An advanced examination, that everyone passes
The results of the British A-levels are to be published later today, and the Guardian has revealed that 96% of the students will pass the exams, with over 20% obtaining the highest pass mark, an “A” grade. If this is true, this will be the 22nd time in a row, that the percentage of passes has risen, causing an increasing problem for universities when they try to identify the high-flyers.
The A-levels are roughly equivalent to the international baccalaureat or the German Abitur. I must agree with the critics, who question the worth of an advanced exam, that 96% of those who take it pass, and find it more likely, despite preemptive denials from the schools standards minister, that standards have slipped in the last 20-odd years.