A levels results day 2022 – Grades SLASHED for thousands of students across UK; plus what are the AQA grade boundaries?
- BTEC results explained
- Five ways to save on A-Level results day
STUDENTS yesterday received their A-level results after sitting the first exams since Covid - with grades overall lower than last year.
The wait for pupils in , Wales and came to an end on Thursday, with their A-level grades meaning the difference between attending university or not - and subsequently deciding the start of their career paths.
But stats for this year show the " generation" has seen "lower than expected grades" this year.
The proportion of candidates receiving top grades has fallen from last year, but is higher than before the Covid-19 pandemic.
A total of 36.4% of entries were awarded either an A or A*, down from 44.8% in 2021 but up from 25.4% in 2019.
The Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ) said the overall pass rate - the proportion of entries graded A* to E - fell by 1.1 percentage points from 99.5% in 2021 to 98.4% this year.
But this is up by 0.8 points from 97.6% in the pre-pandemic year of 2019.
Speaking ahead of the 2022 results figures, Education secretary James Cleverly told : "They were more generous, and I think that is legitimate, that they were more generous in the pandemic years.
"It was always the plan to get them back. That is going to be seen this year, so students might get slightly lower grades than perhaps they were expecting and that they were hoping. But, as I say, we should see the majority of students getting into the institutions that they want to."
Those taking T-Levels and BTech courses in vocational subjects also got their grades for the very first time. Initial UCAS admissions service figures show only 425,830 university spots have been taken up so far.
Read our A-levels results blog below for the latest news & updates...
A* grades fall this year
The number of students receiving the highest possible A-level grades has fallen this year.
17.1% of all results were at the highest A* grade, compared with 21.3% in 2021 and 8.9% in 2019.
Covid plays a large role in this spike, with students receiving their predicted grades in 2021.
Education sec says ‘majority of students’ will get first choice places
The “majority” of students will get their first choice university place, and are not being crowded out by a deferred cohort, the Education Secretary has said.
Asked by BBC Breakfast if deferred applications would lead to more competition for university places, James Cleverly said: “We should remember that there has been an increase in the number of courses, and as you say the number of 18-year-olds has been increasing, but so has the number of university courses.
“Predominantly of course, students are competing with the other people that took exams this year.
“The number of deferments as a percentage of the overall applications is very low, something around 6.5% from memory.
“So the vast majority of places will be for students who have sat exams this year.”
Mr Cleverly said there had been a “tighter set of results than last year” with the return of exams, but added: “We have got to remember that the majority of students will probably be getting into their first choice institution, that is incredibly good news.”
What is a maintenance loan?
Heading to university can be confusing, with lots of jargon involved with your application.
So, what exactly is a maintenance loan?
A maintenance loan is a certain amount of money you will receive at several intervals over the school year while at university.
This money can be used for rent, school books, bills and food.
Depending on your parent or guardian’s income, and where you attend university, your loan will be higher or lower.
The maintenance loan is separate to your student loan, which pays for your tuition fees.
A* grades plummet as A-level results come in
The number of students receiving the highest possible A-level grades has fallen this year.
17.1% of all results were at the highest A* grade, compared with 21.3% in 2021 and 8.9% in 2019.
Covid plays a large role in this spike, with students receiving their predicted grades in 2021.
Awkward moment as Good Morning Britain presenter reads student’s grades on live TV
The last thing you want after receiving some bad news is a reporter reading it to the nation.
Well, that happened to one student yesterday as a Good Morning Britain presenter read his grades out on live TV.
The student said he was “hoping for some B’s,” before opening his envelope.
See the awkward results below.
Students ‘let down’ by AQA
Speaking to the BBC, students have revealed that they feel “let down” by the AQA exam board.
AQA has admitted to making exams “more challenging” this year, in an attempt to level out post-Covid grades.
Top A-level results saw a sharp increase during the Covid-19 pandemic, as students got their predicted grades rather than sitting exams.
International students fall from pre-Covid numbers
International students account for 12.3% of the total full-time undergraduate applicants accepted through Ucas this year, down from a high of 14.7% in 2019.
Places for students from China, India and Nigeria are all up – increasing by 35%, 27% and 43% on last year respectively, Ucas said.
A total of 20,360 students did not get a place this year, Ucas said, down from 24,260 in 2019.
The organisation said it is not yet in a position to confirm the number of students who missed out on their first choice alone.
North-south divide grows once again this results day
The gap between grades in the south of England and the north of the country has grown sharply once again.
Students in the south received 5% higher grades in 2019, this gap has now risen to 8%.
“Students in the north-east are no less capable but after 12 years of Conservative governments they’re seeing their results go backwards compared to their peers across the south of England,” the shadow education secretary, Bridget Phillipson told the Guardian.
Ryanair takes a jab at Clarkson’s annual results day tweet
Every year, without fail, Top Gear star Jeremy Clarkson takes to Twitter to reassure A-level students who didn’t get the grades they wanted.
This year, the presenter took a snap of his massive boat, bragging that he failed his A-levels but still won at life.
Take a look at Ryanair’s sly jab in the tweet below.
