Top A-level grades are up
Across the UK, 26.3 per cent of all A-level entries received an A or A* grade, which is up from 25.8 per cent last year. This is the same proportion as in 2013.
Meanwhile, the proportion of A-level entries that received an A* grade rose to its highest level (8.3 per cent) since the top grade was introduced in 2010.
The overall A-level pass rate has fallen
In total, 97.9 per cent of all entries received a pass grade of A* to E - the lowest level since 2011.
Outcomes are worse in reformed subjects
The proportion of 18-year-old entries in England receiving top grades across the 13 subjects where new reformed “linear” A-levels were being sat the for the first time - art and design, biology, business, chemistry, computer science, economics, English language, English language and literature, English literature, history, physics, psychology, sociology - fell compared to last year.
At A* the fall was from 7.7 to 7.2 per cent and at A/A* from 25 to 24.3 per cent.
Top AS-level grades are up
This year 23.8 per cent of all AS-level grades in the UK were an A, up by 2.5 percentage points from 21.3 per cent in 2016.
But it is harder to compare the outcomes from year to year because of the drop in AS-level entries which has occured after the government decided to “decouple” the AS levels from the A levels in England.
AS-level entries are down
The overall number of AS level entries in England have fallen by 42 per cent this year - which is a steeper fall than last year (14.8 per cent) when the first “decoupled” AS levels came in.
However, further maths has bucked the trend with AS level entries up by 4.5 per cent.
The gender gap is closing
Across the UK, boys have received a larger share of A and A* grades than girls for the first time.
This year’s results show that 26.6 per cent of UK boys’ A-level entries scored at least an A, compared with 26.1 per cent of UK girls’ entries.
Boys have also extended their lead over girls at A* to 1 percentage point - which is the largest gap.
For all the latest news, views and analysis on A-level results day, please visit our specialist A-level results hub.
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