Date grades are out, When are A-levels results day 2022? Time to get them plus grade boundaries. Here’s everything you need to know when A-level results day falls this year, and how the exams have worked.

College and sixth form students in England and Wales sat their A-level exams in the traditional fashion this year for the first time since the start of the Covid pandemic.

As always, students look forward to receiving their results with some apprehension, hopeful that they will attain the grades needed to take their preferred next step.

Here’s everything you need to know when A-levels results day falls this year, and how the exams have worked.

When are A-levels results day 2022?

A-levels results day falls on Thursday 18 August in 2022, with grades typically available to collect from schools and colleges at around 8 am.

Times vary from place to place, and grades have previously been released by exam boards under embargo at 6 am.

You should check therefore with your institution or teachers to confirm when to arrive to collect your results.

Your school or college should have already told you if it is possible to receive your results by email or by post. If you are receiving an email it should also come at around 8 am, and posted results will arrive with the rest of your mail.

How are A-levels being marked this year?

Examiners were asked to grade papers more leniently than in previous, pre-pandemic years, to compensate for the disruption Covid has had on learning.

Grade boundaries could be relaxed in some cases, with a lower score across papers needed to secure a particular grade, but markers’ generosity could also be more far-reaching.

Ofqual chief regulator Dr Jo Saxton said: “Our grading approach will recognise the disruption experienced by students taking exams in 2022.

“It will provide a safety net for those who might otherwise just miss out on a higher grade while taking a step back to normal.”

Ofqual said this summer’s grade boundaries will be set roughly between 2019 pre-pandemic levels and boundaries in 2021 when teacher assessment was used to set grades.

Another change introduced for this year was the release of advanced information, covering around 300 specifications across GCSE, AS and A-level exams.

Despite grade boundaries being lower than in previous years according to exam regulator Ofqual, grade inflation is expected not to be as severe as in 2021.

In 2020, when exams were cancelled, the marking of A-levels sparked widespread controversy due to an algorithm devised by Ofqual which was accused of discriminating against the nation’s poorer students and widening inequality.

In the final results, nearly 40 per cent of A-levels results were downgraded from their teacher predictions, and the Government was ultimately forced to U-turn.

As a result, the algorithm system was scrapped for 2021, when results were awarded based solely on judgements from schools instead, with “teacher assessed grades” calculated using classroom tests, mock exams and work completed throughout the year.

What time does Ucas track update on A-levels results day?

One of the pervading myths about Ucas Track is that it updates at midnight – it doesn’t, so there’s no point in staying up to check, however tempting that may be.

Instead, the website typically opens between 8 am and 8.30 am on results day, after being frozen in the days leading up to it.

UCAS Track doesn’t show you the exact A-Level grades you received, which students can only receive from their school or college.

The online service simply tells you whether your specific university applications have been successful (although this can often give a strong indication of your precise grades).

To access the Ucas track you will need your personal ID and password which was used when applying.

UCAS advises that if your offer hasn’t been changed to “unconditional” when you log in to Track, then wait until you’ve received your grades before calling them or the university.

When are A-levels grade boundaries released?

In past years, A-levels grade boundaries have been released from 6.00 am on results day itself, and are published separately by individual exam boards:

In past years students were able to see the grade boundaries the day before they received their results when exam boards shared their marking systems with schools and colleges.

This practice enabled teachers “to have the information needed to better support students and families on results day,” a spokesperson for the Pearson exam board told Schools Week.

However, it meant nervous students tended to predict their own grades, causing them stress before receiving their official marks.

The decision was therefore made in 2017 to only give the boundaries to students on the day of their results.

SOURCE: https://inews.co.uk/