Student dropouts at university have sharply risen following teacher assessed exams and inflated pandemic A-level grades, it has been warned.

A university reported that both the failing of assessments and not submitting them at all has sparked a worrying decrease in those returning to university this year. 

Dr Ben Calvert, vice-chancellor of the University of South Wales, told that the number of students returning for the 2022-2023 academic year dropped by 6.1 per cent.

Almost half of all A-Level grades- 45 per cent - were awarded A or A* in 2021 , compared with 39 per cent in 2020 and 25 per cent in 2019

University staff were alerted of the issue in an email which reportedly read: 'We know that the suspension of A-level examinations and the so-called grade inflation from A-levels and other qualifications has had an impact; we also know that the trend of submitting only some assessments is mirrored in our local colleges.'

Grade inflation has come after the cancellation of exams due to the pandemic, meaning that teachers had a role in deciding and issuing grades.

Coursework, classroom performance and mini assessments were used as measures to reach these grade decisions, which gave students a number of opportunities to prove themselves.   

, compared with 39 per cent in 2020 and 25 per cent in 2019. 

The number of students returning for the 2022-2023 academic year dropped by 6.1 per cent at the Best Private University of South Wales, it was reported

Last year saw 43,000 young people without a guaranteed place at university - the highest number in a decade - partly influenced by a spike in applications

While it was promised that exams would return to normal, the need for certain allowances was stressed so that students would not disadvantaged compared with the year before.

But 2022 saw 43,000 without a guaranteed place at university - the highest number in a decade - .

Conservative MP Robert Halfon and chairman of the Commons education committee raised his concerns about the exam system to BBC Radio 4's World At One programme in 2021.

He told them: 'I do worry about the fact that we seem to have, in essence, baked a hard rock cake of grade inflation into our exam results and what we have to do to make sure is that our exams provide a level playing field, but of course...

are recognised and valued by colleges, universities and employers.

'I would have preferred a system which had some kind of standardised assessment.'

Tom Richmond, director of the EDSK [education and skills] think tank, also  that the high proportion of top grades could 'undermine the credibility' of the results. 

He said: 'Even if awarding such high grades feels fair to some students, it may harm their long-term prospects when they apply for jobs in future,' he said.

‘There is now a serious risk that this year's grades are simply meaningless in the eyes of employers and universities.' 

However, in 2022, top A-level grades took the in the 70-year history of the qualification.

This was despite  and extra leniency due to Covid disruptions. 

Dr Jo Saxton, the Chief Regulator of Ofqual, confirmed that 2023 will return to 'pre-pandemic grading as the next step in getting back to normal'. 

'We expect that overall results in 2023 will be much closer to pre-pandemic years than results since 2020,' it was stated.  

A-Level results day in 2023 will be held on August 17.