Cardiff A-level results this year turned out to be higher than the Welsh national average. According to data based on provisional results, 48.9% of A-level results for 2022 are graded A* to A, compared to the Wales figure of 40.9% and Cardiff’s 30.7% in 2019.
The percentage of A-level entries resulting in A* to C grades has risen to 88.4%, an increase of 9.3% from 2019’s 79.1%, and above the Wales figure of 85.3%. It was predicted that A-level results this year would be lower in comparison to previous years.
In Wales, results have been higher than in 2019, when formal exams were last sat, and lower than in 2020 and 2021 when grades were determined by schools and colleges. Cardiff Council’s Cabinet Member for Education, Employment and Skills, Cllr Sarah Merry said: "This year has seen the return of formal exams and assessments for the first time since 2019 due to the pandemic and pupils should be commended for their determination, resilience and the way in which they have had to adapt over the past two years.
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“Although not directly comparable to previous years, I am pleased to see that performance across the city this year is up on that achieved in 2019, the last time A-level exams were sat." Pupils, parents and staff at Cantonian High School are celebrating a strong set of A-level results with 93% of pupils securing their first choice of university.
Cardiff West Community High School (CWCHS) was another school that had a positive day. Results at the Caerau school were "broadly comparable to 2018 and 2019", according to headteacher Martin Hullins. He said: "For many of them it has been almost three years since they did any examination. That was a challenge for them.
"We know that they were quite anxious leading up to that, but we worked relentlessly with parents, with all the staff and all the students just to make sure that they were as prepared as they possibly could be. Thankfully they have done really well. They have risen to the challenge, they have showed really good resilience and they have got good outcomes this summer."
CWCHS student Abir Hussain, 18, excelled despite joining the school late. Due to Covid, he spent most of his first year studying computer studies online and achieved three As and a B in computer studies, business studies, Welsh Baccalaureate and maths.
Another CWCHS student Alex Loi, 19, was predicted to get Ds and Es, but instead came out with Cs in business studies, sociology and Welsh Baccalaureate. Alex, who has learning difficulties, said: “It’s been fun to overcome what people have assumed and ultimately it is really satisfying to progress later on in to my life.”
Alex moved to CWCHS from another college in Cardiff to do his A-levels and found it difficult at times this year. He added: “There were times when I had to walk out because I was so stressed. Having to cope the way I did… I studied, got my head in the books and revised a lot more than what I should have and it paid off.”
When asked what pushed him on when things got tough, Alex said “this”, pointing to his results papers. He said: “This is my future. If it wasn’t for these results I probably wouldn’t have done as well. Mum probably wouldn’t have been happy.”
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