2nd August 2010 9:00
By Blue Tutors
Cambridge University’s admissions manager, Geoff Parks, has written to the education secretary, Michael Gove, expressing concerns regarding the recent announcement about A-level reforms. The BBC has reported that Gove’s plans to scrap AS-level exams to focus on one exam at the end of a two year A-level course has created worry and anxiety at Cambridge.
Mr. Parks described AS-level results as an “invaluable indicator of progress” at the end of year 12. He said that it’s difficult to judge each student’s level at this stage, and that using GCSE results, or aptitude tests is not nearly as rigorous as seeing the AS-level results. Mr. Parks claimed that since the AS system was introduced Cambridge University has not only been confident that the students they have accepted are of the highest ability, but he added that it’s created an increase in applications from state school students - students who traditionally may not have applied to Cambridge. It’s argued that this is because achieving high grades in AS-levels engenders a belief that one can apply to the top institutions in the country.
However, Mr. Parks was not in total disagreement with the government’s motivation for changing the A-level system, and he agrees that A-levels have lost the coherence that they once had due to the modular nature of many A-levels. In response to the letter, the government conceded that AS-level results do currently serve a valuable purpose, and that there should be some level of modularisation of A-levels, but less than there is currently.