Top 10 UK universities as thousands get their A-level results
Students across the UK got their A-level grades yesterday.
These teens will be looking to attend the best universities, but what are the UK’s most prestigious institutions?
- Oxford
- Cambridge
- St Andrews
- LSE
- Durham
- Warwick
- Imperial College
- Bath
- UCL
- Loughborough
Ukrainian student who helped British army smashes his A-levels
Zorian Tytych, who worked as a translator for the British army, has absolutely smashed his A-levels.
The student received four A grades.
He will be heading to Durham University this September.
What is a maintenance loan?
Heading to university can be confusing, with lots of jargon involved with your application.
So, what exactly is a maintenance loan?
A maintenance loan is a certain amount of money you will receive at several intervals over the school year while at university.
This money can be used for rent, school books, bills and food.
Depending on your parent or guardian’s income, and where you attend university, your loan will be higher or lower.
The maintenance loan is separate to your student loan, which pays for your tuition fees.
Don't miss your last chance to get a free Nandos!
While getting your results can be scary, one thing to surely make the day better is a free Nandos to wash the stress away.
For a number of years, the hit chicken chain has been giving away free food to students on results day, and this year is no different.
In order to claim a free quarter chicken or starter, simply head to your nearest Nandos with your ID and results envelope.
A* grades plummet as A-level results come in
The number of students receiving the highest possible A-level grades has fallen this year.
17.1% of all results were at the highest A* grade, compared with 21.3% in 2021 and 8.9% in 2019.
Covid plays a large role in this spike, with students receiving their predicted grades in 2021.
Awkward moment as Good Morning Britain presenter reads student's grades on live TV
The last thing you want after receiving some bad news is a reporter reading it to the nation.
Well, that happened to one student today as a Good Morning Britain presenter read his grades out on live TV.
The student said he was "hoping for some B's," before opening his envelope.
See the awkward results below.
Students 'let down' by AQA
Speaking to the BBC, students have revealed that they feel "let down" by the AQA exam board.
AQA has admitted to making exams "more challenging" this year, in an attempt to level out post-Covid grades.
Top A-level results saw a sharp increase during the Covid-19 pandemic, as students got their predicted grades rather than sitting exams.
International students fall from pre-Covid numbers
International students account for 12.3% of the total full-time undergraduate applicants accepted through Ucas this year, down from a high of 14.7% in 2019.
Places for students from China, India and Nigeria are all up – increasing by 35%, 27% and 43% on last year respectively, Ucas said.
A total of 20,360 students did not get a place this year, Ucas said, down from 24,260 in 2019.
The organisation said it is not yet in a position to confirm the number of students who missed out on their first choice alone.
North-south divide grows once again this results day
The gap between grades in the south of England and the north of the country has grown sharply once again.
Students in the south received 5% higher grades in 2019, this gap has now risen to 8%.
“Students in the north-east are no less capable but after 12 years of Conservative governments they’re seeing their results go backwards compared to their peers across the south of England,” the shadow education secretary, Bridget Phillipson told the Guardian.
Ryanair takes a jab at Clarkson's annual results day tweet
Every year, without fail, Top Gear star Jeremy Clarkson takes to Twitter to reassure A-level students who didn't get the grades they wanted.
This year, the presenter took a snap of his massive boat, bragging that he failed his A-levels but still won at life.
Take a look at Ryanair's sly jab in the tweet below.
Top 10 UK universities as thousands get their A-level results
Students across the UK are getting their A-level grades today.
These teens will be looking to attend the best universities, but what are the UK's most prestigious institutions?
- Oxford
- Cambridge
- St Andrews
- LSE
- Durham
- Warwick
- Imperial College
- Bath
- UCL
- Loughborough
Ukrainian student who helped British army smashes his A-levels
Zorian Tytych, who worked as a translator for the British army, has absolutely smashed his A-levels.
The student received four A grades.
He will be heading to Durham University this September.
What is a maintenance loan?
Heading to university can be confusing, with lots of jargon involved with your application.
So, what exactly is a maintenance loan?
A maintenance loan is a certain amount of money you will receive at several intervals over the school year while at university.
This money can be used for rent, school books, bills and food.
Depending on your parent or guardian's income, and where you attend university, your loan will be higher or lower.
The maintenance loan is separate to your student loan, which pays your tuition fees.
English Literature plummets in popularity
English Lit dropped out of the top 10 most popular A-levels for the first time in history this year.
The subject's popularity fell to 9.4% in 2022, as government officials discourage students from studying non-career-focused subjects.
Today marks A-level results day, with thousands of students across Britain finding out if they will be attending university this September.
A* grades fall this year
The number of students receiving the highest possible A-level grades has fallen this year.
17.1% of all results were at the highest A* grade, compared with 21.3% in 2021 and 8.9% in 2019.
Covid plays a large role in this spike, with students receiving their predicted grades in 2021.
Five hugely successful Brits that didn't attend university
On the day, your A-level results can seem like the end of the world.
But did you know, some of Britain's most successful celebrities did not pursue higher education.
- Lord (Alan) Sugar
- Karren Brady
- Simon Cowell
- Sir Richard Branson
- Jeremy Clarkson