UCAS website crashes as thousands of students try to find out A-level results

Students were left unable to find out their A-level results on Thursday morning as the UCAS website crashed when thousands tried to log on.

An error message greeted frustrated users who were attempting to find out if their grades meant they were going to university.

It comes amid last-minute changes to results appeals in light of the coronavirus pandemic.

After being met with an error message, one student tweeted: “As usual a shambles with @ucas_online not having a decent backbone for their online service.

“You would have thought with the current uncertainties for students they would have improved this?”

Another added: "You've had five months to get this right. You knew everyone would want to find out online. A crashed system is wholly unacceptable.”

UCAS soon reported that the issue was fixed, tweeting: “UCAS Track is now running as usual, we’re really sorry it was running slowly. We’re here to help if you need us.”

About 300,000 school leavers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are receiving calculated grades to help them progress onto university, work or training after this summer's exams were cancelled due to the pandemic.

Initial UCAS figures show that the total number of students accepted on to UK degree courses has risen, with 358,860 taking up places so far – up 2.9% on the same point last year.

However, thousands of pupils' results have been downgraded after this year's summer exams were cancelled because of COVID-19 despite the record-high results.

The proportion of A-level entries awarded an A grade or higher has risen to an all-time high, with 27.9% securing the top grades this year, figures for England, Wales and Northern Ireland show.

But exam boards downgraded nearly two in five (39.1%) pupils' grades in England, according to data from Ofqual – which amounts to about 280,000 entries being adjusted down after moderation.

Teachers were told to submit the grades they thought each student would have received if they had sat the papers, alongside a rank order of students, after exams were cancelled amid the pandemic.

Exam boards moderated these grades to ensure this year's results were not significantly higher than previously and the value of students' grades were not undermined.

In England, a total of 35.6% of grades were adjusted down by one grade, 3.3% were brought down by two grades and 0.2% came down by three grades, figures from Ofqual show.

But overall, the proportion of entries in England, Wales and Northern Ireland awarded the top A* grade this year has surged to 9% – the highest proportion since the top grade was first introduced in 2010.

In total, 27.9% of entries were awarded an A or A* grade this summer, which is up by 2.4 percentage points on last year when 25.5% achieved the top grades.

Education secretary Gavin Williamson ruled out further changes to the grading system in the face of any exams backlash.

He told Times Radio: "What is clear to me is there will be some youngsters, no matter how much we try to do in terms of this system to maximise the fairness of it, who don't get the grade they should have potentially have got.

"That's why we need to have a really robust system, that's why we've got the triple lock.”

Williamson said this would provide "robust grounds of appeal" and allow pupils to take exams later in the year if required.