The first empirical evidence of how A-level grading during the pandemic affected university applications has been published, confirming that private school students saw disproportionate benefits. However, researchers found that disadvantaged students also gained, complicating the narrative around inequity.
The study, released by Phys.org, draws on actual admissions data to analyze the impact of teacher-assessed grades when exams were canceled. The findings offer rare insight into how emergency grading policies reshaped access to higher education.
Private school applicants received a clear boost, corroborating longstanding concerns about privilege inflating outcomes. Yet the data also showed that disadvantaged students experienced meaningful gains, narrowing the admissions gap in some measures.
The long-term implications for these groups could provide valuable information about how to close the university admissions gap. Policymakers may look to elements of the pandemic-era system that helped underprivileged students without solely benefiting the elite.
Some critics argue that grade inflation itself undermines standards, and that any short-term equity gains come at the cost of devalued qualifications. The long-term value of inflated grades remains contested.