Universities to ‘interrogate’ rise in top degrees last year

Analysis explores factors behind Covid-19 grade inflation and looks ahead to future assessments

Universities have been told to “interrogate” the reasons behind a rise in first-class degrees last year, and to assess how to treat this year’s students fairly without repeating the spike in top grades.

Chris Hale, director of policy at vice-chancellors’ body Universities UK (UUK), said it was “important that the sector interrogates and understands the 6 per cent increase in upper awards observed last year” in a blog post published by the Higher Education Policy Institute on 16 April.