What after A level results?

Summary 

• About 300,000 students will receive their A level results today across England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
• Btec vocational results and Scotland’s Higher and National results are also set to be announced today.
• The number of students who does not have offers is up by 20 per cent this year from 2020 as university applications surged and fierce competition due to students receiving higher grades.

About 300,000 students are expected to get their ‘A-level’ results today across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Moreover, vocational BTec results and Scotland’s Higher and National results are also set to be announced today.

This is the second year of teacher assessed results as exams were cancelled due to the pandemic.

Fierce competition

Universities have said a higher number of students have met their offer conditions due to higher grades than previous years. About 38.6 per cent of candidates had received an A or A* grade in 2020 and are expected to follow a similar trajectory this year.

However, due to a surge in university applications and strong competition due to higher grades, there are fewer admission spots left in popular universities for students with no offers or who did not receive their required grades.

According to data from Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS), the number of students who are currently not the offer holders is 20 per cent higher than 2020; thus many will be searching to secure their spots and may have to wait longer to find a course.

Also Read: The evolution of Britain’s education sector due the Covid- 19 pandemic

What after the A level results?

In case a candidate has not gotten the results they had hoped for, or done better than they had anticipated, there are several options to consider after receiving their A level results.

Missed grades: For those who missed their conditional offer grades by a few marks, they can check their Track status or call the university.

Clearing process: The Clearing process is also an option and is available to students who did not receive any university offers, or do not have confirmed offers, or who have turned down their received offers to secure a spot at universities having last minute vacancies.

Re-sits and re-marks: One can even opt for re-sitting an exam, students should, however discuss with their parents and teachers prior to opting for this as universities may ask for a higher mark than in a standard offer. Students can also opt to get their papers re-evaluated by talking to their teachers and can choose to appeal their decision to the awarding body or even the higher-level Independent Examinations Board for review.

Gap year: Candidates who may still be undecided on what they want to do can opt for a gp year and explore volunteer opportunities, travel and work abroad options, and other myriads of avenues to explore for a year before deciding on their next academic or real-world steps.

Higher apprenticeships: Higher apprenticeships allow one to gain real world work experience while also receiving an industry qualification and can offer a balance between a full-time job and a bachelor’s degree.

Volunteering or Work experience: One can also choose to directly enter the real world and gain work experience right after taking A levels. There are several options available for choosing volunteering or work experience roles across the country.

Overall, regardless of how one performs at their A levels, there are several options to consider, and students should not feel like not getting their desired grades or university offer will limit their success.

Also Read: Why Is the UK Government Facing Backlash from Education and Health Unions?

Let us look at 2 FSTE listed education stocks and how they are faring on this big day:

1. Malvern International PLC (LON: MLVN)

FTSE AIM All-Share listed firm Malvern International is an education consulting company.

The company recently announced in a trading update that its intake for the September 2021/22 academic year was ahead of 2020/21, and that the government had extended student visa concession until April 2022, due to the pandemic.

(Image Source: EODHD/Others)

Malvern was trading flat at GBX 0.25 on 10 August at 08:38 AM GMT+1. The FTSE AIM All-Share index was at 1,264.78, up by 0.29 per cent.

The company’s market cap stood at £5.27 million, and its year-to-date return was at 108.33 per cent as of 10 August.

2. Pearson PLC (LON: PSON)

FTSE 100 listed company Pearson PLC is a higher education book publisher. The company recently announced its unaudited H1 2021 results, reporting its underlying revenue rose by 17 per cent to £1.597 billion due to the rise in global online learning in US virtual schools and other factors.

(Image Source: EODHD/Others)

Pearson’s shares were trading at GBX 804.00, up by 1.21 per cent on 10 August at 08:45 AM GMT+1. The FTSE 100 index was at 7,137.82, up by 0.08 per cent.

The company’s market cap stood at £6.01 billion, and its year-to-date return was at 18.40 per cent as of 10 August.