Students waiting for their A-level results are “the unluckiest” to come out of the pandemic as they face fewer top grades despite disruption to schooling, a social mobility expert has suggested.
Lee Elliot Major, professor of social mobility at the University of Exeter, said this year’s A-level cohort need support and guidance as they will be experiencing “the highest levels of anxiety and uncertainty”.
Ahead of A-level results day next week, Prof Elliot Major said tens of thousands of students may miss out on a place at their preferred university if they do not meet their predicted grades this summer because the race for elite university places “will be one of the most competitive in recent times”.
He warned that students from low-income homes “may lose out in this new highly competitive era, not just this year but over the next decade”.
His comments came as students across Scotland received their results for their Nationals, Highers, Advanced Highers and national certificates.
In England, this year’s national A-level results will be lower than last year but they are expected to be similar to those before the pandemic.
It comes after Covid-19 led to an increase in top A-level grades in 2020 and 2021, with results based on teacher assessments instead of exams.
School leavers are expected to face more competition for university places due to a growth in 18-year-olds in the population and international demand.
