More than 700 students will finally receive their examinations results on Thursday (20th August) morning after a nail-biting wait.

Around 350 students in Year 13 at the Island’s five secondary schools will receive A-level results, while the same number of Year 12 students will find out how they fared at AS-level, typically in four or five subjects.

Results of more than 3,000 entries in 40 subjects, ranging from classic civilisation to critical thinking and music technology to world development, as well as the more traditional subjects, are on their way to schools.

What the Results Mean for Students

For the majority of A-level students, the results will determine whether they are accepted onto courses at their first choice of university.

Paul Craine, Co-ordinating Adviser for 11-19 Education with the Department of Education, explains, "Most of those students will have applied for university and most of those will be holding two conditional offers. The results will determine whether or not they have made it to the university of their choice.

"Applications are up by about 8% this year, so the UK media tell us, so it is going to be a very competitive year in terms of getting a place.

For 17-year-old students, the AS-level results, with a pass worth half an A-level, are not quite as crucial, although as Mr Craine explains, "They are still important because for many students, the results will determine what universities they try for.

"If they come up with a string of A-grades, they may be more like to apply for a top university than if they haven’t done so well. It is a reality check in some ways."

Another Record Year for the Isle of Man?

With 2008 having been a record year for A-level students at the Island's five schools (the A-level pass rate was 96.9%), staff and students - not to mention media commentators - are awaiting the forthcoming results with bated breath.

Mr Craine comments, "We had more students than ever sit A-levels. The average student was entered for more A-levels and they got a record average points score. So in all those ways it was a record year.

"If the Isle of Man schools had been included in the English league table for comprehensive schools based on total UCAS points score for students, two of our schools would have been in the top five for England," Mr Craine said.

"That is not unusual in recent years. We had the same three years ago, so our schools do very well at A-level.

"But that does not mean we will see record results every year. When we have got just 350 students getting A-level results, some years will be stronger than others, as it only takes a minute dip, with that small percentage, to see the trend going downwards.

"Results for the Isle of Man are not directly comparable with the results that will be published in the UK," Mr Craine also stresses.

"The initial UK results relate to all entrants and include mature students and students in colleges and independent schools, whereas the Isle of Man data relates solely to 18-year-olds in the five secondary schools.

"Isle of Man schools also have a higher staying-on rate than in England and enter a higher proportion of students for A-levels. Given this context, the Island’s results are very pleasing indeed."

"Is Climbing Mount Everest Getting Easier?"

Improving results inevitably lead to reports that A-levels are getting easier. How would Mr Craine answer these critics?

"I don’t believe they are (getting easier). I think that if a student is doing four A-levels, and particularly if they are getting high grades, that is a very high achievement and there is no other way to look at it.

"Results are simply improving year on year and therefore there is an assumption that they are easier. Is climbing Mount Everest getting easier? Everest is still 8,850 metres high. 

"It is just as hard but what is true is that climbers are better equipped, with better knowledge, better training and a better understanding to what it takes to achieve it.

"Our 18-year-old students of today went to nursery school. They are from homes that have more resources. They can learn using computers. They have CD-ROMs, videos, DVDs the text books are more entertaining than they were in my day.

"I think all of that should lead to more people achieving.

"I think the teaching is better, too, in the sense that it is more focused on what succeeding at A-level requires.

"Students work as hard as they have ever done, if not harder. Many young people are tremendously conscientious and work enormously hard. I think if results were not getting better despite all the extra money spent on computers and nursery places, we would be asking 'have we wasted our money?'"

Schools Ready to Offer Support

Come Thursday morning, school staff will be on hand for those students who might not have done as well as they had anticipated.

"Most students will have done extremely well and will get their first choice places at university but, for those that don’t, the school will support them by contacting their first-choice university to establish whether that university is willing to drop a grade or two to let them in or turn them down.

"The school can then give support contacting the second-choice university or help them to use the clearing system and try other courses for which they haven't yet applied.

"There is similar support available from the Department’s Careers Guidance Service, based in Hill Street, Douglas. 

"Young people can contact the office and talk it through.

"Sometimes, if you are actually looking at completely different course at a completely different university, it is good to first talk through the career opportunities associated with that course."