A-level results: Number of top grades down on last year but still above pre-pandemic levels
The proportion of top A-level grades is down on last year but still remains above pre-pandemic levels.
A* and A grades were awarded to 27.2% of students, compared to 36.4% last year, 44.7% in 2021 and 38.5% in 2020.
But the number is up by 1.8% compared to pre-pandemic levels, when 25.4% of A-level entries were awarded A or A* grades.
Follow the latest A-level news live here
The overall pass rate – the proportion of entries graded A* to E – has fallen to 97.3% this year, which is lower than 2022 (98.4%) and the pre-pandemic year of 2019 (97.6%). In fact, the rate is at its lowest level since 2008 when it stood at 97.2%.
Pupils in England saw the biggest drop in top marks, with the share of exams graded A or above down by 9% compared to 2022.
Welsh students saw a 7% drop in top grades while Northern Ireland saw a decrease of 6%.
But compared to the last summer before the pandemic in 2019, the number of top grades awarded in England is up by 2%, in Wales by 7% and in Northern Ireland by 9%.
The figures, published by the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ), cover A-level entries from students in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
In England, exams regulator Ofqual had said this year’s A-level results would be lower than last year following efforts to return to pre-pandemic grading.
It comes after COVID-19 led to an increase in top grades in 2020 and 2021, with results based on teacher assessments instead of exams.
In Wales and Northern Ireland, exam regulators have said they do not plan to return to pre-pandemic grading until 2024.
Many A-level students in Wales and Northern Ireland were given advance information about topics to expect in their exam papers this summer but students in England were not given the same support.
“The reality is that those systems are different anyway, they’re different awarding bodies,” Education Secretary Gillian Keegan told Sky News when asked if there were questions about fairness.
“University admissions officers know the difference in these systems so they’re quite sophisticated in understanding the difference between the English system and the Scottish system.”
There are still regional differences when it comes to the share of students achieving top grades.
Compared to pre-pandemic levels, the number of pupils receiving A-A* grades is still up by 3.1%. That compares to the North East, where 1% fewer pupils achieved top marks.
But overall, students in the South East achieved the greatest share of top marks, with more than 3 in 10 papers (30.3%) receiving A-A* grades. That compared to 22% in the North East, 22.3% in the East Midlands, 22.9% in the West Midlands, 24.1% in the North West and 26.6% in the East.
Boys scored more A* grades this year compared to girls, at 9.1% compared to 8.8%.
A total of 3,820 students in England alone scored three A* grades, according to separate figures from exams regulator Ofqual.
This is down from 8,570 last year, but up from 2,785 in 2019.
Maths still remains the most popular A-level subject, followed by Psychology, Biology, Chemistry, History, Sociology, Business Studies, Art and Design, Economics and Physics.
Computing saw the biggest increase in entries, up by 64% since 2019. Media and film studies, as well as political studies and economics, also saw increases in entries.
There is still a big difference in the type of subjects male and female students are choosing to take at A-level.
Of the 15 most popular subjects, 77% of those choosing to take physics are male compared to 78% of those studying English Literature being female.
UCAS also says fewer A-level pupils have gained a place at their first choice of university or college compared to last year.
It said 79% secured their first choice, compared to 81% in 2022, when exams were re-introduced and 74% in 2019, when grading arrangements were the same as this year.
A further 9% of students are in clearing, which compared to 12% in 2019 and 7% in 2022.
Elsewhere, 12% have been placed at their insurance choice, compared to 14% in 2019 and 11% in 2022.
More than twice the number of students from advantaged backgrounds (76,780) were accepted compared to those from disadvantaged backgrounds (25,760).
UCAS Chief Executive Clare Merchant said: “Today’s data shows that challenges in widening participation to the most disadvantaged students still persist.
“This demonstrates that we all need to continue the efforts to ensure the most disadvantaged individuals in society are able to benefit from life-changing opportunities in higher education and training, particularly as the 18-year-old population grows”.
Overall, 414,940 applicants have gained a place at university or college, down from 425,830 last year but up on 408,960 in 2019.
Pupils in Scotland received their results last week and the Scottish Qualifications Authority figures showed that the Higher pass rate was down from last year but it remained above 2019 levels.
All flights were halted at Edinburgh Airport this morning due to an IT issue affecting its air traffic control provider.
In a post on X, formerly Twitter, the airport later announced service had resumed.
