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Exams should be for all, it has been claimed

Posted on 26th May 2009

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Pupils of all abilities should be catered for by examinations, according to a spokesperson for the Good Schools Guide.

Sue Fieldman, regional editor of the site, said that for the majority of people, examinations such as A-levels are not "too easy".

However, she added they do not stretch the top five per cent of pupils because the writing of long essays or dissertations is not required.

According to the Office of National Statistics, there has been an increase in the proportion of students of both sexes in the UK gaining two or more GCE A-levels or equivalents.

Performance in such examinations is not just down to the schools, said Ms Fieldman.

"It is three-way traffic. It is important that the exams, schools and pupils can all show what they have done," she added.

Last week, in an exclusive interview with the Guardian, a spokesperson for the Conservative party called for an independent review into the examinations.