The A-level results for England, Wales, and Northern Ireland were recently released, showing a slight increase in the number of top grades achieved. Specifically, the number of students achieving A* grades rose by 0.4% from the previous year, reaching 9.3%. Additionally, the number of A*-A grades increased by 0.6% compared to last year, reaching 27.8%. These numbers signify a positive trend in academic performance, with 9.3% being the highest proportion of A* grades awarded since its introduction in 2010.
Despite the increase in top grades, the overall pass rate (A*-E) was 97.2%, slightly lower than the previous year’s rate of 97.3%. This figure is also below the 2019 pass rate of 97.6%, marking the lowest pass rate since 2008 when it stood at 97.2%. It is noteworthy that this year marked the first time that the entire UK returned to pre-pandemic grading approaches, with England having done so last year, while Northern Ireland and Wales adopted this approach for the first time in 2024.
While the top ten most popular subjects remained unchanged, there were noticeable shifts in entry numbers, particularly in STEM subjects. The data showed a significant surge in subjects like Further Maths (up 19.9%), Maths (up 10.9% to over 100,000 students), Physics (up 12.3%), and Computer Science (up 11.3%). Moreover, regional differences in performance were observed, with London surpassing the South East as the highest-performing area in terms of A*-A grades. The West Midlands and North East saw notable increases in top grades, while the East Midlands exhibited the smallest growth in this regard.
Despite improvements in the number of disadvantaged students securing university placements, there remains a significant gap between the most deprived and least deprived groups. While a record number of 27,600 disadvantaged pupils were accepted into universities, representing a 7% increase from the previous year, the disparity in acceptance rates persists. Data shows that those from the least deprived 20% are still two and a half times more likely to secure a university place compared to the most deprived 20%, a trend that has persisted for a decade. Overall, out of 425,680 applicants accepted into university courses, 82% obtained their first choice, indicating a high level of satisfaction among students.
The recent A-level results demonstrate a positive trend in academic performance, with an increase in top grades and a return to pre-pandemic grading approaches. The rise in popularity of STEM subjects and improvements in regional performance highlight the evolving landscape of education. However, the persistent gap in university acceptance rates between disadvantaged and privileged students underscores the need for continued efforts to address inequality in higher education access.