More students report doing regular practical work

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Contrasting some earlier fears, schools have not deprioritized practical since A-level reform

An interim study of the impact of reformed A-levels on students’ practical skills, suggests there has been no change for either chemistry or physics, and some improvement for biology. Ofqual conducted the research, using 15 volunteer science departments at 13 universities. They compared practical skills of first year students who sat their A-levels in 2016, with those who sat the reformed A-level, in 2017. Results from 1196 students over the two years, were analysed.

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