A-levels: Inequality Extends Into The Exam Room

Wealthier pupils in Britain have many more advantages than poorer ones when it comes to study

While the idea that exams are a vehicle of meritocratic social mobility is an alluring one, it stumbles at one important point: power and wealth mean you’re much less likely to be disrupted during study for the exam, have caring demands during the exam, less likely to be ill, less likely to have un- or undertreated chronic health problems, more likely to have private tuition if needed (“A-levels are far from perfect, but in the exam hall every pupil – rich or poor – is equally afraid”, Comment). Any system that demands flawless performance on a single day is going to prioritise those who can better afford to put aside the wider world, and we ignore this at our peril.
C Shearwood
Nottingham

As Martha Gill says, A-levels make every pupil “afraid”, the tests are “high stakes” and “gruelling”, and many people experience a “ripple of nerves in the stomach” and a “recurring A-level anxiety dream”. This all supports the view that the examination system in our country contributes to the mental health difficulties experienced by our young people. Feeling “afraid” and experiencing “anxiety” do not contribute to wellbeing and do not facilitate learning.