A Level Results Day 2020 in numbers: Key stats

Thousands of students have had their results downgraded from teachers' estimates - but top grades have hit record levels
Social distancing was in force as students received their results this morning
PA
Ewan Somerville13 August 2020

After an anxious months-long wait, this morning almost 300,000 teenagers found out their A-level results.

Social distancing was in force as some headed into school to open the traditional exam slips, while most simply logged in online from their own homes.

The wait this year was all the more nerve-wracking because all exams were cancelled when schools shut in March. Instead, sixth formers had their grades predicted by teachers and moderated by exam boards.

Nearly two in five of A-level results have been downgraded after this year’s summer exams were cancelled due to coronavirus despite top grades hitting record levels.

Some 280,000 teenagers have had their grades lowered from their teachers' estimates, but those achieving top grades have surged to a record high.

Here's the rundown of all the A-level results day 2020 official figures.

How many grades have been marked down?

Exam boards downgraded nearly two in five (39.1%) pupils’ grades in England, according to data from the exam watchdog Ofqual – which amounts to around 280,000 entries being adjusted down after moderation.

In England, a total of 35.6% of grades were adjusted down by one grade, 3.3% were brought down by two grades and 0.2% came down by three grades.

The moderation algorithm used by Ofqual, the exam regulator, brought teachers' predicted grades and ranking orders of pupils into line with the schools' average results from previous years.

Teachers decided their estimates based on prior assessments.

The moderation process is particularly controversial after the Scottish Qualifications Authority downgraded a quarter of pupils - about 125,000 total - on Highers and Nationals results day last week. It sparked protests and a U-turn from the Scottish government to revert grades to teachers' estimates.

Ofqual admitted that high-performing children in disadvantaged areas have been hit hardest by the downgrading.

Students have picked up their A-level results this morning
PA

What are the pass rates this year?

The proportion of A-level entries awarded an A grade or higher has risen to an all-time high, with 27.9% securing the top grades this year, figures for England, Wales and Northern Ireland show.

But overall, the proportion of entries in England, Wales and Northern Ireland awarded the top A* grade this year has surged to 9% – the highest proportion since the top grade was first introduced in 2010.

In total, 27.9% of entries were awarded an A or A* grade this summer, which is up by 2.4 percentage points on last year when 25.5% achieved the top grades.

Here are the other key results figures:

– The overall pass rate (grades A* to E) was 98.3% – again, another record high. It is up from 97.6% in 2019.

– Some 78.4% received a C or above, up from 75.8% in 2019 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 28.4%, 1.1 percentage points higher than boys (27.3%). Last year, girls led boys by just 0.1 percentage points (25.5% girls, 25.4% boys). Boys briefly took the lead in 2017 and 2018, following a long period in which girls had been ahead.

– The gap between the best-performing boys and girls has fallen slightly. The proportion of boys who got A* was 9.3%, 0.5 percentage points higher than girls (8.8%). Last year, the gap was 0.7 points.

– The most popular subject this year was maths. It was taken by 94,168 entrants, up 2.5% on 2019.

– Psychology was the second most popular subject, overtaking biology. It was taken by 65,255 entrants, up 1.0% on 2019. Biology slipped to become the third most popular subject, taken by 65,057 entrants, a fall of 6.0%.

– ICT (information and communications technology) saw the biggest drop in candidates for a single subject with more than 1,000 entrants, falling by 15.3% from 1,572 to 1,332.

– Computing saw the biggest jump in candidates of any subject with more than 1,000 entrants, rising by 11.7% from 11,124 to 12,426.

– There were 780,557 A-levels awarded, down 2.6% on last year’s total (801,002) and the lowest number since 2004.

A-level pass rates by region

Here is the A-level pass rate (students receiving A*-E grades) broken down by nation and region. The figure in brackets is the change in percentage points on 2019.

England 98.2% (up 0.7)

Wales 98.6% (up 1.0)

Northern Ireland 99.1% (up 0.8)

North-east England 98.7% (up 0.4)

North-west England 98.4% (up 0.4)

Yorkshire & the Humber 98.4% (up 0.6)

West Midlands 97.8% (up 0.7)

East Midlands 98.2% (up 0.7)

Eastern England 98.3% (up 0.7)

South-west England 98.4% (up 0.7)

South-east England 98.4% (up 0.6)

London 98.0% (up 1.1)

All 98.3% (up 0.7)

Here are the rates for students receiving the top grades (A* and A):

England 27.6% (up 2.4)

Wales 29.9% (up 2.9)

Northern Ireland 33.2% (up 2.3)

North-east England 24.9% (up 1.9)

North-west England 25.3% (up 1.7)

Yorkshire & the Humber 25.4% (up 2.2)

West Midlands 24.2% (up 2.2)

East Midlands 24.4% (up 3.4)

Eastern England 28.0% (up 2.3)

South-west England 28.6% (up 2.8)

South-east England 30.7% (up 2.4)

London 29.8% (up 2.9)

All 27.9% (up 2.4)

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