Confusion surrounding exam results left outraged parents comforting their children when grades were lowered and university places lost.

The Hunts Post: Alex Young was told he may have to wait up to two weeks for his BTEC results before joining the police force. Picture: FAMILYAlex Young was told he may have to wait up to two weeks for his BTEC results before joining the police force. Picture: FAMILY (Image: Archant)

Ian Swain argued that many young adults had their “futures callously snatched away by an algorithm that downgraded their A-level results”.

His children were both studying for exams and he feared their hard work would not pay off.

He said: “I have a Year 10 son at Hinchingbrooke and a Year 12 daughter at CRC.

“My children who both worked hard on GCSEs this year and are concerned the fiasco around downgrading will not reflect the effort they put in because they could not sit an exam.

“Ministers should make decisions based on the fact that these young people had no control over this situation and to remember that their futures are very much at stake.

“It has been a woeful handling of this crisis.”

Education Secretary Gavin Williamson resisted calls to resign over his handling of A-level and GCSE grades in England, but he has apologised to thousands of students for the distress caused.

The Government announced a U-turn on Monday when it said students would be able to receive grades based on their teachers’ estimates.

Mr Williamson insisted that England’s exams regulator Ofqual “didn’t deliver” the grading system that the Government had “reassured” would be in place.

Elsewhere, in Godmanchester Alex Young who was expecting to receive his results of his BTech Level 3 was told that he may have to wait up to two weeks as results were being “released in batches”. Mum Gillian said: “My son has been expecting to receive the results in line with the rest of the country.

“Having heard nothing by lunchtime we contacted Cambridge Regional College directly to be told the results were ‘being released in batches’.

“He needs to submit this results to join the police force as soon as possible and they will be expecting it this week.

“I don’t expect he is the only student to be disadvantaged in this way which is of common concern to all parents as well as their young people.”

Luckily Alex received his results yesterday morning (Tuesday, August 18) following a tense few days.