It has been reported that GCSEs and A Levels are set to return next summer, but it will be harder to get As and A*s as grade inflation is due to be wound back over the next two years. This has been decided by ministers to try and avoid the chaos that occurred this year when a record amount of students received places at top universities. In light of these changes, leading online tutoring platform MyTutor has asked the nation’s parents how their children prefer to be graded as the examination uncertainties of the past two years have brought into question how future generations are assessed.

With the backdrop of a quarter (26%) of parents saying they’ve seen a visible decline in their child’s educational progression as a result of the pandemic, the majority of parents (54%) say their child learns and retains more due to being graded throughout the year rather than examinations. In a similar vein, 44% agree that their child now prioritises coursework and class time rather than cramming revision before exams, as 46% have said their child actually prefers teacher graded assessments.

Key statistics:

43% agree their child’s self-esteem is linked to the grades they achieved at school and university
31% agree that pre-Covid, their child disregarded coursework and class time in favour of putting greater effort into their exams
44% agree that post-pandemic, their child now prioritises their coursework and class time rather than cramming revision before exams
46% agree that having experienced teacher graded assessments, their child actually prefers this way of learning and grading
54% agree their child feels they learn and retain more due to being graded throughout the year rather than end of year exams
42% of parents said their child has the highest levels of stress they have observed in their lifetime

Bertie Hubbard, co-founder of MyTutor, comments on the impact of exam stress on teens:

“Teens are in more need than ever for some support and reassurance with their studies, and that’s exactly what our tutors offer. Our tutors are all from UK unis, and because they’re just a few years older they can easily relate to what teens are going through. With their dedicated one-to-one support, teens get some much-needed reassurance and come out with a stronger self-belief – 88% say that lessons made them feel more confident.”