Since when has an E at A'level been a pass?

Question

Im sure when i sat my A'levels (1998) an E was a fail. Is this a case of we're not allowed to tell children they failed anymore? Also, what exactly is a U now, is it 'oh you can spell your name, there you go you've passed?

Answer 1

Well I sat mine in 1992 and it was considered a pass then! U means unclassified(fail). There used to be an N too (Nearly).

E is still  a result, even if it's not so high-why the need to take that away from them?  Some courses and some universities have lower admissions criteria. Not everyone can be a brain box and different courses tend to lead to a wider variety of careers in various areas. People have to find out what's right for them. If you get a low grade, you know it limits your options more, but by giving a grade it acknowledges effort-something potential employers might well wish to examine.

Perhaps A Levels have got easier since I sat them? Maybe not-I don't know. But there does need to be a shift away from emphasising the importance of a Uni education. Some people WILL do better on vocational courses and there should be no stigma attached to these.

P.s-No I didn't get Es & I was very boring going down the typical uni route.

Answer 2

I sat my a/s levels last year and came out with grades D and an E... But i wasn't happy with these grades and resat the exams and got myself 2 C grades.  

(I'm now waiting on the results for my A Levels)

Some people still see it as C and above as a pass grade, yet its the lazy students that will settle for anything below.

If your going to give up 2 years of your life for study, then why not strive for higher grades? :)

Answer 3

I know what you mean. I teach at a college of further education, and many applicants boast of all the A levels they have, and then it turns out they are all grade E!

Back in my day, when dinosaurs ruled the earth and exams were hard, you considered anything below a C to be a fail!

Answer 4

when i done my a/s levels in 2002 an e was a pass, and when i done my GCSE's they said it doesn't matter what grade you get, as every grade is technically a pass.

Answer 5

I'm just fresh from my A levels (i got BBC) and yeah pretty much any grade but a U or an N is a pass!!!

Answer 6

An 'E' has been considered a pass since 2000/2001, which was the last major reform to the grading system. 'U' stands for unclasified, which is basically a fail and scores no UCAS points.

Answer 7

I think the first poster has confused himself with GCSEs when, as the second poster suggests, every grade is technically a pass but below a C is not looked upon favourably by employers!

As far as I know, A levels are still graded A-E as passes and then U (Unclassified) or fail below that, just as they were when I took mine way back in 1976!