A-level results: 'My future has been set back completely'

Abbi says the grading system seems unfair

For students across England, Northern Ireland and Wales the wait is finally over for A-level and vocational qualification results. But with exams cancelled because of the coronavirus pandemic, many have seen their teacher-predicted grades lowered, leading to disappointment and confusion.

"My future has been set back completely," says Abbi Fitzgerald.

The student at Wilberforce Sixth Form College in Hull got a Distinction* in her engineering BTec - the highest grade possible - but for her A-levels she got Ds in maths and art and an E in physics, after the results predicted by her teachers were downgraded.

"When I opened them I had a bit of a cry," she tells the BBC.

This year, schools submitted predicted grades to exam boards and ranked pupils based on who they thought would do best.

The exam boards then took into account data from previous years to adjust the marks, with the aim of ensuring consistency.

But headteachers have spoken of "volatility" in the results, with some saying lowered grades seem to be unfair.

For Abbi, this means she misses out on a place at Durham University to study engineering, and she says she is now considering sitting her exams later in the year or finding a place at another university through clearing.

"I had my heart set on Durham and it's now not an option for clearing because there's no clearing for my course," she adds.

• Heads warn of 'unfair' grades for A-level students

• How have exam results been decided this year?

• 'Mock exams aren't a fair way to decide grades'

Abbi says the grading system seems "unfair".

Vocational qualifications like BTecs often have continuous assessments throughout the course, but many A-level subjects rely primarily on exams at the end of the year, making it harder to predict grades.

"It goes to show that the ones I was supposed to do exams in that I didn't get to, I got awful grades, I got downgraded," she says.

"And the one that reflects all the work I've done over the past two years, I got the highest grade that I could possibly get."

She says she is angry her results have been affected by something out of her control, adding: "I would have happily sat the exams but it was up to the government."

For Maimuna Hassan, from Acton in west London, her results also came as a "complete shock".

After being predicted A*A*A by her teachers, she was only awarded A*AB, meaning she missed her university offers to study engineering at Cambridge and Imperial College London.

Maimuna believes her results were downgraded because of the historically lower grades at her comprehensive school in Chiswick, which has twice been rated as "requires improvement" by Ofsted inspectors.

"They didn't take individual circumstances into account," she adds.

Maimuna says she feels "let down" by the system

Born in Switzerland and the eldest child of Somali immigrants, English is her third language and Maimuna says she had to work harder than most to achieve top grades throughout her school career.

She now feels "let down" by the system and says she has little faith in the appeals process which could allow her mock results of A*A*A to be used instead.

On Wednesday, the Department for Education announced that for pupils in England, if their results day grades are lower than their mock exams they can appeal - but this will have to be through their school, with the terms for approving appeals to be decided by regulator Ofqual.

They also have the option of taking a written exam in the autumn, giving them the chance to secure a higher grade.

But with just two months to prepare Maimuna worries she would not fulfil her potential.

"I'm going to start revising tomorrow just in case," she adds.

Toby is still hoping to be a doctor - despite being awarded lower grades than expected

Toby Newton, from Hillingdon in west London, was on track to achieve his dream of studying medicine, with predicted grades of A*A*A.

However, his plans have been put on hold after he was only awarded BBC.

"It was incredibly disheartening," he says, adding that many of his school friends are in a similar situation.

"I feel like the government have let us down and I'm hoping they'll reconsider the points and how they are being rewarded."

Toby now plans to appeal to see if his mock results of ABB can be used instead and is looking at the option of studying at a European university.

"I've always wanted to be a doctor and I still want to be a doctor, so it hasn't put me off," he says.

Not everyone is disappointed, though.

Overall results across England, Northern Ireland and Wales show record highs for A* and A grades at A-level.

Caitlyn Foley, a student at Merthyr College in south Wales, says she is "very pleased" after being awarded an A* and three As.

"It's been a bit weird having to deal with all the changes so last minute," she says.

"I was nervous, just because I knew I worked hard all throughout the year, and I was disappointed because I couldn't perform and do my exams and prove it to myself."

Caitlyn Foley was pleased with her results

Others have benefitted from the last-minute changes.

Fellow student Tom Bush was awarded an A and two Bs but this will be upgraded to two As and a B, after ministers in Wales promised students' A-level result this year would be no lower than what they achieved at AS-level the previous year.

However, he says he still found the uncertainty leading up to results day "frustrating".

"I know things happen but we've had quite a long time to prepare for this and it seems to just have all gone up in the air a couple of days before."