Hundreds of thousands of students received their A-level, BTEC and T-level exam results on Thursday. But some in England and Wales who took BTEC (Business and Technology Education Council) qualifications with the Pearson exam board had no news of their grades. Pearson said no “systemic” issue was responsible for the delay, but the reasons were specific to each affected school or college. He said the exact number of students still waiting was unknown but represented only a “tiny percentage”, adding that the number was “dropping all the time” as results were released every hour. Francesca, 19, from Lancashire, told the PA news agency “half [her] the whole class’ failed to receive results on Thursday. “It’s definitely stressful, I’m autistic so I was already struggling with waiting for the results and preparing to prepare for university – so it’s definitely added to the pressure.” She did an applied science course with Pearson and requires two qualifications and a pass to be admitted to the human physiology course at Manchester Metropolitan University. The university has assured her that she will keep her position, she said. A Pearson spokesman said: “We are very sorry that some students are still waiting for their results. BTECS is a modular qualification and in order to award an overall result we require that points are provided for each module and a claim made to receive the qualification.” They said the team is working throughout the weekend to deliver results as soon as possible and thanked the schools and colleges for working around the clock. Use Chrome browser for more accessible video player 3:11 Level A results after COVID “UCAS have told us that the best thing for a student to do is to contact the university of their choice directly so they know they want the place on offer and can hold it. Or we are happy to call their university to explain the situation to them,” the Pearson spokesperson added. A spokesman for UCAS, the admissions service for UK higher education institutions, said: “Universities are used to managing [delays] in their processes, and we work with awarding bodies to ensure that all students can make a decision on their application. “UCAS advises universities to hold offers until September 7, so any students who have not yet received their qualification results have time to respond. Students are also free to start their clearance inquiry if they wish.” Education Secretary James Cleverley said on Twitter that students should be “reassured that UCAS has asked universities to reserve places for students in this post”. Shadow Education Secretary and Labor MP for Chesterfield Toby Perkins blamed the “zombie government” for letting pupils down. “They need to understand this fast and the inquiry committees need to be honest and open about what’s going on,” he said. Any student still waiting for results can call Pearson on 0345 618 0440 and contact UCAS by phone or online.
