HERE are the main figures in this year’s A-level results:

  • The proportion of candidates receiving top grades is the highest on record. A total of 44.8 per cent of entrants were awarded either an A or A*, up from 38.5 per cent in 2020.
  • Nearly one in five (19.1 per cent) entrants received an A*. This is another record high, and is up from around one in seven (14.3 per cent) last year.
  • The overall pass rate (grades A* to E) was 99.5 per cent. This is down very slightly from 99.7 per cent in 2020.
  • Some 88.5 per cent received a C or above, up from 88.0 per cent in 2020 and the highest since at least 2000.

MORE NEWS:

  • Girls have extended their lead over boys in the top grades. The proportion of girls who got A or higher was 46.9 per cent, 4.8 percentage points higher than boys (42.1 per cent). Last year, girls led boys by 3.2 percentage points (39.9 per cent girls, 36.7 per cent boys). Boys briefly took the lead in 2017 and 2018, following a long period in which girls had been ahead.
  • Girls have also extended their lead in the highest grade, A*. The proportion of girls who got A* was 19.7 per cent, 1.3 percentage points highest than boys (18.4 per cent). Last year the gap was just 0.2 points (14.4 per cent girls, 14.2 per cent boys).
  • The most popular subject this year was maths. It was taken by 97,690 entrants, up 3.6 per cent on 2020.
  • Psychology remains the second most popular subject. It was taken by 71,235 entrants, up 9.2 per cent on 2020. Biology was once again the third most popular subject, taken by 70,055 entrants, a rise of 7.6 per cent.
  • Chinese saw the biggest percentage drop in candidates for a single subject with more than 1,000 entrants, falling by 18.9 per cent from 1,617 to 1,312.
  • Geography saw the biggest percentage jump in candidates of any subject with more than 1,000 entrants, rising by 16.8 per cent from 30,203 to 35,268.
  • There were 824,718 A-levels awarded, up 5.1 per cent on last year’s total (784,959).