Its post read: “Flights have now resumed following the IT issue with our air traffic provider.
“We thank passengers for their patience and understanding.”
But passengers continue to feel the effects.
A Delta Air Lines flight from New York to Edinburgh was diverted to Dublin after going into a holding pattern over the Scottish capital.
And a live arrivals board on the airport’s website showed multiple flights diverted, delayed and cancelled.
Arrivals board at Edinburgh Airport. Pic: Edinburgh Airport
Morven McCall and Cody Stevenson, both 19, were due to fly easyJet from Edinburgh to Amsterdam on their first trip away together.
Morven told Sky News: “We literally just got into the airport and as soon as we walked through the door there was an announcement that it had been cancelled.
“I was ill over the summer and had to cancel two holidays already, this was our first time going away together. We are just gutted and stressed.”
Follow live: Latest updates as flights halted
Arrivals at Edinburgh Airport. File pic: PA
One passenger was on a plane when they found out.
They said: “We boarded our flight and pushed back on time for an 8.45 (am) departure, then sat for a while before the pilot told us what was happening.
“He updated us a couple of times, cabin crew are brilliant at handing out water etc, and I’m surprised that everyone appears to be upbeat. But then you do wonder how long for, just been told we’re hoping to be in the air in 20 minutes.”
Another passenger told us: “The first news was from the airport announcement as we were halfway through boarding, saying the airfield was closed due to air traffic control down.
“No one knew what was going on. We’d already been delayed a bit before boarding, with no reason. I suspect problems started about 9am.”
It comes after an earlier announcement that all flights had been halted.
“No flights are currently operating from Edinburgh Airport,” the previous statement said.
“Teams are working on the issue and will resolve as soon as possible.”
There was no timeframe for recovery initially, Sky News learned.
It’s understood by PA that the issue was not linked to today’s Cloudflare outage.
Edinburgh Trams also posted on X, writing: “If you’re travelling with us to @EDI_Airport this morning, please be aware that flights are not currently operating.”
The airport urged passengers to contact their airline for the latest information on flights.
An average of 43,000 passengers per day use the airport, which is served by 37 airlines flying to 155 destinations.
A former doctor has been charged over alleged sexual assaults on 38 patients in his care.
Nathaniel Spencer, 38, has been charged with 15 counts of sexual assault, 17 counts of assault by penetration, nine counts of sexual assault of a child under 13, three counts of assault a child under 13 by penetration and one count of attempted assault by penetration.
It follows a police investigation into alleged sexual offences between 2017 and 2021.
Staffordshire Police said in a statement the charges come after a complex investigation by the Public Protection Unit into sexual offences at the Royal Stoke University Hospital, in Stoke-on-Trent, and Russells Hall Hospital, in Dudley.
North Staffordshire Justice Centre
Ben Samples, deputy chief crown prosecutor for the West Midlands CPS Complex Casework Unit and Serious Violence, Organised Crime and Exploitation Unit, said: “We have decided to prosecute Nathaniel Spencer for a number of serious sexual offences allegedly carried out against patients while he was working as a doctor – including assault by penetration and sexual assault against a child.
“Our prosecutors have worked at length to support a detailed and complex investigation by Staffordshire Police, carefully reviewing the available evidence to establish that there is sufficient evidence to bring the case to trial and that it is in the public interest to pursue criminal proceedings.”
Spencer, from Birmingham, will appear at North Staffordshire Justice Centre on 20 January 2026.
This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly.
Please refresh the page for the fullest version.
You can receive Breaking News alerts on a smartphone or tablet via the Sky News App. You can also follow @SkyNews on X or subscribe to our YouTube channel to keep up with the latest news.
-
Sports2 years agoStory injured on diving stop, exits Red Sox game
-
Sports3 years ago‘Storybook stuff’: Inside the night Bryce Harper sent the Phillies to the World Series
-
Sports2 years agoGame 1 of WS least-watched in recorded history
-
Sports3 years agoButton battles heat exhaustion in NASCAR debut
-
Sports3 years agoMLB Rank 2023: Ranking baseball’s top 100 players
-
Sports4 years ago
Team Europe easily wins 4th straight Laver Cup
-
Environment3 years agoJapan and South Korea have a lot at stake in a free and open South China Sea
-
Environment1 year agoHere are the best electric bikes you can buy at every price level in October 2024