A-levels out today

8:07am Thursday 14th August 2008

Comments (5)   Have your say »

Students across southwest London are anxiously awaiting their A-level results due to be released later today.

The weeks of waiting will be finally over as sixth-formers across the country find out if they have got the grades they need to secure their place at university.

Experts predict the pass rate will top 97 per cent this year and that the number of students achieving top grades will rise once again.

Teachers have appealed for students to be allowed to enjoy their day of success without the inevitable complaints about the exams being "too easy".

Professor Alan Smithers, for the University of Buckingham's Centre for Education and Employment Research, said: "If current trends continue we are likely to see the pass rate nudge over 97 per cent this year.

"In terms of A grades, in 2002 it was 20.7 per cent and in 2007 it was 25.3 per cent.

"That means it has risen by just short of 5 per cent in six years, should that continue it will mean more than 26 per cent will get A grades this year."

There is expected to be another sharp fall in the number of exam entries for French and German, but Spanish is on the increase, Professor Smithers suggested.

He said: "If you look at the trends, there has been a big change in subjects over time. If you take the 10 years through to 2007 the big growth areas have been in media studies, sports studies, psychology and religious studies."

• For the full table of school results click here