Sixth-formers in England are enjoying a bumper crop of top A-level results, surpassing previous pre-pandemic highs in the proportion of A* and A grades awarded, thanks in part to strong performances in maths and sciences.
In maths, which had more than 100,000 A-level candidates nationally for the first time, 42% of 18-year-olds in England got A* or As, while a third of entrants got the highest grades in physics and chemistry.
The rise in top grades meant one in every 11 entries received an A*, with a record 4,135 students celebrating three or more A*s – an increase of nearly 50% compared with 2019, when 2,785 received straight A*s.
Ofqual, the exam regulator for England, said the increase had been achieved under a return to “normal” grading, benchmarked on last year’s results. Ian Bauckham, Ofqual’s chief regulator, said: “There is no grade inflation this year. Standards have been maintained from 2023 and any change is largely due to the ability of the cohort.”
But there was a different picture in Wales and Northern Ireland, where the proportions of top grades awarded fell compared with last year after a return to pre-pandemic grade boundaries, although results in Northern Ireland remained better than those in England.
In England, 9.3% of entries gained A* grades, while 27.6% got A and A*s. Other than in 2020, 2021 and 2022, when awards were distorted by Covid, this year’s results are higher than any year since the A* grade was introduced in 2010.
In Northern Ireland 30.3% of entrants got A or A*, down by seven percentage points compared with 2023, while in Wales the proportion fell from 34% to 27.6%. But both remained higher than the equivalent in 2019.
Scotland has a different qualifications system and most students received their results last week.
In 2020 and 2021, no A-level exams were held in England, Wales or Northern Ireland, with results instead assessed by teachers, leading to a spike in improved results. When in-person exams returned in 2022, the authorities took account of the disruption by more generous grade boundaries.
England’s increase in top grades this year was tempered by regional and social inequalities in how they were distributed, and by the lower proportion of pupils getting grades C or above compared with most pre-pandemic years.
There was a slight widening in the gap in attainment between England’s regions. London had the highest proportion of A* and A grades, at nearly 32%, compared with the lowest, the East Midlands, with 22.5%.
At private schools – fees for which are soon to be subjected to 20% VAT – 49.4% of entries were awarded A or A* grades, up from 45% in 2019. Grades at state grammar schools in England also soared, with A and A*s rising from 37% in 2019 to 41% this year.
Meanwhile, academies in England increased their top grades to 26.5% of entries, while England’s remaining comprehensives increased to 22%.
Pepe Di’Iasio, the general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said: “The staff in our schools and colleges also deserve great credit for all they have done to support these young people in their courses and exams.
“While the dark days of the pandemic are in the past, its legacy continues to haunt us, as many of these students experienced severe disruption to their education. In particular, this impacted upon young people from disadvantaged backgrounds, whose families were also adversely affected by the subsequent cost of living crisis.”
Universities reported that more applicants from disadvantaged backgrounds were being accepted on undergraduate courses this autumn. The Ucas admissions service said that 27,600 18-year-olds from the most disadvantaged backgrounds had accepted a place.
Vivienne Stern, the chief executive of Universities UK, said: “It is heartening to see that a record number of disadvantaged students have gained a place at a university or college this year. We know that a degree has particularly strong benefits for students from disadvantaged backgrounds, and this will boost earnings and career prospects throughout their lifetimes.
“Universities are on hand to support anyone who has not received the grades they were hoping for, or any prospective student who needs advice. There are still a wide variety of courses available through clearing this year at a range of universities.”
Alongside A-levels, more than 250,000 vocational and technical qualifications were awarded, with more than 22,000 top grades awarded in England, according to Ofqual.
More than 7,000 students also completed T-level courses in England, with nearly 89% gaining a pass or better.
T-levels were launched in 2020 as a two-year vocational equivalent to A-levels, with courses including early years education and digital production, but so far interest from students remains subdued. Figures from the Department for Education showed that only 71% of the 10,000 who enrolled had completed their courses this year.
Only 14 students – 0.2% of those who completed a course – gained starred distinctions, the highest T-level grade, while 15.7% received a distinction.
