The former Conservative government announced plans to replace A-levels with a new qualification called the Advanced British Standard but the Labour party, which took power in July 2024, has decided to retain the A-level system. Here's everything we know about the U-turn.
Hundreds of thousands of 18-year-olds in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are awaiting their A-level grades ahead of Results Day this Thursday. In 2024, achieving the right combination of grades is still crucial for securing a university place. It might surprise you to learn that A-levels have now been a key part of the education system for 73 years — and despite recent proposals to replace them, they are likely here to stay.
Last year, former Conservative Prime Minister Rishi Sunak proposed replacing A-levels with a new qualification called the “Advanced British Standard” over the next decade. His vision, unveiled at the last Tory conference, involved sixth-formers studying five subjects instead of the current three. These would be divided into US-style 'majors' and 'minors,' with students required to continue studying maths and English until they finished school, rather than dropping them after GCSEs.
However, when Labour took power in July, the newly appointed Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, announced in the Commons that there was no funding for such a sweeping overhaul of the A-level system. As a result, A-levels appear to be staying, especially since the system has only recently returned to normal after the pandemic.
So, what can parents of students heading to sixth form expect in the coming years?
While the previous government focused on adding rigour to A-levels, Labour has indicated a shift towards better-preparing students for the workforce. They plan to continue supporting T Levels, the vocational alternative to A-levels. These qualifications allow students to specialise in a single subject, such as Legal, Finance and Accounting, or Catering and Hospitality. Like A-levels, T Levels are two-year courses offered in schools and colleges, but they also include 45-day industry placements. Students can use these qualifications to apply for university. Currently, there are 20 T Level subjects, with plans to expand this to 24.
Another significant change is on the horizon for the university application process. The personal statement, a 4,000-character essay that sixth formers use to 'sell themselves' to prospective universities, is being reformed. Until now, students have had to write this essay in a large empty box on their UCAS form, but research shows that 83 per cent found this stressful, with disadvantaged students particularly affected. These students were often more intimidated by the task, less likely to receive help from schools, and had fewer extracurricular activities to include.
From 2026, the UCAS application will include a more structured format with the following questions:
- Why do you want to study this course or subject?
- How have your qualifications and studies prepared you for this course or subject?
- What additional experiences have you had outside of education, and how have they helped you?
According to Helena Gillespie, Associate Pro Vice-Chancellor for Student Inclusion at the University of East Anglia, who works to broaden access to university for students, this is good news. “Young people from less privileged backgrounds may not get the same support in writing their statement or be able to detail the same extensive extracurricular achievements as their wealthier peers," she says. "The change is intended to make the application process fairer.”
If you're the parent of a teen anxiously awaiting examination grades ahead of GCSE and A-level results days, you might like to read I’m a teen expert, and here’s why I refused to pay my teenagers for getting 'good' exam grades or 8 places teens can get freebies for A Level and GCSE results day.
