Students warned they are unprepared for university

A-level students are not prepared for the work that is expected of them at university, one education expert has said.

Professor of History at Harvard and a Senior Research Fellow at Oxford, Niall Ferguson, told a conference at Rugby School, Warwickshire, that the culture of exams has had a detrimental effect on pupils, The Times reports.

The education system in England is 'fatally distorted,' as it focuses too much on examinations, Professor Ferguson added.

Furthermore, students are forced to choose between the arts and sciences at an early age, he said.

Professor Ferguson blamed the 'tyranny of A-levels' for this split between art and science and called for a new qualification to be brought in that would cover both of these areas and allow students to conduct more independent research rather than rely on good grades from timed examinations.

Already this week, a report by a committee of MPs has criticised the exam culture in English schools.