Pupil re-sits A-level maths 29 times

In a damning indictment of the re-sit culture, the student sat one paper for each of the six modules needed for the qualification.
He then went on take an astonishing 23 re-sits, an exam board chief revealed.
Andrew Hall, chief executive of the exam board AQA, used the pupil as an extreme example of the re-take culture surrounding A Levels.

He backs plans by exam regulator Ofqual to limit re-takes to just one per paper as part of a huge shake up of A-level exams.
Speaking at the Westminster Education Forum last week he said “re-sits have done serious damage” to the credibility of exam system, and refereed to the AQA pupil who          finally gained the qualification in 2010.

Universities have added pressure to the proposals, where growing numbers of departments are refusing to accept results of re-sit when offering places.
An analysis of last year’s A-level results by AQA, one of the three main boards in England, has shown re-sits have boosted grade inflation.

Without the possibility of re-takes, the proportion gaining A* or A grades would fall from 24,5 percent to 19,6 percent.
Those scoring B or above would have slipped from 50,3 percent to 42,4 percent.

The new A-levels would be phased in subject by subject over four years, with traditional disciplines likely to be prioritised.
By 2018, all old-style A-levels would be scrapped. — Daily Mail.