TOMORROW, A-level students in Wales will get results for exams that they didn’t take, because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

There have been huge changes to accommodate the current circumstances, including the way results are calculated and how students will access them.

Here we answer some of the key questions that students and parents may have.

How are grades being calculated?

A-level grades for summer 2020 will be calculated using a range of evidence and a “statistical standardised model”.

This could include:

  • Marks from work completed to date, including AS results
  • Assessment grades from previous A-level work completed at school or college

Centre assessment grades will be provided by the teachers and are based on what the student is expected to achieve at the end of the course if they’d sat the exams.

Qualifications Wales emphasises that it should be based on “professional judgement” and should not be based on a single piece of evidence like mock exams.

Standardisation then calculates the grades that are overall, broadly similar to grades awarded in other years.

Standardisation will follow two main steps:

  • Step one: WJEC will calculate a set of grades for each school or college.
  • Step two: WJEC will allocate the set of grades from the school or college to individual learners using the rank order provided by the teachers in the centre.

A school or college’s previous attainment and historical data will be used to determine its grade.

Qualification Wales says: “Accuracy will be a primary consideration for the selection of the final approach in Wales.”

What to do if you’re not happy with your results

The first point of contact for students who aren’t happy with their A-level results is their school or college.

Schools and colleges can appeal to the Welsh Joint Education Committee (WJEC) on behalf of their students.

Qualifications Wales has said that the grounds for appeal include the centre using the wrong data when calculating a grade, calculated grades by the statistical standardised model were incorrectly allocated or there was some other procedural failing on the part of WJEC.

Private candidates can appeal directly to WJEC.

How will students receive their results?

If it hasn’t been communicated, then students should contact their school or college to find out how they will receive their results tomorrow.

Due to social distancing measures, most students will receive their results via email, although a number of centres, including Coleg Gwent, said that a select few would be invited to receive their results in person.

How will AS-levels be affected?

Although AS learners will receive a grade, this will not count towards the A-level result in 2021.

Students will have two options for the next academic year.

A2 students for September could have their AS-level results based on their A2 grades they achieve in 2021. This is something that is already done in Wales if a student is unable to take an exam due to illness.

Alternatively, students would have the option to take AS and A2 exams at the same time. In such a case, the marks will be awarded the normal way.

However, Qualifications Wales says: “As a safeguard, if a learner chooses to take AS and A2 units together, then a comparison will be made with the grade they would have been awarded via the other route and the best grade will be awarded.”