A Level standards
Newspapers are predicting that this year's A Level pass rate, and the number of students getting A grades, will go up when the results are published on Thursday.
Barry Sheerman, chairman of the Commons education select committee, said ministers should think again over their refusal to scrap the exam in favour of an overarching diploma.
"We are through the election now; the government can still think again. It can show it listens and can change its mind," he said.
Sir Mike Tomlinson, who was asked by Labour to revamp the secondary school exam system, told the Guardian that creating a baccalaureate-style diploma retained widespread support within the profession.
"This sort of reform of A Levels is inevitable. Whether it will be exactly as we set out remains to be seen, but there is a considerable consensus that this is the way forward, and in my view it will happen."
Stakeholder Response: Institute of Education
Dr Gordon Stobart, reader in education and specialist in assessment and evaluation at the
"The short term political ‘fix’ for the crisis in A Level grading will be to make the exams more difficult and report performance in more detail - thus increasing the unreliability of results.
"But these are sticking plaster solutions that are not sustainable. What is really needed is a broader based curriculum and assessment system to differentiate students.
"Didn't the working party headed by Sir Mike Tomlinson recently try to do just that?"
Stakeholder Response: NASUWT
Chris Keates, general secretary of NASUWT, said: "The annual ritual abuse of teachers and their students in the run-up to the publication of examination results has begun in earnest.
"Carping and criticism will once again cast a shadow over the outcome of the years of hard work and dedication of youngsters and their teachers.
"Anecdotal comparisons by those who left school years ago are regularly trotted out as 'evidence' that exams have been dumbed down.
"It is about time that recognition was given to the fact that there is no such thing as an 'easy' A Level.
"Whilst it is correct to observe that in some subjects there is a decline in take-up, this is more a reflection of changing and varied career aspirations and the wider range of subject options available, than pupils taking the so called 'easy option'.
"The continuing unwillingness of some to accept that the year or year increase in numbers of those obtaining A Levels and good grades is a result of rising standards, contributes to disaffection amongst youngsters and demoralises teachers.
"The battery of tests and exams to which pupils are subjected throughout their time at school demonstrates that the high levels of performance achieved by pupils in their A Levels is no fluke."
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