What are T-levels and what is the value of a grade?
The number of students taking T-levels has increased each year, and there were 16,085 entrants in the 2023–24 academic year.
The overall pass rate of 7,262 students who graduated in July 2024 was 88.7%, down from 90.5% in 2023.
But many T-level students do not complete their courses. Retention rates for most A-levels and other equivalent qualifications are consistently above 90%.
In comparison, only 71% of the 10,253 students starting T-levels in 2022 completed the two-year programme.
According to a report by the Education Policy Institute, the dropout rate for first-year health and science T-level students was as high as 31%.
It adds that about half of those students drop out of education altogether.
One third of students failed to complete legal, finance and accounting courses.
There are problems with the range of subjects available as well as the quality of teaching.
In July 2024, exams watchdog Ofqual fined the NCFE exam board £300,000 over “major failings” in the papers of 1,200 health and science T-level students in 2022.
