The inquiry into university grade inflation that the Guardian told us about earlier has published its report, and it’s quite damning.
Universities watchdog threatens fines over grade inflation
Nicola Dandridge, the OfS chief executive, said: “This report shows starkly that there has been significant and unexplained grade inflation since 2010-11. This spiralling grade inflation risks undermining public confidence in our higher education system.”
I was interested to read this aspect of the research’s findings.
Increases in first-class degrees among students entering university with lower A-level results are particularly striking. Graduates who achieved the equivalent of two Cs and a D were almost three times more likely to graduate with first-class honours in 2016/7 compared with six years earlier.
There is no parallel increase in degree attainment among graduates with top A-level results, and in the main it is the institutions with lower entry tariffs where the highest unexplained increases have been found.
Ouch. I wonder if the threat of fines will make a difference, though. I can’t see lecturers changing how they mark assessed work because of this. Universities will either have to amend their programmes of study to increase challenge, or adjust their regulations to lower the proportions of firsts and two-ones they award.
I hope they follow up this research with more next year. Will this increase continue?
