Thousands more pupils awarded highest A-level grades but fewer are taking exams – as UK's most popular subject revealed

The Sun

2 days ago

THOUSANDS more teenagers have bagged the highest A-level grades this year — but slightly fewer sat the exams.
Fresh figures show 83,334 papers were awarded the coveted A* - a rise of 0.1 percentage points on last summer — even though total entries dipped by 0.5 per cent to 882,509
4
4
4
4
The proportion of A*–A grades climbed to 28.3 per cent, meaning almost one in three results hit the top band, defying predictions of little change.
UCAS data also reveals more school-leavers have secured places at university, with 439,180 acceptances so far — up 3.1 per cent on last year.
For the first time in seven years, boys have outperformed girls at the very top, with 9.9 per cent of male entries earning an A* compared to 9.1 per cent of female entries — a gap of 0.8 percentage points.
Girls still matched them overall when A* and A grades were combined, but the shift marks a return to the pre-pandemic pattern before teacher-assessed grades flipped the tables.
Sir Ian Bauckham, chief regulator of Ofqual, England's exams regulator, said 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.
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.'
Maths held firm as the nation's favourite subject with 112,138 entries - up 4. 4 per cent in a year and more than 21 per cent higher than a decade ago.
But there is a clear gender divide, with boys significantly more likely to choose the subject than girls.
Psychology remained in second place with 75,943 entries, while biology stayed third on 71,400, though both saw small drops.
Physics has surged in popularity, jumping from ninth to sixth after attracting an extra 1,843 students.
Economics saw the fastest growth among the top ten subjects, up 5.5 per cent, while chemistry and business studies also gained ground.
By contrast, French and German continued their long decline, with French entries down 9.1 per cent and German down 8.5 per cent, while English literature fell 4.4 per cent.
London led the regional league table with 32.1 per cent of entries at A*–A, compared to just 22.9 per cent the North East.
Jill Duffy, chairwoman of JCQ board of directors and chief executive of the OCR exam board, said: 'Regional inequalities are getting worse, not better.
'The gap at top grades (A*-A) has grown again.
" London is once again the top performing region and is now 9.2 percentage points ahead of the North East.'
She added: 'These regional inequalities need more attention.'
Alongside A-levels, more than 250,000 vocational and technical qualifications were awarded, with business management the top choice.
T Levels, the Government's flagship technical qualification, had a record 11,909 students receive results, up 61.4 per cent in a year, with over nine in ten passing or better.
Exam chiefs hailed the 'hard work and determination' of students, many of whom began their GCSE years during the pandemic.
The grades will now send tens of thousands of teenagers into universities, apprenticeships, or straight into the workforce — the next big step after years of study.
By MARTINA BET, Political Correspondent
THIS year's A-level results confirm a trend that has been building for several years but is now gathering pace.
Teenagers are turning away from traditional arts and languages and flocking to STEM and business-based subjects, as the cost-of-living crisis and jobs market realities bear down on their choices.
Maths has been the UK's most popular A-level for over a decade, but its growth is accelerating, with entries now topping 112,000.
Physics has leapt from ninth to sixth place in just twelve months, while economics — the fastest-growing of the top ten — has jumped 5.5 per cent in a year.
These subjects feed directly into higher-paying careers in engineering, finance, and technology, all areas the Government is desperate to bolster to close skills gaps and boost productivity.
By contrast, French and German have been in long-term decline, but this year's 9.1 per cent and 8.5 per cent drops are among their sharpest falls yet.
English literature, down 4.4 per cent, continues a steady slide that has been evident since before the pandemic.
Ministers may talk of levelling up opportunity, but the subject data shows a narrowing of the curriculum as students and their families make harder-edged, pragmatic decisions about their futures.
And regional divides are widening too.
London's top-grade rate is more than nine percentage points higher than the North East's — a gap that has grown year on year.
Without targeted intervention, those disparities risk hardening into entrenched economic and social divides.