass rate and the proportion of entries awarded the top A grade.

Figures show 97.2 per cent of entries in England, Wales and Northern Ireland passed, up from 96.9 per cent last year..

A grades went to 25.9 per cent of the entries, an increase over last year’s 25.3 per cent.

There were a record 827,737 A-level entries and 1.13 million AS-levels this year from more than 600,000 students.


  1. 1
    Rebecca

    Congratulations to all of the students taking A-levels.

    One tip to deal with the inevitable backlash against accusations of the “exams are getting easier” misanthropes:

    You just say “sales of educational toys has boomed over the last decade or so. You are keen to support raising standards in primary schools and you are keen to support the success of local schools (largely because this effects the price of your house, but you can ignore that part). So how come if you are so supportive of helping young children succeed, and celebrate their success and wish them to do well, that when those children then grow up and inevitably do well at A-level as a result of all those educational toys, Sure-Start, investment in education, all that money spent on going to good schools etc – why are you so quick to demonise young adults and accuse them of being lazy and soft? Is it because you hate teenagers, by any chance?”?

    That should shut them up.

    Report abuse

  2. 2
    Man

    It is funny how people can only assume that the exams are getting easier, and the possibility that kids are simply getting smarter doesn’t even cross their minds.

    Well, it would be funny if it didn’t demean their achievements so much.

    Report abuse

  3. 3
    Mary Jenkins

    I think the kids work really hard and deserve their passes. I know I couldn’t have done it. They are more motivated now, they have to be to compete for the few jobs that are there. Well done to them all.

    Report abuse



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