From Derek Baty, Shanklin:

I have just been watching the news about the fiasco over public exam results and its dreadful impact on our youth.

Without doubt, the situation has been a disaster that to a certain extent, was inevitable. How to decide on the results of exams that have not taken place has had to be nigh on impossible. My concerns are for a system of university entrance that is unnecessarily complicated and illogical. At the moment, university entrance is based on A-level grades predicted by teachers, followed by UCAS application, followed by provisional acceptance/refusal by universities based on that application followed by exam sitting, followed by exam marking, followed by university acceptance/refusal based on exam result, followed by clearing, when the student has his/her exam result.

All to be completed by the end of August! Would it be simpler and Infinitely less stressful for everyone to have university application taking place after exams have been marked and students know their results? The university academic year would begin in January. Marking by exam boards would be less stressful (through August/September). Students would have four months to consider the next part of their career/future, knowing their exam results, without the pressure of decision making before the university term begins.

It would also give students the opportunity to carry out some work experience/earn some money/ take a break before starting university. Perhaps this is far too simple to be considered possible — it may need the addition of an algorithm.