25 years ago, 12% of candidates received a grade A at A Level. Last year, that % rose to 25%. Maybe there are people in the government, who really feel that educational standards have increased by 100%. However, anyone involved in A Levels knows this is mainly due to changing grade boundaries so that a higher % of candidates get an A. (I have marked an A Level paper where the raw A grade level was 53%., which of course is fudged into a UMS mark)
The problem with that inflation is that it reduces the value of money. It is the same with grade inflation. Because twice as many people get an A grade, an A grade has become devalued. This benefits those who get a lower A and would have previously received a B. However, it is not good for those who get a high A. What is the point in getting 89% on a paper, if you could have got an A with 60%
The other main problem is that the top universities find it difficult to choose candidates. So many people get 3 As that it is hard to discriminate for the most popular courses. Unsurprisingly universities are increasingly using their own admission tests to choose between candidates.
But, it means A Levels are not doing their job. Universities shouldn’t need to be setting their own tests. It’s about time the government and QCA realised that grade inflation benefits no one and certainly doesn’t ‘prove’ improving educational standards.