A-level passes smash record

TEENAGERS scored a record number of top grades in their A-levels this summer, as the national pass rate rose for the 25th year in a row.

Sarah Jackson celebrates 2 A s and a B at Brighton College in East Sussex Sarah Jackson celebrates 2 A's and a B at Brighton College in East Sussex

For the first time, the proportion of exams awarded A-grades reached one in four.

Figures from the exam boards showed 25.3% of exams were graded A, up from 24.1% last year.

Girls continued to score better grades than boys in every major subject apart from further maths and foreign languages.

But despite fears from critics of the exam system, traditional subjects such as maths, German and physics did not see another slump in popularity.

Jim Sinclair, director of the Joint Council for Qualifications, which published the results, paid tribute to the hard work of students.

“The improvement of the results at A-level reflects how well students have done this year,” he said.

Twins Krystal and Natasha Telfer Twins Krystal and Natasha Telfer

“Candidates who have worked hard are getting the results they deserve.

“There are many positive signs and improvements and some of the highlights are the continued upward entry trend in mathematics, the physical sciences also seeing an improvement and modern foreign languages remaining stable.”

Overall, 96.9% of candidates taking A-levels this summer achieved at least a grade E pass - up from 96.6% last year.

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               CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE A-LEVEL RESULTS IN FULL

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But the soaring numbers achieving A’s will fuel the debate over whether the exams are too easy to be a useful measure of ability for the brightest pupils.

In 1997, only 15.7% of A-level exam entries were given A-grades.

Professor Alan Smithers, from the University of Buckingham, said: “I think the A-grades hitting 25% is a matter of concern because it does not distinguish sufficiently well at the top end.”

Among those celebrating were twins Natasha and Krystal Telfer. The 18-year-olds from Rickleton, Tyne and Wear, said their results were down to hard work and not easy exams.

The twins, who are not identical, thanked staff at Lord Lawson of Beamish Comprehensive in Birtley for their excellent teaching.

They will go on to study at opposite ends of the country after years of sharing classes today. In fact they took almost the same A-levels and will go on to study similar subjects at university.

Natasha, who scored top grades in maths, economics, Government and politics, history and general studies will go to Oxford to study history and economics.

Krystal who took economics, history, Government and politics, and general studies, as well as an AS level in English, will take history at Edinburgh University.

Natasha said: “You cannot do well without working and we both worked really hard.”

Krystal added: “There is plenty of people who do not get good grades and there is a clear definition between people who did not work and those who did.”

Parents Juliette, a counsellor, and Roy, an accountant, were delighted.

He said: “They are not identical in any way and they have always got on very well.

“We have been very lucky.”

Universities have complained that so many teenagers score A’s that they cannot rely on A-levels to identify the truly outstanding candidates from the merely very good.

The figures for England, Wales and Northern Ireland were released by the exam boards in London.

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