The T Level dropout rate has slightly improved this year, but the proportion of students passing the qualifications has dipped below 90 per cent for the first time.
A total of 7,262 learners from the third wave of T Levels have results this morning compared to the 10,253 who started the 2022 cohort.
It means that 29 per cent left the course early, which is better than the 34 per cent drop out rate recorded for the 2021 cohort. The finance and accounting route had the worst retention rate while digital had the best (see table below).
Retention rates on A-levels and other vocational and technical qualifications consistently stay above 90 per cent.
Today’s results cover 16 individual T Levels, six of which are being awarded for the first time, compared to 10 pathways last year. The number of students receiving results this year is almost double last year, and the number of schools and colleges offering T Levels has gone up from 101 in 2023 to 162 in 2024.
The Joint Council for Qualifications said the data “gives us confidence that retention on T Levels can improve as providers become more familiar in delivering them”.
However, the overall pass rate has suffered slightly as it fell from 92.2 per cent in 2022, to 90.5 per cent in 2023, and now sits at 88.7 per cent.
The proportion of students included in today’s results that achieved the top two grades of distinction* or distinction is 15.9 per cent, compared to 22.2 per cent in 2023.
Meanwhile, 46.8 per cent received a merit and 25.9 per cent received a pass in 2024. This compares to 47.1 per cent and 21.2 per cent the year before, respectively.
And 11.1 per cent of students received a “partial achievement” this year – which is where a learner attempts all elements of the T Levels but does not achieve all of them – while 0.3 per cent were graded “unclassified” as they failed to achieve any element.
Despite highlighting the improved retention rate, JCQ claimed elsewhere in its press briefing that “increases in pathways, providers and student numbers during T Level roll out means there is limited value in directly comparing results year on year”.
A T Level has three parts – the core component involving a core exam and employer set project, the occupational specialism and the minimum 315-hour industry placement.
Jennifer Coupland, chief executive of the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education – the body responsible for the technical qualification in T Levels, said: “I want to say huge congratulations to all the pioneering students who are getting their T Level results. They are a credit to their schools and colleges, along with the thousands of employers who have provided them with extended work placements.
“The class of 2024 will now be really well placed to progress directly into jobs, university, apprenticeships, and other skills training.”
JCQ only releases partial T Level data to journalists before 9.30am on results day, unlike A-levels which benefit from a full analysis.
The Department for Education will publish full T Level data later this morning, which includes breakdown by gender and more granular data including industry placement completions.
* Note on the figures: Our overall starts number is slightly higher than the sum of the individual routes. This is because an overall total across all routes was published this morning but per-route enrolments were not. Route starts figures quoted have come from DfE’s 2022 T Level action plan.
Our overall results number is slightly lower than the sum of the individual routes. This is because the data provided states 7,252 learners were retained and assessed from the 2022 cohort. FE Week understands an additional 118 learners that started their T Level in an earlier cohort have received results today, taking the total to 7,380 results awarded.
The only reason Tlevel uptake has risen slightly is because other options are being taken away and some centres are pushing students to take them for funding reasons. Poor quality quals.