A-level top grades reach record high nationally outside of Covid years
Students in England, Wales and Northern Ireland received their exam results on Thursday, with many finding out if they would progress to university, an apprenticeship or work.
More than a quarter (28.3 per cent) of UK entries were awarded an A or A* grade, up by 0.5 percentage points on last year, when 27.8 per cent achieved the top grades.
This was higher than in 2019, the last year that summer exams were taken before the pandemic, when 25.4 per cent of entries were awarded A or A* grades.
It is the highest proportion of entries scoring top grades outside the pandemic-affected years of 2020-22, according to the figures from the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ) for England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
READ MORE: Oxford University: A-level student fulfils promise to dying mother
Boys have outperformed girls in terms of top grades for the first time in seven years.
The proportion of UK entries awarded the top A* grade this year has also risen, by 0.1 percentage points to 9.4 per cent, compared to 9.3 per cent in 2024, and it is higher than when it stood at 7.7 per cent in 2019.
The overall pass rate – the proportion of entries graded A* to E – has also risen to 97.5 per cent this year, which is up on last year (97.2 per cent) and the pre-pandemic year of 2019 (97.6 per cent).
Sir Ian Bauckham, chief regulator of Ofqual, England's exams regulator, said that the standard of work required to achieve grades has 'held constant' since 2023.
He said any changes were because a 'smaller, smarter cohort' of students had sat their A-level exams this year compared to previous years.
In an interview about the A-level results, Sir Ian said: 'Students this year have got the grades they deserve, and their grade will hold its value over time because it represents a stable standard of achievement.'
Also boys have outperformed girls in top A-level grades for the first time in seven years, exam results show.
Overall, 28.4 per cent of boys' A-level entries scored an A* or A this summer, compared to 28.2 per cent of their female classmates' – a gap of 0.2 percentage points.
The last time boys had a lead was in 2018.
Last year, girls were ahead with 28 per cent of entries scoring at least an A, compared to 27.6 per cent of those from boys, according to figures published by the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ).
Exam bosses acknowledged the swing towards boys but said the difference between the sexes is 'pretty small'.
There are more A-level entries overall from girls than boys, the figures show, with females making up 54 per cent of all entries.
Claire Thomson, executive director of regulation and compliance at the AQA exam board, said that while the percentage of girls achieving A*-A grades is lower this year than their male counterparts, overall, nearly 19,000 more females achieved at least an A due to more girls entering for A-levels in general.
She said: 'It is important not to speculate too much about what has led to any differences between males and females as the figures are small, they do bounce around a bit over time and the causes will be multi-faceted and complex.'
A breakdown by subject shows there is still a clear gender divide in some subjects, such as maths, where nearly two-thirds (63 per cent) of entries are from boys.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
32 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Valour of Belfast VC recipient marked at VJ Day 80th anniversary in city
The bravery of a submariner from west Belfast awarded the Victoria Cross was marked at a special event in the city to commemorate the 80th anniversary of VJ Day. Leading Seaman James Magennis was awarded the prestigious military honour for valour for his actions on July 31, 1945, when he exited his midget submarine in Singapore harbour to attach mines to the hull of a Japanese cruiser vessel, the Takao. A memorial to him stands in the grounds of Belfast City Hall. It was the scene of a poignant wreath-laying ceremony on Friday to mark 80 years since Victory over Japan Day. Lord Mayor of Belfast Tracy Kelly placed the wreath at the foot of the memorial, before the Last Post was played by bugler Louise Bell from the First Old Boys' Silver Band. Those in attendance bowed their heads for a two-minute silence. The wreath-laying came after a reflective event inside City Hall that included historical discussions about the conflict in the Far East and music from the City of Belfast Youth Orchestra. One of those gathered at the memorial on Friday was Norman Leslie, 84, from Bangor, Co Down. Mr Leslie, who served as a submariner in the Royal Navy during the Cold War, said he felt it was important to honour the memory of James Magennis. He said the event acted as a 'timely reminder' to younger generations. 'To me it was just to let all the young ones know that there was stuff happening that probably their father or grandfather did during the war, and to let them know what was happening, because some maybe just don't know anything whatsoever about what happened,' he said. Ms Kelly said it was a special occasion. 'It is important to keep on doing these things because it's something we should never forget, and especially the younger generation today, hopefully they will never go through what people in those days went through,' she said. 'But it's important to have a service of reflection, a service of remembrance. 'And to me, it's something that if you have people who are going to fight in a war, who are going to sacrifice and lose their life, and we don't know where some of those bodies went, there's no graves for quite a few people, to remember that and reflect on that, especially for the younger generation today, is very, very important.'
