THERE are now more A-level A grades awarded than ever before - a fact which should be celebrated by hard-working teenagers everywhere.

But the result is that thousands of top students are being rejected from their first choices without explanation.

A range of solutions has been put forward to combat this trend including the introduction of an A* grade and schools releasing marks, alongside grades, to universities.

Some also advocate Scholastic Assessment Tests (SATS) for all university places such as the most selective have already introduced for their most competitive courses.

John Ryan, registrar and admissions chief at University College Worcester, said the proposals could ease some "difficult" decisions for universities.

"Given the difficulty in some very popular areas of higher education, an A* grade would be very supportive," he said.

"They would give selectors a better indication of how to distinguish between the volume of candidates, but the downside is that we could face the same problem again in a few years."

Walter Jones, headteacher at the Royal Grammar School, Worcester, said an extra grade would undoubtedly help his top students.

"We have had experiences where universities have randomly deselected pupils with top grades," he said.

"The number of A-grades across the country has doubled in the last decade - to more than 20 per cent - and I would welcome either A*s or releasing results to help universities make their choice."

However, other schools across the county balked at the idea of sub-dividing the grade.

Bernard Roberts, headteacher at Prince Henry's High School, Evesham, one of Worcestershire's top-performing state schools, said A*s were not the way forward.

"I'm strongly opposed to the idea. I don't accept that there has been an erosion at A-level - if you get an A you are very bright," he said.

"We are in a situation where there are a lot of good universities and I don't think we should be trying to filter all our brightest and best students through two or three universities.

"If you get three or four As all universities should be confident that you are bright enough for the course, without needing A*s for clarification."

The issue has also fuelled national debate between the performance of independent and state schools.

Research from the Assessment and Qualifications Alliance revealed that the gap between independent and state school students achieving the highest A-grade marks has doubled.

Some education experts have claimed Ministers have not introduced an A* grade because it would highlight the performance gap between the two sectors.

However, Mr Roberts warned that an A* grade could be used by independent schools to put up fees.

"It would play into the hands of private schools. They would raise their fees to make sure they could keep very, very small class sizes and achieve A*s," he said.

"But that wouldn't necessarily mean that those children would be any brighter or more able to cope at university."

Kevin Peck, headteacher of The Chase, in Geraldine Avenue, Malvern, said A grades had not risen because exams had got easier, but because schools and students were better prepared.

He added that universities should be welcoming the high quality of students rather than trying to change the system.

"We have the most examined students in the world so the idea of introducing SATS is ridiculous," he said.

"If the universities really can't judge - and I don't necessarily agree that it is a great problem - I would be happy for them to have the marks."

The range of opinions among Worcestershire's education community highlights the extent of the problem.

There is clearly some tinkering to be done to create a more transparent admissions system to help both universities and students make their choices.

However, one area of agreement is the idea of post-qualification application - where students apply for university places after they have received their results, rather than based on predicted grades.

Morag Chapman, headteacher at The Alice Ottley School, said the system was used in Scotland and had great advantages for the students.

"It's so much clearer and lets them know what options are open to them and what they can apply for," she said. "I'm all for it but it still seems some way off."

With funding crises and special school closures in the headlines, an "embarrassment of A-level riches" may seem a minor problem, but for thousands of teenagers it is worrying.

With their futures - and, from next September, wallets - on the line, the pressure is on the Government to ensure the university admissions system begins to deliver more fairly.