The Triple Lock A level exam results mess

The Triple Lock A level exam results mess

The Exam House has been warning about the A level mess for some time. The Government now on the week of results decided to promise the triple lock. What ever the highest grade including the calculated grade, appeal to receive a valid mock result, or sit autumn exams.

‘Ofqual has been asked to determine how and when valid mock results can be used to calculate grades’.

How will Ofqual actually make effective grade marks on mocks is anyone’s guess. This will fall into a ‘Pick your own Grade’. We warned this would happen in a blog when the exams were recently cancelled in April.

Gavin Williamson MP the current Sec. state of education quips:

Every young person waiting for their results wants to know they have been treated fairly. By ensuring students have the safety net of their mock results, as well as the chance of sitting autumn exams, we are creating a triple lock process to ensure confidence and fairness in the system.

No one wanted to cancel exams – they are the best form of assessment, but the disruption caused by Covid-19 meant they were not possible.

This A Level triple lock system will help provide reassurance to students and ensure they are able to progress with the next stage of their lives.

Had they put exams on the first place this would not have been a problem. Instead we now have a pick your grade scenario that helps no one.

Coupled with the Scottish higher exams cock up, where good candidates from schools in both poorer areas and historical attainment. Using standardisation given lower grades. Clearly a toxic argument has brewed as the poorer schools has punished the candidates who from those schools would have been one of their success stories. The outlier in respect to the schools previous results.

Finally, how with access arrangements consideration will the triple lock will work is beyond imagination.

This whole exam mess could have been avoided!!