CBS News
4 hours ago
- CBS News
Aurora mayor recognizes achievements of Lotus School for Excellence
Not every school gets a visit from its city's mayor on its first day of school, but the Lotus School for Excellence in Aurora did on Tuesday. Aurora Mayor Mike Coffman read a proclamation in front of the student body to recognize them for their achievements. It read: A PROCLAMATION CELEBRATING THE ACADEMIC SUCCESS OF THE LOTUS SCHOOL FOR EXCELLENCE AND AURORA STUDENTS WHEREAS, The Lotus School for Excellence has served Aurora students since August 2006, and over the years have demonstrated an unwavering commitment to academic excellence, fostering an environment of achievement, innovation, and inclusivity for all its students; and WHEREAS, the students, educators, staff, and leadership of the Lotus School for Excellence have dedicated themselves to the highest standards of educational achievement, preparing students to excel both inside and outside of the classroom, while nurturing a sense of civic duty, critical thinking, and leadership in our future generations; and WHEREAS, Lotus School for Excellence recently accomplished an outstanding milestone with their Class of 2025, who received scholarship awards exceeding $6,250,000.00, achieved a 100% graduation rate and a 96.4% college acceptance rate, with many students being accepted by the nation's top universities including: MIT, Yale, Harvard and Columbia, WHEREAS, this success highlights the exceptional efforts of Lotus School for Excellence's leadership, teaching staff, students, and the broader community in ensuring every student receives the resources, support, and opportunities necessary to succeed; and WHEREAS, these achievements are a testament to the unlimited potential of Aurora's youth, and the tireless work, dedication, and resilience of all those involved with Lotus School for Excellence, which is a reflection of the strong partnership between the school and the Aurora community, including families, local leaders, and community organizations; NOW, THEREFORE, I, Mike Coffman, Mayor of Aurora, Colorado, do hereby recognize the achievements of Lotus School for Excellence and look forward to your future successes. Dated at Aurora, Colorado, this 10th day of August 2025. The Lotus School is a free charter school in the Aurora Public Schools System. Secondary Principal Ermek Bakyt says their success isn't a coincidence. "We really want to build that pipeline of success where we have predictable results, where we have, structured approach, evidence, and data-based decisions that we make," said Bakyt. They work hard to use data and evidence to build a program for their students that will help them get into college. "Research shows that there's a correlation between the college attainment levels, from bachelor's, master's, to doctorate, and their annual compensation. So, if students have college degrees, they're pretty much creating more career options for them to select from," said Bakyt. That can be a challenge because many of their students will be first-generation college students. He says they start early to teach kids and their parents how to get into and prepare for college. "For some of them, the education system in the US could be new," said Bakyt. And while a proclamation from the mayor is great, that's not Principal Bakyt's goal. He is aiming much higher. "We would like to reach over 100% college acceptance," said Bakyt.
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
41 Wildly Entitled, Infuriating, And Just Plain Dumb Customers Who Proved The Customer Is NOT Always Right
1.A free YEAR of food??? In what world did this person think that was going to happen? brother. don't do this. one gets paid enough to deal with this. 5.I'm sorry, but I can't stop laughing at "REDICULOUS!" audacity... Related: be this person. this person. flash: If you're late to class, the business has every right to refuse you entry. this guest think they're the king of England??? Also — 15 white sugars??? you have to sneak in your own alcohol because you can't afford to purchase any, maybe stay go without booze. did these people even get the idea that any company would do this? 13.I get that tipping culture is annoying, but it's how servers make a living wage. There's no excuse not to tip. part of "we're closed" did these people not understand? Related: stiffed their server, yet somehow they have the audacity to call someone else unkind? is the kind of person who doesn't want student loan forgiveness because they had to pay their loans back in the day. Over a penny? 19.A $25 tip on this over $1k bill for a private dining event is diabolical. 20.A customer getting mad at you because they're wrong is a canon event for anyone who works retail or service. the middle fingers really necessary? Related: they don't have a restroom, they don't have a restroom! It's not their responsibility to help you find one! did this person even buy this many boxes of markers in the first place? server wouldn't have to say that if you actually watched your kids! much audacity does it require to think a business should stay open for you after closing? 26.I can't stand people who do this. The freezer is literally RIGHT THERE. bad enough to leave an item in a different section than where you got it, but ice cream??? You're literally just wasting this product. do people think the rules shouldn't apply to them? this person think prices were just a suggestion? did this person think closing times were only a suggestion? (BTW, the workers say they didn't even see this person trying to get their attention after closing.) If you can't read the above, it says: I realize that you close at 10 p.m. But just because the last customer of your night is needing help doesn't mean you do not go to your doors and find out what your customer needed. I've worked in public my entire life and this is by far one of the rudest things I've had done. You clearly heard me. How do y'all know I did not leave my keys to my house in your store? It's sad that no one wants to go just one little bit extra for people today. I only needed my receipt b/c I have to keep for my records. Y'all did not even have any want to see what I needed. My receipt is all I needed. I do not complain nor do I ever go out of my way to do so, but for making me wait out here at night when you could have done something right and nice and grabbed my receipt was just too much effort. The worst part is you both seeing me and hearing me. Let's see if corporate tells you that you did the right thing. Think about it that way…what if it was your mother needing help and you just didn't do it? What if no one helps your mom or daughter at 10 p.m. at night? It really isn't so bad to do little extra things for others. Please get my receipt. It's very important I keep them right now. 31.I can't believe people just walk around with this level of entitlement. Related: "do better" is exactly what I wanted to tell this lady. customers really are a special brand of entitled. takes two seconds to put things back where you found them. 35.I swear, people lose all common sense once they walk into a store. like they leave their brains at home. are not the place to proselytize. on — the customer is calling the STORE petty directly after describing the pettiest "revenge" I've ever heard? on earth would ever possess someone to do this? At least clean up after yourself. like these people just didn't want to tip. finally...I'd like to apologize on behalf of humanity to hosts and servers everywhere. Also in Internet Finds: Also in Internet Finds: Also in Internet Finds: Solve the daily Crossword
