GCSE results: top grades at highest since 2012

More than 500,000 students received their GCSE results yesterday, with elation for many as one in five achieved top marks. The percentage of students obtaining a grade 7, equivalent to the old grade A, increased to 21.7 per cent, up 0.1 percentage point from 2023.

Grades did not revert to pre-pandemic levels as anticipated. This year’s figure surpassed the 2019 mark of 20.6 per cent, before Covid-19 hit. Excluding the anomalous years of 2020 to 2022, when grades soared due to the pandemic, this year’s grade 7 results are the highest since 2012.

Additionally, 1,270 16-year-olds in England achieved the top grade 9 in at least seven subjects, up from 1,160 in 2023 and 837 in 2019. This rise is partly due to a 5.2 per cent increase in the population of 16-year-olds compared to last year.

Congratulations to Cardiff pupils who received their GCSE results today. 👏 In Cardiff, based on the provisional WJEC GCSE results outcomes for grades A* – A grades are above the Welsh average: https://t.co/PM7ufWoC0B Not sure what to do next? https://t.co/4ExS5GSzQm pic.twitter.com/8EMZOcIxG2

— Cardiff Council (@cardiffcouncil) August 22, 2024

Ofqual, the exams regulator, stated that following concerns about grade inflation during the pandemic, results have stabilised. “We have settled back into a pattern of reliable and trustworthy results,” it said.

However, Professor Alan Smithers from Buckingham University noted that if 2019’s procedures had been strictly applied, there would have been one percentage point fewer top grades. “The ability of the intake varies year to year, but it seems regulators now lean towards good news,” he commented.

Last week, A-level students saw a record high in top grades, excluding the pandemic years. It emerged yesterday that GCSE results may have been boosted by more lenient grading in some subjects. Computer science, French, and German were assessed more generously this year. Ofqual decided these subjects had been graded too harshly in the past compared to others.

While England uses a numerical grading system of 9-1, Northern Ireland and Wales still use A*-G. Across the UK, Wales and Northern Ireland saw slight decreases, causing an overall drop at grade A to 21.8 per cent from 22.0 per cent last year, though still higher than 2019’s 20.8 per cent.

Additionally, 67.6 per cent of entries achieved a grade 4, equivalent to the old C and considered a ‘standard pass’. This is down from 68.2 per cent last year but higher than 67.3 per cent in 2019. Northern Ireland had the best results in the UK, with 31.7 per cent of entries graded at A or above, down from 35.4 per cent last year but up from 31.4 per cent in 2019.

Northern Ireland’s consistently better performance than England has been attributed to its retention of the grammar school system. Since 2010, grade boundaries across the UK have ensured that roughly one in five GCSE entries gets a grade 7 or A. However, exams were cancelled in 2020 and 2021, leading to teachers determining marks and a sharp rise in grades.

Since then, grading has gradually returned to normal, with England expected to achieve this last year, and Wales and Northern Ireland this year. Many pupils receiving their GCSE results experienced significant disruption to their education, as they were in Year 7 when schools closed due to the pandemic.

Overall, there were 6,186,879 GCSE entries, up by 4.8 per cent from last year’s figure of 5,905,000.Posting on X, Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson congratulated the students and thanked teachers and staff for their support. “You’ve shown amazing resilience, overcoming challenges, and you should be proud of all you’ve achieved. Well done,” she said.

Margaret Farragher, chief executive of the Joint Council for Qualifications, an umbrella organisation for exam boards, stated that these achievements are hard-earned, and students should feel justly proud. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer praised the students, emphasising the importance of education and opportunity.

Congratulations to those receiving their GCSE results today – you’ve done an incredible job.

I know the power of education and opportunity. My government will make sure everyone’s path is determined by their talent, skills and ambition, not where you come from.

— Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) August 22, 2024

“My Government will ensure everyone’s path is determined by their talent, skills, and ambition, not their background,” he added. GCSE Spanish is gaining popularity and is not far behind French, the language with the most exam entries. For the second consecutive year, the number of students choosing Spanish has increased. The 6.2 per cent surge to 133,395 entries this year surpasses the 4.8 per cent increase in total GCSE entries.

Interest in French also rose by 2.6 per cent to 134,651 papers. German, previously in decline, increased by 3.5 per cent compared to last year but still had fewer entries than in 2022. The rise in students opting to study Spanish may reflect Spain’s appeal as the UK’s top holiday destination. In 2023, 17.8 million Brits visited the country. There was also an 8 per cent rise in entries to ‘other modern foreign languages’, including Urdu, Turkish, Polish, and Chinese.