10 August 2021

Key statistics in this year’s A-level results

10 August 2021

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% of entrants were awarded either an A or A*, up from 38.5% in 2020.

– Nearly one in five (19.1%) entrants received an A*. This is another record high, and is up from around one in seven (14.3%) last year.

– The overall pass rate (grades A* to E) was 99.5%. This is down very slightly from 99.7% in 2020.

(PA Graphics) (PA Graphics)

– Some 88.5% received a C or above, up from 88.0% in 2020 and the highest since at least 2000.

– Girls have extended their lead over boys in the top grades. The proportion of girls who got A or higher was 46.9%, 4.8 percentage points higher than boys (42.1%). Last year, girls led boys by 3.2 percentage points (39.9% girls, 36.7% 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%, 1.3 percentage points highest than boys (18.4%). Last year the gap was just 0.2 points (14.4% girls, 14.2% boys).

– The most popular subject this year was maths. It was taken by 97,690 entrants, up 3.6% on 2020.

(PA Graphics) (PA Graphics)

– Psychology remains the second most popular subject. It was taken by 71,235 entrants, up 9.2% on 2020. Biology was once again the third most popular subject, taken by 70,055 entrants, a rise of 7.6%.

– Chinese saw the biggest percentage drop in candidates for a single subject with more than 1,000 entrants, falling by 18.9% 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% from 30,203 to 35,268.

– There were 824,718 A-levels awarded, up 5.1% on last year’s total (784,959).

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