March 2020 . This means that application rates were mostly unaffected by the pandemic in the 2020 cycle .
19 . However , subsequent stages of the application process for this cohort were significantly influenced by the events of the pandemic . Perhaps most importantly , many more of these applicants met the terms of their offers , because Level 3 qualifications ( such as A-levels ) were awarded on the basis of ‘ centre assessment grades ’, which were on average around half a grade higher than in previous years . 11 The result was that , in 2020 , more students from the most disadvantaged backgrounds entered higher education than ever before . 12 However , this was accompanied by a similar increase in the number of entrants from the most represented backgrounds as well . 13 This meant that , while opportunity had improved , equality of opportunity had not .
20 . In contrast to the 2020 cycle , learners applying in the 2021 cycle were both studying and applying to higher education courses throughout the pandemic , with in-person teaching and access to information , advice and guidance all significantly disrupted . Arrangements for the assessment of Level 3 qualifications were once again different from previous years for the 2021 cohort , with a combination of coursework , mock exams and essays being used by teachers to decide grades . 14 Once again , there were record numbers of A-level students achieving the highest grades and consequently being accepted into their first choice university . 15
21 . Delivery of the Uni Connect programme was also disrupted , with 7,278 activities cancelled and 973 postponed between February and July 2020 ( compared with 28,601 activities delivered in total between August 2019 and July 2020 ). 16 In response , the OfS undertook a review of the equality impact assessment of the programme and issued further guidance to the partnerships , which quickly explored alternative modes of engagement and delivery in response to the changed environment . 17 A key finding from CFE research on responses to coronavirus was that many existing activities and materials were adapted for online delivery , in some cases
11
See ‘ An evaluation of centre assessment grades from summer 2020 ’, available at www . gov . uk / government / publications / evaluation-of-centre-assessment-grades-and-grading-gaps-insummer-2020 .
12
See the UCAS report , ‘ What happened to the COVID cohort ?’, available at www . ucas . com / data-andanalysis / undergraduate-statistics-and-reports / ucas-undergraduate-end-cycle-reports / 2020-end-cycle-report .
13
See www . officeforstudents . org . uk / annual-review-2021 / improving-students-experience-of-highereducation /# admissions .
14
See www . gov . uk / government / publications / gcse-as-and-a-level-summer-report-2021 / gcse-as-and-a-levelsummer-report-2021 .
15
See www . ucas . com / corporate / news-and-key-documents / news / record-number-students-accepted-theirfirst-choice-university .
16
For more information on the number of activities delivered and the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic , see pages 12 and 22 to 28 respectively of the ‘ Uni Connect annual report : Phase two ( August 2019 to 2020 )’, available at www . officeforstudents . org . uk / publications / uni-connect-annual-report-phase-two /.
17
See www . officeforstudents . org . uk / publications / uni-connect-programme-an-update-from-the-office-forstudents /.
10