For many pupils and families, exam results can feel like they carry an enormous amount of weight, particularly when parents are asking whether exam results are the most important thing for their child’s future. After years of lessons, revision and preparation, results day can seem to offer a simple measure of success. A set of grades can determine which university offers a pupil receives, which course they can study and, in some cases, what pathways are available next.
There is no question that academic achievement matters, and exam results remain important. Strong results can open important doors, and pupils should be encouraged to work hard and take pride in what they achieve.
But they are not the whole picture.
The world pupils are preparing to enter is changing quickly. Universities are considering more than grades when assessing applicants, while employers are increasingly interested in what candidates can do with what they know. The ability to think independently, adapt to change and work effectively with others is becoming just as important as remembering what was taught in a classroom.
At Malvern College, this is something we have long recognised. Our approach to education is built around developing pupils emotionally, intellectually and culturally, with EQ, IQ and CQ working together to prepare young people for life beyond the College.
What are modern employers looking for?
The traditional route into a professional career has often been straightforward: achieve strong A level, International Baccalaureate (IB) or BTEC results, attend a good university and use those qualifications to secure your first job.
That route still exists, but the employment landscape is becoming more nuanced, with some employers placing greater emphasis on employability skills and skills-based hiring.
Major professional firms such as PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), Ernst & Young (EY) and Deloitte have moved towards skills-based approaches to recruitment, removing strict A level grade requirements from some graduate pathways. The thinking behind this is relatively simple. Academic results can tell an employer something about a candidate, but they cannot necessarily tell them how that person will respond to a new problem, work within a team or deal with an unfamiliar situation.
These are skills that become increasingly important as careers develop.
This does not mean that grades have suddenly become irrelevant. Some of the most competitive professions continue to use academic results as part of their selection process, particularly when employers are faced with large numbers of highly qualified applicants.
However, when thinking about exam results and employability, once a young person has moved beyond university and started building professional experience, their school grades naturally become less significant. What they can contribute, how they approach challenges and how effectively they work with others begin to carry much greater weight.
That is why education cannot simply be about preparing pupils to pass their next exam. It needs to prepare them to use their knowledge well.
Do universities look at more than exam results?
Universities are also taking a broader approach to admissions, which is why many families now ask: do universities look at more than exam results?
One example is the growing use of university contextual admissions. Rather than looking at an applicant’s grades in isolation, universities can consider factors such as their educational background and the circumstances in which they achieved those grades. A contextual offer may therefore have different entry requirements from the standard offer, depending on the applicant’s circumstances.
The UCAS personal statement changes are also important for pupils and parents to understand. Instead of the traditional single 4,000-character statement, applicants will respond to three structured questions. The intention is to give universities a clearer picture of the individual behind the application, including their preparation for the course and the experiences that have shaped their interests.
For pupils, this creates an important opportunity. Independent reading, research, projects and genuine intellectual curiosity can all help demonstrate why a particular subject matters to them.
This is one reason we place such emphasis on learning that extends beyond the syllabus at Malvern.
Our Super-curriculum encourages pupils to explore subjects because they are interested in them, rather than simply because they will appear on an exam paper. Academic societies, independent research, debating and pupil-led projects give them opportunities to follow questions that genuinely capture their attention.
The result is not simply a stronger university application. It is a young person who is becoming more confident in thinking for themselves.
The value of breadth as well as depth
There is an understandable temptation to think that the strongest academic route must be the most specialised one.
Different pupils thrive in different environments.
At Malvern, pupils can choose between A levels and the International Baccalaureate (IB), with BTEC pathways also available in the Sixth Form, helping families consider whether A levels or IB is the right route for their child. This means that pupils are not expected to fit themselves into a single model of academic success. A levels can provide the opportunity for greater specialisation, while the IB offers a broader programme with independent research and learning built into its structure.
The important question is not simply whether A levels or IB is better.
It is which pathway will allow this individual to flourish?
According to HESA data, IB students are more than three times more likely to enter a Top 20 UK university and are 40% more likely to achieve a first-class or 2:1 degree. The same data indicates that IB graduates are less likely to rush into narrow STEM specialisms during their first year at university and can go on to achieve higher median salaries in the early stages of their careers. This data reflects the potential value of the breadth that the IB offers.
These figures should not be interpreted as suggesting that one qualification guarantees better outcomes. At Malvern, we do not see A levels and the IB as a hierarchy. Both are academically rigorous, and both can provide excellent preparation for university and beyond. The right choice depends on the individual pupil.
From exam results to future readiness
So, if exam results aren’t the whole story, what should education be preparing young people for?
At Malvern, we talk about EQ, IQ and CQ.
- EQ is emotional intelligence, helping pupils understand themselves, manage challenges and build positive relationships.
- IQ represents intellectual curiosity and academic ambition. It is about developing the ability to question, analyse and understand rather than simply memorise.
- CQ is cultural intelligence, giving pupils the confidence to engage with people and perspectives beyond their own.
The aim is for every pupil to leave Malvern College “not just well-taught, but well-prepared.”
That distinction matters.
A pupil may achieve excellent grades, but education has a greater purpose than reaching the next set of exams. Young people will leave school and encounter problems that do not come with a marking scheme. They will work alongside people with different perspectives. They will have to make decisions with incomplete information and adapt when things do not go according to plan.
Those capabilities cannot be measured by a single set of exam results.
They are developed gradually through the experiences pupils have throughout their education.
At Malvern, that includes the academic curriculum, but also the opportunities pupils have to take responsibility, pursue their interests and learn outside the classroom. Our diverse Co-curricular programme and Super-curriculum are designed to complement academic study and help pupils develop the confidence and independence to take their learning further.
Choosing the Right Sixth Form Pathway
For families considering the next stage of education, the best route is one that supports both academic ambition and wider personal development. To learn more about A levels, the International Baccalaureate and Sixth Form life at Malvern College, contact our Admissions team or arrange a visit.
So, are exam results the most important thing?
They are important. But they are not everything.
A good set of results can provide a strong foundation for the next stage of education, and academic ambition should absolutely be encouraged. Yet the most successful young people will need more than knowledge alone.
They will need to know how to use that knowledge.
They will need the confidence to ask questions, the independence to pursue ideas and the resilience to respond when something does not go to plan. They will need to understand themselves and appreciate the perspectives of others.
This is why the goal at Malvern is not simply to produce pupils who perform well in exam scenarios. It is to develop young people who are ready to make the most of the opportunities that come afterwards.
Exam results may tell part of that story.
They do not tell all of it.