HC Deb 14 June 2004 vol 422 cc770-1W
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the average A/AS points score per examination entry was(a) in Sefton and (b) in the United Kingdom in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [177837]

Mr. Miliband

The information requested is shown in table 1.

Table 1: average point score per GCE A/AS entry (or vocational

equivalent) 1999–2003
Sefton England
1999 4.9 5.4
2000 4.9 5.5
2001 4.8 5.5
2002 67.9 76.0
2003 69.7 77.4

The points awarded for each grade are described in table 2. In 2002, the point scores were changed to reflect the new UCAS tariff. An AS level counts as half an A level.

Table 2
Grade Points prior to 2002 Points since 2002
A 10 120
B 8 100
C 6 80
D 4 60
E 2 40

I welcome the rising trend in national performance. This is of course a reflection of the hard work of students and the quality of their teachers.