More grades should be introduced at A-level to make exams fair, say researchers A second candidate could get marks of 79, 78 and 78, a higher total of 235 points, but only receive three B grades. Such a system may be viewed as unfair to students, particularly if universities are making offers for places based purely on final grades, according to the paper by the Centre for Education Research and Policy, which is part of the AQA exam board. It concludes: "Are there too few grades? Before the addition of an A* grade that may have been the case, as universities were finding A-level grades too coarse a scale on which to make decisions. If universities are now satisfied, there may however still be a reason for action. The study suggests that action could be needed if research found that "unfair selection decisions were being made with composite grade offers, and the situation could be improved by the provision of more grades." If this were the case, it would seem sensible to balance the need for reasonably accurate classification with the need for reasonable distinction between candidates.