Edexcel’s Jerry Jarvis speaks results

Students around the country have been collecting their exam results over the past few weeks. Along with the many success stories comes the inevitable dumbing down arguments and attempts to de-value the examination system.

This year is a particularly difficult one for those learners wishing to take up a university place, with far fewer places available than demand dictates. The increase in demand for places is due to several factors including an increase in the 18 year old cohort and the continuing trend for more young people wanting to progress to university, leaving a shortfall of around 50,000 places.

Learners are under increasing pressure to gain a university place and are working harder and harder to achieve the required grades required for their university of choice. To de-value their efforts by arguing that the system is no longer as robust as in the past is not only untrue, but unkind.

Whilst it is an incontrovertible fact that an increasing amount of learners are achieving A level passes every year, it is still a relatively small number of students that achieve 3 As or above at A level (12%) and only 4% of 18 yr olds as a whole.

As a society, we should be encouraging all young people to do the best they possibly can, whether that be through academia, vocational study or work. At the same time however, it is important for young people to realise that they will not automatically be handed a university place simply for completing their A levels. Indeed every year, there are stories of learners with exceptional results missing out on university places.

The introduction of the A* at A level in 2010 will unquestionably help to differentiate the really exceptional candidates at the top, but competition for places will undoubtedly continue to grow.

Jerry Jarvis is managing director of Edexcel, the UK’s largest awarding body, the UK’s largest awarding body