Dr Kevin Savage, Principal of Duff Miller College, explains why the new A-level specifications introduced last September may seem familiar – and what impact they'll have on those applying to university
Duff Miller College, an independent sixth form college in London
The ‘new’ look A-Level specifications which were ushered in last September will have appeared more like old friends to educationalists of a certain age. Around a dozen subjects this year – with two further tranches in 2016 and 2017 – have been redesigned and, crucially, the method of assessment has been fundamentally altered.
Popular science, humanities and social science subjects will no longer be examined by means of modular units which students used to be able to re-sit if unhappy with their first attempt. Instead, each A-Level will follow a linear path, with the full syllabus covered by the exams taken at the end of the two-year programme of study.
In truth, they represent a return to the way in which all A-Levels were examined prior to the introduction of the Curriculum 2000 reforms.
It has been obvious from my conversations with parents and students in the last six months or so that not everyone has been aware of the new A-Level specifications, nor have the ramifications been fully appreciated.
So, what are the changes, why have they been made, and what impact will they have on students applying to university?
In terms of syllabus content, many of the new A-Level specifications are unchanged or very similar to the ones they replace. Where content has been altered, the general intention has been to update the information taught and to make the subject tougher for students.
The primary difference, however, is in the means of assessment, with the disappearance of modular exams and the downgrading of the AS qualification. Previously, a typical two-year A-Level programme would see students sitting at least two modular unit exams at the end of the first year. The results of these first year exams would count towards 50% of the final A-Level grade. Better yet, students who were unhappy with their performance in the AS units could simply have a second bite at the cherry in the hope of improving their overall grade.
Dr Kevin Savage, Principal at Duff Miller College
With the reformed A-Levels, it is no longer possible to sit modular exams, nor to have a second attempt – at least, not within the standard two-year A-Level programme of study.
Students may still sit AS exams at the end of the first year but now the AS is classed as a standalone qualification: its results don’t count towards the full A-Level or the final grade.
Since that is the case, why would anyone take AS exams?
Well, there are good reasons: the AS results will allow students and their teachers to assess their progress; they will gain familiarity with examiners’ questioning techniques; their AS results can be declared on their university application forms; and the AS grade counts as 40% of a full A-Level, thus contributing to a UCAS points total.
The other significant change is the down-playing of coursework in the overall awarding of grades, often reducing the value of coursework by half, with a subsequent increase in the value of the linear exams.
Those all-important exams will be different from the previous AS and A2 questions, in that they are designed to be synoptic and linear. This means that the exams taken at the end of two years of A-Level study will cover the entire syllabus, including the first year’s materials.
What lies behind the changes?
It is hard to escape the conclusion that education has yet again proved to be something of a political football. Faced with over a decade and a half of year-on-year rises in the proportion of A-Level grades awarded at A and A*, so-called ‘grade inflation’, the government decided that the globally-revered A-Level ‘gold standard’ had been debased. In short, it was felt by many (including university admissions tutors and employers) that somehow it meant less if a student presented themselves with three or four A grades than it had in previous generations.
The move to linear exams, together with a diminution of the value of coursework and the abolition of modular unit exams (and re-sits), is designed to restore academic rigour and credibility to a tarnished public examination system. The changes at A-Level are also in line with recent developments with GCSE qualifications.
Where does this leave sixth-form students now?
Remember that not all subjects have been reformed. It is still possible to take a two year A-Level programme and choose subjects which retain the modular format for assessment, coursework and re-sits included. Eventually all existing A-Level subjects will be reformed on the same lines, with the second phase coming in September 2016 and the final third in 2017. Some subjects, such as ICT, will disappear from the curriculum.
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There’s no doubt that some students will perform less well with the linear examinations system – though others will fare better.
Nationally, there is likely to be a fluctuation in the A-Level statistics while the new specifications are settling in. In all likelihood, there will be a reversal of grade inflation: in other words, it will almost certainly become harder to gain A and A* grades at A-Level. This is good news for top-ranking universities and employers, but not for those students who might previously have punched above their weight.
Universities are reviewing their entrance requirements in light of the nature of the reformed A-Levels. There are an increasing number of universities who are making unconditional offers for students with high AS grades as they compete to secure recruitment of the best students. There are questions over the need to sit for a 4th AS qualification in addition to 3 full A-Levels, with many of the most selective universities recommending students continue to sit 4 AS subjects in their first year of A-Level study. There is also a move towards more value being placed on other aspects of university applications, such as specific additional assessments, UKCAT, BMAT, LNAT, TSA etc.), Personal Statements and References, learning from relevant professional experience and performance at interview.
Given the confusion some students and parents feel, and the greater complexity of choosing the best subject combination, number of subjects studied and additional factors which will form part of the assessment of applications, students and parents should take even greater care when considering where to study for their A-Levels. Seeking advice and understanding the details of the reformed subject specifications and other factors which will be considered is the best way to avoid the prospect of ultimately disappointing results – and the possibility of having to re-take the whole A-Level programme.
Dr Kevin Savage is Principal at Duff Miller College in London
