Cao points drop for many courses for over 50,000 students

Points for more than half of college courses have dropped, taking the heat out of the race college for many.

The fall is being linked to changes made to how points are calculated - the first in 25 years. Points for Science, Technology and Maths courses are all down. Over 50 thousand students have been offered college places this morning, with points for more than half of them lower than last year. Almost 80 percent of pupils being offered a level 8 course are getting their 1st 2nd or 3rd choice - rising to 97 percent for level 6 or 7 courses. Points have risen in some areas including law, architecture and dentistry, but overall, points are down, in some cases due to an increase in places as well as a drop in applications. Students have until next Monday to accept their offer, with 2nd round offers due on August 31st.