Beautiful Virgin Islands

Monday, Jun 23, 2025

A-level data shows record grades and biggest gender gap in a decade

A-level data shows record grades and biggest gender gap in a decade

Number of students reaching A or A* doubles in 12 subjects since 2019 and girls beat boys in top maths grades

This year is a year unlike any other and the same rings true when it comes to English A-levels.

The results, which were exam-based until 2019, relied on an algorithm last year only for that to be replaced again by teacher-grading in 2021.

Here are the top five data takeaways from this year’s unprecedented result outcomes among students in England.

1 The class of 2021 achieved record-breaking grades


The proportion of top grades achieved by students this year was at its highest ever as teacher assessments replaced usual exam-based grading and the 2020 algorithmic means of assessment was scrapped.

The 2021 results tables show that 44.3% of A-level entries in England were awarded one of the top grades, A* or A.

This marks a 6.2 percentage point rise on last year’s results. However, it is a 19.1 percentage point increase compared with the pre-pandemic exam outcomes of 2019.


2 There has been a doubling of A grades in 12 subjects since 2019


The number of students achieving an A or A* rate has more than doubled in 12 subjects (as well as the “all other subjects” category) since 2019, with the highest increases in physical education, music and drama.

The rate of top grades in physical education went from 14.7% in 2019 to 42.3% in 2021, an 188% increase in two years. For music, the increase was 183%, drama 168% and media, film and TV 165%.

Conversely the smallest increase in top grades since 2019 was in maths (34.4%). This rise took the subject’s A or A* rate to 54.4%.


3 Girls beat boys in top maths grades, contrary to the previous trend


Boys in England typically outperform girls in A* maths grades. But the switch to teacher assessment has boosted female students’ performance.

The highest-ever proportion of female students – 56.8% – achieved an A grade or above in England this year, a reversal of the pre-2020 results where males usually did better at this grade level.

This year was also the first in which more female students got A* grades in maths than their male counterparts, albeit marginally at 28.4% and 28.3% respectively. The change from algorithm to teacher assessment also had an impact on the 2020 results, which have been revised retrospectively.


4 The gender gap is at its highest level in a decade


This year’s course-based grades reflect existing research which suggests that final exams favour male students.

The gender gap reached its highest level in 10 years, with the rate of A* and As standing at 46.4% for girls versus 41.7% for boys – a further reversal of the trend seen in 2017 and 2018 when boys last outperformed girls.

In fact, girls attained higher A*/A grades in every subject bar German, Spanish and performing arts this year. In the lower grade category (C grade and above) female students outperformed males in every subject.


5 Independent schools had the highest rate of top grades


The rate of A and A* grades at independent schools – at 70.1% – was far higher than that recorded at secondary comprehensives, whose A and A* rate rose to 39.3%, and for academies, whose rate rose to 41.9%.

At first glance, the 9.1 percentage point rise in top grades at independent schools suggests the gap between them and others schools has grown.

However, it is the relative change in grades that is important here (as independent schools generally record higher grades). By that measure these schools experienced an increase of 15.3% on last year, in keeping with the increase seen in other types of schools.


Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Starmer Invites Innovators to Join Government Talent Scheme
UK Economy’s Strong Opening Quarter Shows Signs of Cooling
Harrods Seeks Court Order to Secure Al Fayed Estate for Victims
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
We have new information and breaking details to share about what is shaping up to be a historic air campaign tonight
Six Massive Bombs Dropped on Fordow; Trump: 'A Historic Moment for the U.S., Israel, and the World'
Fordow: Deeply Buried Iranian Enrichment Site in U.S.–Israel Crosshairs
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.
BBC Demands Perplexity AI Immediately Stop Using Its Content
Telegram Founder: I Will Leave My Fortune to Over 100 of My Children
Political Turmoil Resurfaces in Belgium Amid Economic Concerns
Fed policymakers divided on timing of interest rate cuts
Trump signals imminent agreement with Harvard University
Inheritance tax referendum alarms Swiss billionaire community
Japan cancels bilateral security meeting amid US defence demands
AI skeptic Emily Bender warns that ‘the emperor has no clothes’
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
FBI and Senate Investigate Allegations of Chinese Plot to Influence the 2020 Election in Biden’s Favor Using Fake U.S. Driver’s Licenses
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
Plans to Sell Dutch Embassy in Bangkok Face Local Opposition
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump's $5 Million 'Trump Card' Visa Program Draws Nearly 70,000 Applicants
DGCA Finds No Major Safety Concerns in Air India's Boeing 787 Fleet
Airlines Reroute Flights Amid Expanding Middle East Conflict Zones
Elon Musk's xAI Seeks $9.3 Billion in Funding Amid AI Expansion
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Taiwan Imposes Export Ban on Chips to Huawei and SMIC
Israel has just announced plans to strike Tehran again, and in response, Trump has urged people to evacuate
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Juncker Criticizes EU Inaction on Trump Tariffs
EU Proposes Ban on New Russian Gas Contracts
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
Iranian Regime Faces Existential Threat Amid Conflict
Energy Infrastructure Becomes War Zone in Middle East
UK Home Secretary Apologizes Over Child Grooming Failures
×