JCQ Statement in advance of the release of A levels

The @JCQcic will publish A level results for England, Wales and Northern Ireland tomorrow morning. The approach to awarding grades this year is the fairest possible way of enabling students to take the next step with their education or careers.

The exam boards have worked tirelessly to put the special arrangements set out by the DfE and Ofqual in place – and to support schools and students through the past few extraordinary months. Our collaboration with schools represents a huge achievement in a summer where no exams have been sat and we would like to thank all teachers for their important contributions. 

We know this is an anxious time for students, but they can have confidence that their results reflect the professional judgements of their teachers combined with the assessment expertise of exam boards. We understand that some students may have questions about their grades and we would encourage them to talk to their teachers and also seek advice from universities or employers about what options might be available to them. There is a comprehensive set of appeal options in place and we are urgently reviewing the government’s announcement about mock exams being considered as part of the arrangements. There are important details that need to be considered over coming days, and we are working on those with Ofqual and the Department for Education at pace.

The grades awarded this year, the potential for schools to appeal those grades in specific circumstances, and the opportunity to sit exams in the autumn, will together allow students to move on with their education or into employment.