Top grades have fallen in just two of the most popular A-level subjects, while the rest have recorded rises of up to 10 per cent.
This year, 27.6 per cent of grades were A or above, up from 26.5 per cent in 2023 – a rise of 4 per cent.
It’s also nearly 10 per cent higher than the 25.2 per cent in 2019, prior to the outbreak of Covid.
Here are the key findings from results published by the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ) for England this morning…
1. Which A-level subjects had the most top grades?
Of the 15 most popular A-level subjects, those with the highest proportion of As and A*s remained the same as last year.
Maths again had the highest proportion of top grades (42 per cent this year). This was followed by chemistry (32.2 per cent) and art and design subjects (32 per cent), which overtook physics.
2. Which A-level subjects had the fewest top grades?
Those taking media, film and TV studies were again least likely to receive As and A*s. About 13 per cent of those taking the course received top grades, up from 12.6 per cent last year.
Business studies, sociology and psychology were the only other subjects where fewer than 20 per cent of results were A and A*.
3. Just two of the most popular subjects saw a fall
In 2023, the percentage of top grades fell by up to 46 per cent in some subjects as A-levels returned to pre-pandemic marking standards.
But this year, only two of the 15 most popular courses saw numbers fall.
They were sociology and English literature, which recorded drops in A* and A grades of 3.8 per cent and 0.8 per cent, respectively.
Meanwhile history, maths and business studies had the smallest increases since last year.
4. Computing registered biggest increase in top grades
The proportion of top grades grew the most in computing (9.7 per cent). It was followed by media, film and TV studies, with it witnessing a rise of 6.3 per cent.
Biology and economics saw top grades increase by more than 4 per cent.
This contrasts with last year when the proportion of top grades fell by at least 13 per cent for every one of the 15 most popular subjects, due to a return to pre-pandemic standards.
5. Subjects furthest away from pre-pandemic standards
Last year, Ofqual instructed exam boards to bring grades down again, so they returned to 2019 standards.
The watchdog said today it asked exam boards to “maintain standards” from 2023, essentially meaning that is now the new benchmark.
All but one of the top 15 most popular subject top grades are above 2019.
The proportion of As or above in computing is 35 per cent higher than five years ago. The figure stood at 23 per cent in 2023.
Meanwhile, media, film and TV studies and psychology saw 22 per cent and 17 per cent rises respectively.
6. Which subjects are closest to 2019?
Sociology is the only subject below 2019 levels. Its proportion of top grades is just over 1 per cent down on five years ago.
The next nearest to pre-pandemic grades is maths (2.5 per cent up), geography (3.9 per cent) and English literature (4.6 per cent).
7. The 15 most popular A-levels: results breakdown
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