Gavin Williamson’s Post Qualification Application system could see pupils apply after receiving their A-level results

The Department for Education has announced it is consulting on ideas to have pupils take exams earlier and apply to universities after, rather than before, they get their results.

One option would see pupils have their exams moved earlier in the school year allowing for time for marking and grading to occur prior to applications to universities.

The plan has been called a move to “post-qualification admissions”. The current system sees pupils apply on the basis of predicted grades and offered conditional places based upon meeting these grades.

This follows an Office for Students review of the admissions system, which suggested the move to a post-qualification based system would be fairer for pupils.

A second model was suggested by the Department for Education’s consultation where exams stayed as they are, with A-level results day being brought to the end of July from mid-August. University terms would then start no earlier than the first week of October to allow for at least six weeks for the processing of applications and offers to be made.

[This new system would] have a positive impact on high attaining but disadvantaged students

– UK Government

The government has stated that the move to this alternative system would “have a positive impact on high attaining but disadvantaged students”, this is according to an equality analysis published with the consultation.

The Sutton Trust, a social mobility and educational charity and think-tank, published a study last year where two-thirds of students surveyed in September said they believed that a post-qualification application system would be fairer.

10% of respondents thought it would be less fair with 14% saying it would be the same.

The Sutton Trust researchers warned that the current system was too heavily weighted upon “unreliable teacher-predicted grades”.

The Department for Education proposals were raised in the House of Commons by Gavin Williamson on 21 January 2021. He said that, with the publication of the post-qualifications reform consultation, the government wished to “seek views on whether to change the current system of higher education admissions and move to a system of post-qualification admissions”.