Number of top A-level grades rise – as most popular subjects revealed

The number of top A-level grades has increased marginally, as the most popular subjects have been revealed.

Hundreds of thousands of students in England, Wales and Northern Ireland received their exam results on Thursday – with the number achieving A* grades up 0.4% from last year, to 9.3%, and the number of A*-A grades up 0.6% from last year, reaching 27.8%.

Discounting the pandemic-affected years of 2020-22 – when the figure peaked at 19.1% in 2021 – 9.3% is the highest proportion since the A* grade was first awarded in 2010.

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The overall pass rate, graded A*-E, was 97.2% – down from 97.3% last year and also below 2019’s figure – 97.6%.

It marks the lowest figure since 2008, when it stood at 97.2%.

This year was the first year the entire UK returned to pre-pandemic approaches to grading, exam authorities said.

While England returned last year, Northern Ireland and Wales only did so for the first time in 2024.

Grades were broadly similar to last year, but some subjects saw noticeable differences in entry numbers.

While the top ten most popular subjects didn’t change, STEM subjects surged in popularity.

Further Maths experienced the largest increase – up 19.9%.

Maths remained the most popular subject for the 11th year running and became the first subject to break 100,000 students taking it up, with a rise of 10.2% from last year to 107,427.

Physics saw a 12.3% increase and Computer Science entries were up by 11.3% as well.

Top ten most popular subjects

There were small improvements in regional inequalities of grades, as London displaced the South East as the highest-performing area in terms of A*-A grades.

The West Midlands saw the biggest increase in top grades, up 1.92% but the North East rose 1.82% – meaning it is no longer the lowest performing region.

The East Midlands grew the least in regards to top grades.

Regional differences in top grades

A*-A grades in Wales and Northern Ireland fell sharply this year but this was said to be down to a return to pre-pandemic grading in both nations.

The number of disadvantaged students securing a place at universities hit a record high, according to UCAS.

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Some 27,600 have accepted a place, up 7% on last year and 4% on the previous high recorded in 2021, 26,650.

However, despite this, the gap between the most deprived groups, and the least deprived isn’t closing.

Someone with a university place is still around two and a half times more likely to come from the least deprived 20% than the most deprived 20%, something that has been more or less the same for ten years.

Of the 425,680 applicants who were accepted onto university courses, a 3% increase on last year, 82% of them got into their first choice.

A total of 886,514 A-levels were awarded this year, up 2% on last year’s 867,658.

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