A-LEVEL students have been warned to expect lower grades because of harsher marking aimed at combating lockdown grade inflation.

With results day later this week, colleges across Brighton and Sussex have been told that some are set to miss out on their university offers, pushing them into clearing.

The news comes as regulator Ofqual looks to bring grades back down to 2019 levels after the proportion of high grades skyrocketed due to the Covid pandemic.

Donna-Marie Janson, principal of Varndean College in Brighton, said: “There is obviously a concern because students have got a different set of circumstances. They have never sat a public examination before.

Ms Janson also said that students were unsure if they would be sitting exams at the end of the year, or whether their in-class assessments would determine their grade.

She added: “I think the key advice is that if there is a dip in your grades then it doesn't mean that you won’t get your first offer.”

In 2021, over 40 per cent of students received either an A* or A grade, compared with a quarter of students in 2019.

This year, grades are expected to be somewhere between these two figures, with the idea being that grades will be back to pre-pandemic levels in 2023.

Earlier in the week, Ofqual and UCAS sent all students receiving results a letter, saying that they had shown real dedication and resilience throughout their studies.

The letter also stressed that admission “isn’t always just about grades” and that “there will be lots of choice through clearing".

Both the University of Brighton and University of Sussex have released advice ahead of Thursday.

The University of Brighton has advised parents not to panic, but to “encourage your child to have a back-up plan of different options ready for results day".

Kevin Betts, head of recruitment for the University of Sussex, said: "Clearing is not a race to the bottom, students just have to be more flexible.

"Get in there early and you can be out by lunchtime and out with your mates celebrating getting into a great uni."