A-levels 'worthless' says Imperial

Imperial College London will introduce its own entrance exams because it believes A-levels no longer identify the brightest students.

The rector of Imperial, Sir Richard Sykes, has said that grade inflation renders A-levels almost ‘worthless’.

“We cannot use A-levels any more as a discriminatory factor,” he told the Independent Schools Council. “They have all got four or five A-levels."

“Top institutions have great difficulty separating out the best students," he added.
"Even if you interview all the students you still have a problem."

The move would make Imperial the first university to introduce entrance exams for all subjects. A-levels would still be required as well.

The problem of ‘grade inflation’ at A-level has been widely documented, leading to the imminent introduction of a top A* grade. However Imperial’s tests, due to begin in 2010, will test innate ability and creativity.

The move comes after Cambridge University identified 20 A-levels it sees as ‘less effective’ preparation for its degree courses.

Sir Richard also told the Council that state schools are failing the brightest children. “We have in this country one of the best secondary educations in the world, but only a few percentage of people benefit from it,” he said.

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