There's a small but significant number of students who have not been helped at all by the govt u-turn.

They've neither been upgraded, or downgraded. Because they have no grade and now, a v uncertain future.

They're the external exam candidates. For example, Ferdaus.

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First some explanations. Britain's "private" or "external" candidates are those who are taking exams who are not connected to a school.

So they could be those who have left school but are resitting. Or homeschoolers. Or (v common) those who had personal tragedy...

...like bereavement in the family or severe illness which meant either they couldn't sit their exams or didn't make a fair representation of themselves and are now resitting.

This is a v common and well-marketed part of the system. In fact, if they've done badly it's encouraged.

And yet there has been almost no thought given to these candidates. We think there are around 20,000 of them for A-level this year but there could be more.

Consider how everyone else has got their grade this year. They were all given Centre Assessment Grades (CAGs) by their...

...teachers. But external candidates don't have a centre. And no teachers. So no CAG.

No CAG and well, this year, no grade.

And no graded, no university place.

This is the situation Ferdaus is in, who I interviewed yesterday.

He has a place @KingsCollegeLon to read medicine. He has an insurance at Southampton.

He was predcited a*a*. But no CAG. No CAG. No place.

Family illness meant he couldn't do his exams properly last year.

So he thought he'd pay himself to have another go, to make his family proud.

But now because he has no CAG, he's on the verge of losing that chance.

He told me his friends were all getting on with his lives but he's stuck: "They're progressing. I haven't got anything to look forward to and I'm devastated really. I don't know how to get myself out of this rut and there seems to be no one there to help me get out of this rut...

"It's difficult to articulate and put in words. I've been very very anxious over the confirmation period. I've been depressed I would say. It's not even limbo. It's nothing. I'm in a black hole."

Now what was supposed to happen to Ferdaus? Well back in April Ofqual said: "exam boards can issue calculated grades to private candidates for whom the head of an exam centre can confidently submit a centre assessment grade and include the student in their centre’s rank order.”

So ideally, the centres external candidates were supposed to take their exams should give them a CAG, in Ferdaus' case, his school.

Problem is schools and exam centres have been v reluctant to do this. First, it was more work, when they had A LOT going on with...

...their own students' CAGs. To introduce external candidates into the rankings could have had deliterious effects on their own students (v plausible after what we've learnt this week). And schools said, they often didn't have enough data on external candidates to...

...say with confidence how they might do. Ofqual also hinted at punishment for schools who weren't accurate. So many didn't embark on the CAG process with private candidates registered at their schools.

Ofqual and govt said that if their home centre wouldn't give them a CAG...

...then they could find somewhere which would. But where? The only places which turned up were external assessment centres who were charging £700 a paper. Most couldn't afford it.

That means, all that is left, DfE and Ofqual say, are exams in autumn or next summer.

Naturally that's a long way away and many of those kids don't know what they could do to fill the time. Financially, many can't afford to wait. None fancy a fourth year of A-level study. In Ferdaus' case, that would actually prohibit him from some medical schools.

The point is, Ofqual and the DfE had a long time to come up with something for this small but important number of students. They still have their UCAS predicted grades. That may be a start for thinking about giving them something to proceed. Or for unis to be more flexible.

But right now, these young people are in complete limbo. They feel comprehensively forgotten about. Those I've spoken to are really depressed, anxious if not terrified about the future. Who can blame them, given there's been such scant thought about what they should do.

DfE told me tonight: "“External candidates entered for exams this year will receive a grade if the school or college was able to identify sufficient evidence of their attainment. Unfortunately not all external candidates have been able to receive a grade if there was not..."

"sufficient evidence. Those who do not receive a grade this summer can sit their exams in the autumn. The Universities Minister recently sent a letter to all Vice Chancellors asking for universities be as flexible as possible in their admissions, as well as to take into..."

"...account a range of evidence when admitting students to courses to ensure every young person can progress to the destination they deserve. “Universities may be able to offer January starts or deferred places to students taking exams in autumn and we encourage students to..."

"...speak directly to their provider to determine what flexibility exists.”

In other words, there aren't plans to help Ferdaus now, which is what he needs.

More on this on tonight's @BBCNewsnight. BBC2. 1045pm.

Unsurprisingly, Ferdaus says that these days have been and are “the worst days of my life” https://twitter.com/frrdss/status/1296219581003051024?s=21 https://twitter.com/frrdss/status/1296219581003051024

Important news. Perhaps then @KingsCollegeLon might be able to be flexible to Ferdaus? https://twitter.com/lewis_goodall/status/1296390527273885697?s=21

If there are any doctors/medics out there who might have any advice for Ferdaus, I know he’d be v grateful to receive and I’d be equally grateful to pass on. Do DM.

A bit of good news. @KingsCollegeLon has now offered Ferdaus deferred entry for next year. It’s not ideal as he’s alreasy missed a year but it’s something. No word from @unisouthampton (his insurance) though.

Full report (featuring Ferdaus) from last nights @BBCNewsnight can be viewed here: