These prospective UoB students’ places are in limbo after the A-level results fiasco

After last week’s A-level results day disaster, and the government’s U-turn, the future for many students is up in the air.

UoB’s statement released on Tuesday (18^th August) tells students that should their centre assessed grades meet their offer, they have a place.

However, in some degrees, such as Medicine, Nursing and Dentistry, the remaining places may have already been filled, with UoB citing placement and external factors.

The Birmingham Tab spoke to students affected by the government and UoB’s subsequent U-turn on places and grades.

Prospective UoB student Susie tells us that her place for Medicine is undecided, after being graded BCD, according to the algorithm. Her predicted grades were A*AA. “My school in Coventry has had 60 per cent of grades downgraded purely because of the postcode.”

Susie at a protest in Coventry

The government U-turn means she now has AAB, meeting her offer. She spoke to The Birmingham Tab, “It’s just a matter of whether they have held my offer, I don’t have an insurance [so] Birmingham was my only chance of getting into medical school.”

The results Susie received on Thursday

UoB have not confirmed whether there are still places for competitive courses, where prospective students have now met their offer.

Mahnoor was predicted A*AA, with hopes to study Business Management at UoB or Sheffield. However, she was given BBE on results day and subsequently rejected by both. Her centre assessed grades increased to ABC, but she is now concerned about her course being full, as well as having slightly lower entry grades.

She is now in limbo whilst UoB review her results, with no confirmed date or place on the course.

Marta was due to start Law in September. However, the grades she achieved last Thursday were BCC, so she was rejected. Although the C’s were upped to a B due to the centre assessed grades through the government’s U-turn, she was previously predicted AAB and is appealing.

Marta’s centre assessed grades

“Around 80 per cent of my school had results downgraded and missed out on their firm choice. They didn’t consider us as actual human beings.”

A spokesperson for UoB reassured students that should their centre assessed grades meet their offer, they have a place. The exception to this is courses “where the number of places are externally capped and/or where we are reliant on external placements which are limited in number.”

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