This year, we asked students receiving their results for some feedback on how they felt their qualifications helped them to get to their next step in life. The results were overwhelmingly positive, with 99% of students 'content' that their qualifications prepare them for their next step, and 87% saying their Edexcel qualifications were ‘good’ or ‘excellent’ preparation for their next step – whether that be employment, universities or something else entirely.

Eighty-three per cent of Edexcel A level students in Europe are planning to go to university – and of them, 97% felt their qualifications were appropriately recognised by universities, with one student saying:

"Edexcel qualifications are internationally recognised - I’m proud to have such qualifications."
 
The survey also delved into students’ ambitions in life, unearthing many students’ finest qualities, with a large number citing benevolent social causes alongside - and often above – personal gain as their main ambition:

"Serving humanity is what I'm aiming at, by all possible means. Education is the key to success, and patience accompanied by hard work is the key to achieving a strong education and a bright future. I am determined to achieve that."

"My ambitions for my longer-term future are to simply succeed academically and socially in an honest and responsible way. I'd like to become a psychologist and be able to comprehend others' issues and be helpful in any possible way."

Others took the chance to pay tribute to their parents’ role in helping them to achieve:

"My main goal is to make my parents proud and thank them for all they’ve done by studying something regarded and being someone they’re proud of."

Some students simply couldn’t resist putting forward their dreams:

"I want to manufacture and develop robots capable of doing house cleaning, cooking and answering the phone if there is no one at home."

"I would like to become an architect and design my own city (sounds a bit ambitious, but if you do not dream you do not live)."

We’d like to say a big ‘thank you’ to all the students who took part. We appreciate the honesty and imagination many of them showed in their answers.

If you’d like to find out more about results, or hear some more student quotes, contact chris.colyer@edexcel.com - and be sure to sign up to our eNewsletter if you’d like to hear more stories like this one.